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2022 Blossom Pure 99

SkiTalk Test Team

Testing skis so you don't have to.
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Philpug: Like many of Blossoms other offerings the Pure 99 (formally the Namaste)’s numbers and specs are really pretty average when you look at them on paper. Nothing with the Pure 99 really stands out as special and definitely not progressive…even the name “Pure 99” does not get your blood a pumpin'. But we have come to learn with Blossom skis that we cannot judge their skis just on looks, numbers, and specs alone. It’s how Blossoms perform in the real world that we judge them.

This is the first time that we had a chance to ski Blossoms other than their frontside biased skis. The tactile feel of the Namaste has Blossoms typical balanced flex with a shape that is very traditional, bordering on dated in this category. The tip is rounded like the popular White Out and the tail seems right from the same mold…in fact, other than an ever so slight early rise and a tip shape that is also a bit more gradual than the other skis, the Namaste could easily be included in the Turbo series...if say there was a 90 mm do bridge the gap. Hint Blossom, hint.

On snow feel is what sets Blossoms apart from the other skis. Like the other Blossoms in our test fleet, the Namaste just flowed down the hill as if they are attached to the snow. I always come back to two words when I am skiing a Blossom: liquid mercury, and the Namaste no different. For some reason, Blossom does not publish the turn radius on the Namaste, or at least that I could find. All I could find from Google was “20m@178cm” which, after skiing the Namaste, feels about right.

Long term update: These are like an old friend in snow. If you have skied any of the narrower Blossoms and you like that feel, you will love these. There is no special gimics with the Namaste, just a simple shape and design proving again and again that there is rarely a substitute for quality.​
I took these out at Squaw after a 3" dump and they did just as I would have expected and they passed the Steadfast Rule test, there was no ski I thought that I would have rather been on today. They did well on the groomers, in the bumps and were confidence inspiring when the visability was nill at at the top of Siberia.​
Insider Tip:The Namaste skis it's full length and then some, the 178 could easily be a 180-181…but at the skier that normally skis a 178 cm will not be overwhelmed. With the Namaste’s 10 cm size increments means that you might fall between sizes, so err on the shorter of the two sizes.​
BS Slarver: The Pure 99 (Namaste) is exceptionally built, with a classic smooth damp ride. The 178 length punches above its length and certainly above its price point. @Dougb, I have the SR as well as demoed the MX 98 and would trade either in a minute for the Namaste. From easy morning groomers they ripped effortless GS and smaller turn shapes on command. Firm bumps are not a problem and much less effort than the premium brands we are comparing them to. Loved how stable they moved through wind scorn and some left over avi debris and into chunky steeps off powder seeker. Got to open them up and they ate up the lower chaulky pitch offing free shit eating grins.
These should be on your radar as a OSQ for any western skier.
 
Awards
Who is it for?
Skiers who miss the original (pre 2014) Enforcer, welcome home. A great one ski quiver for Mammoth.
Who is it not for?
Those expecting a powder ski. Even at 99 mm underfoot, powder is not this skis forte.
Skier ability
  1. Advanced
  2. Expert
Ski category
  1. All Mountain
Ski attributes
  1. Groomers
  2. Moguls
  3. Off Piste
  4. Trees
Segment
  1. Men
  2. Women

Specifications

right ad
Available sizes
168, 178, 188
Dimensions
135-99-122
Radius
20m@178cm
Rocker profile
  1. Camber with tip rocker
Construction design
  1. New graphics
Binding options
  1. Flat

tromano

Goin' the way they're pointed...
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I find the finesse vs. power slider confusing. It seems like we are comparing this to power skis, Old Enforcer, MX98, etc... but its on the finesse side?
 

Philpug

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I find the finesse vs. power slider confusing. It seems like we are comparing this to power skis, Old Enforcer, MX98, etc... but its on the finesse side?
IMHO, the old lighting bolt Enforcer was on the finesse side of the spectrum, especially compared to the Mantra of the day..which it got compared to a lot. BS wasn't comparing it to a MX98...he said he would trade it for it.
 

Tom K.

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I want these so badly, but am having a hard time wrapping my head around the sizes.

At 6'2" and 195 summer weight, I feel like the 178 would feel short, while the 188 would require being all-in-all-the-time.

Thoughts welcome!
 

XSki

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I am rather curieus about how they compare to an Augment AM98. Especially the on snow feel. Is there anyone out there who has skied both and - adding boldly - in different sizes (177/9 vs 187/8)?
 

Philpug

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I am rather curieus about how they compare to an Augment AM98. Especially the on snow feel. Is there anyone out there who has skied both and - adding boldly - in different sizes (177/9 vs 187/8)?
Very different animals. The Pure 99 is still very traditional in feel with minimal marketing rocker, the Augment has a much more progressive shape and a lot more rise in the tip and tail. If a 99 could be designed for groomers, it would be a the Pure 99 where the is much off piste oriented.
 

mulva28

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If a 99 could be designed for groomers, it would be a the Pure 99 where the is much off piste oriented.
I wish @Philpug would expand on this lol. Or fill in the blanks here :) I love my No1 RC so far and may need a ski for Killington/Pico deeper days (1 or 2 runs of fresh at best, the rest of the weekend cut up)
 

Philpug

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I wish @Philpug would expand on this lol. Or fill in the blanks here :) I love my No1 RC so far and may need a ski for Killington/Pico deeper days (1 or 2 runs of fresh at best, the rest of the weekend cut up)
The Pure 99 is as good as a 99 could be if you wanted a 99 for groomers, of course the (bit) more gradual tip rise and a smidge of early rise does not limit you when the snow gets a little deeper than expected.
 

mulva28

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The Pure 99 is as good as a 99 could be if you wanted a 99 for groomers, of course the (bit) more gradual tip rise and a smidge of early rise does not limit you when the snow gets a little deeper than expected.
Thanks @Philpug ! I get down on myself when I skid a turn or 3 in a run so I think a smeary super rockery tapery ski will not be my thing. Is the Pure 99 softened in the tip like the Crosswind/AM85? I ski a lot of bumps and the soft tip of the No1 RC helps make low angle or softer bumps manageable. I really want to get on my wife's Crosswinds. How similar are the Pure 99 to those?
 

Philpug

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Thanks @Philpug ! I get down on myself when I skid a turn or 3 in a run so I think a smeary super rockery tapery ski will not be my thing. Is the Pure 99 softened in the tip like the Crosswind/AM85? I ski a lot of bumps and the soft tip of the No1 RC helps make low angle or softer bumps manageable. I really want to get on my wife's Crosswinds. How similar are the Pure 99 to those?
The Pure 99 is a progression from the other two in flex and tip profile, you can see the difference in tip shape from the AM(77) on the left to the Pure 99 on the right.
1F1DC06F-9F12-450A-9B76-D211E60E02C1_1_102_a.jpeg
 

mulva28

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Hmmm No1 RC, Crosswind/AM 85, Pure 99 would make a mean Vermont 3 ski quiver. 14mm between each seems about right. The Pure 99 actually looks like more tip rocker than I expected. It does remind me of the lightning bolt Enforcer. I'm kind of between sizes though. I ski a 170 No1 RC, a 172 Crosswind. Would like a low/mid 170's Pure 99.
 

Philpug

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Long Term Update: Today was the first chance I was able to get on the new Pure 99's with the updated overly modest graphiced Pure 99. Two words always come to mind when skiing a Blossom, "Liquid Mercury". These skis are just so damn quiet and smooth as they flow down the slope. We talk about narrow versions of wide skis, the Pure 99 is opposite, a wide narrow ski. Imaging the fabled AM77AM85 as a 99 mm ski ... with a little bit of early rise and a slightly more gradual tip rise and you have the Pure 99 which you can see here:
1F1DC06F-9F12-450A-9B76-D211E60E02C1_1_102_a.jpeg

If you are looking for quiet, damp and smooth, you have to put the Pure 99 on your short list.
 

Dougb

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I finally spent my first day on my new (to me) Namastes. They are veterans of the Ski Talk test fleet, and thanks to @Philpug they came to me with a smoothrides tune (thanks!). Some of you know I am a fan of @Blossom Skis. Add these to the list.

I struggled to describe them to my buddy. I just kept coming back to words like “smooth” and “easy.” So easy in fact I didn’t even think about them and just wandered around the mountain from groomers to trees to moguls without a care in the world. Like a nice Sunday drive punctuated by bursts of speed and fun cornering. Did I say these skis are smooth and easy? That I could go anywhere and do everything with ease? Not the best ski in any category, but it did it all with a quiet, confident, and easy disposition. Quite unlike anything in this class I’ve tried in fact. Steadfast indeed.

For reference I am 5’9” 150 lbs strong and advanced skier. It was a bluebird day at Kirkwood with good coverage still from the record-breaking dump we had.

Final comment came from my buddy who noticed how centered I stayed on them the whole day. He was right.

Thanks to @Philpug for the hookup and @BS Slarver for the tip!
 

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Philpug

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Long term update: Buttah. We were out with @Stephen, @Andy Mink, @Tricia and @WadeHoliday at Squ .. Palisades , dammit ... andskied all over in the "Wade Way" the mountain should be skied, not on the trails but in-between them as Wade would say. In a perfect world I would have rather have been on something narrower, in the mid 80 mm range but I made due with the Pure 99 to expend on the Long term update. As I started this review, like buttah. The Pure 99 ate up the chalky cut up snow like it was its job and in reality that is the skis job. The Pure 99 was nimble in the big Squaw (yes I said it) bumps on Granite Chief and under the Slot and where ever there where bumps. On the groomers back the lift it made some smoooooth (note the extra o's) big GS turns. Oh so nice and quiet.

Skis this good deserve a much more refined name than just the pedestrian name "Blossom", LOL.
 

WadeHoliday

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It looked like it was working very well for you!

“pure” clean design that is 99 mm wide… I like it. Simple zen name
w
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Long Term Update: First, let me get this out of the way: To each their own. Personally I'm not a fan of wide skis on hard snow. I can recognize that some folks love them and that's fine. Choices are why there are approximately 8 jillion different models of skis out there. Unfortunately, wide on hard make my knees hurt. I find there are other tools that suit my needs better when on hard snow. However, in the interest of science or, more likely, ski reviews, I took the Pure 99s out to Mt. Rose this morning knowing that everything is month old left over hard pack from the big Christmas storm. We have received absolutely ZERO snow in January to freshen things up. I wanted to see what a 99mm wide ski with a fair amount of low rise tip rocker would do on the super packed chalk. I was on the 178 length at 5'10"/200ish#. Long story short, they work great.

The Pures are light enough to flick around yet when put up on edge with the entire edge making contact they carve a very nice longer radius turn. The harder you push, the more they dig in though they can be skied from the center without having to drive them hard. They engage with no excitement or argument; almost a boring "OK if we must" feel. You won't be fooled into thinking these are slalom skis. Patience is a virtue as you go edge to edge, flowing from one turn to the next. The flat tail can be loaded to PATIENTLY move into the next turn or just let it release on its own as the turn comes to an end. Running flat on the hard snow produced almost no tip flap or vibrations; the skis are just incredibly smooth and quiet. On steeper slope angles the 99s hold well and allow the pilot to either carve or slip turns as desired. I didn't take them into the bumps today, though I finally did find some that don't have the downhill sides chopped off. Those will be another day.

I don't know that I'd call the Pures a "charger" ski but they aren't as playful as some of the more rockered offerings in the 99ish range. The Pure 99 is a directional ski with a pretty traditional mount point; you won't be spinning on these from the middle of the ski. On a day with just a bit of snow to ski in they'd be rock stars. In standing piles and chopped up after-the-storm conditions, they'd kill. If you like wider skis capable of carving 20ish meter turns on hard pack with the capability to handle the above mentioned conditions look no further.
 

Scotty I.

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Long Term Update: First, let me get this out of the way: To each their own. Personally I'm not a fan of wide skis on hard snow. I can recognize that some folks love them and that's fine. Choices are why there are approximately 8 jillion different models of skis out there. Unfortunately, wide on hard make my knees hurt. I find there are other tools that suit my needs better when on hard snow. However, in the interest of science or, more likely, ski reviews, I took the Pure 99s out to Mt. Rose this morning knowing that everything is month old left over hard pack from the big Christmas storm. We have received absolutely ZERO snow in January to freshen things up. I wanted to see what a 99mm wide ski with a fair amount of low rise tip rocker would do on the super packed chalk. I was on the 178 length at 5'10"/200ish#. Long story short, they work great.

The Pures are light enough to flick around yet when put up on edge with the entire edge making contact they carve a very nice longer radius turn. The harder you push, the more they dig in though they can be skied from the center without having to drive them hard. They engage with no excitement or argument; almost a boring "OK if we must" feel. You won't be fooled into thinking these are slalom skis. Patience is a virtue as you go edge to edge, flowing from one turn to the next. The flat tail can be loaded to PATIENTLY move into the next turn or just let it release on its own as the turn comes to an end. Running flat on the hard snow produced almost no tip flap or vibrations; the skis are just incredibly smooth and quiet. On steeper slope angles the 99s hold well and allow the pilot to either carve or slip turns as desired. I didn't take them into the bumps today, though I finally did find some that don't have the downhill sides chopped off. Those will be another day.

I don't know that I'd call the Pures a "charger" ski but they aren't as playful as some of the more rockered offerings in the 99ish range. The Pure 99 is a directional ski with a pretty traditional mount point; you won't be spinning on these from the middle of the ski. On a day with just a bit of snow to ski in they'd be rock stars. In standing piles and chopped up after-the-storm conditions, they'd kill. If you like wider skis capable of carving 20ish meter turns on hard pack with the capability to handle the above mentioned conditions look no further.
Hi Andy - My quiver is in need of a 99 ski. I was hoping that the new Fischer Ranger might be my answer, but I am underwhelmed by the reviews so far.
I love my Blossom White Outs so I have good feelings about Blossoms in general. I agree with you that, for me anyway, 99''s are not skis that I look to take to the slopes on a hard snow day. I am looking for a 99 ski that will be big fun in 3" to 8". I have 108's for anything above that. I read Phil (or Tricia- I can't remembvber) say that the Pure 99 should not be mistaken for a powder ski. However when I saw the rocker on some pictures of the Pures that I was looking at today, it occured to me that for the small to medium powder days, these might do the trick.
What do you think?
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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I think with some snow under them they'd be really good. I wouldn't hesitate.
 

Dougb

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I took my Namastes out on month-old snow last week at the Canyon's in Park City, Utah. I agree 100% with @Andy Mink. These are very easy skis. They are smooth. I find myself naturally skiing in a much more centered stance on them than anything else. I took them down groomed runs, on catwalks, in the bumps, and through everything from morning crust to soft pushed around afternoon snow to wind-swept patches of ice. They performed well with zero drama. When the snow softened up in the late morning the skis were really fantastic to be on. I look forward to skiing them on a few inches of fresh.

@Scotty I.: I also have the White Outs. If you love those then you will love these.
 

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