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Individual Review Blizzard Latigo

Living Proof

We All Have The Truth
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Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
943
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Avalon - On The Way to Cape May
I got to demo the Blizzard Latigo, in a 177 yesterday at my Blue Mountain Pa. home. A little bit about me is that I'm a shorter turn skier who weighs 195. I had not intended to demo this ski, but, as I was among the first at a demo day, there was nobody in line at the Blizzard tent, so, I jumped in. I usually ski sub 80 waist skis and knew about the Blizzard flip core skis, and the reps thought the Latigo would be fine for what I wanted.

I kept it for 3 runs, and, very simply, did not want to give it back. The open terrain was limited to green and blue cruises, so, no real serious skiing was going to happen. The Latigo is just a very friendly ski, @Philpug called is sophisticated, I would tend to agree. It changes edges easily, gets on edge very easily to carve. No fighting, no fuss, could ski it all day. It was fine at the speeds and type of shorter-shape-turn skiing I do. Very easy to make the turn shapes required for bumps, both via brush and carve turns, no bumps were available. Sells at a great price point. I'd love to get on the Latigo later in the season when more typical terrain come to be. Damn this eastern warm weather.

There is a pair for sale here right now, if I had hole in my quver at this waist width, I may have been attracted to put my money where my mouth is.
 

Evansilver

Booting up
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Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Posts
25
Passed on Blue yesterday - don't like the crowded trails with solitude open, although if I had realized. That Paradise was open, might have done it. I'll wait till next Tuesday when Razors and maybe Switchback is open.

I demoed the Latigo there last year on the basis of the reviews on Epicski, but all they had was the 177 that you used. Since I'm 50 pounds lighter and 5 inches shorter than you, needless to say it was not the ski for me. Like driving a Suburban with no power steering.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
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Nov 1, 2015
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Reno, eNVy
Passed on Blue yesterday - don't like the crowded trails with solitude open, although if I had realized. That Paradise was open, might have done it. I'll wait till next Tuesday when Razors and maybe Switchback is open.

I demoed the Latigo there last year on the basis of the reviews on Epicski, but all they had was the 177 that you used. Since I'm 50 pounds lighter and 5 inches shorter than you, needless to say it was not the ski for me. Like driving a Suburban with no power steering.
Evan, you are about Tricias size and she has been loving the Latigo.
 

MattD

aka Hobbes429
Skier
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Posts
358
Location
North Carolina
What are the similarities and differences in "feel" between the Brahma and the Latigo? I demo'd the Brahma a year or so ago and felt it was an extremely capable ski. My only 2 wishes would have been a little quicker from edge to edge, and a little more playful.
 

neonorchid

Making fresh tracks
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Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Posts
6,686
Location
Mid-Atlantic
Passed on Blue yesterday - don't like the crowded trails with solitude open, although if I had realized. That Paradise was open, might have done it. I'll wait till next Tuesday when Razors and maybe Switchback is open.

I demoed the Latigo there last year on the basis of the reviews on Epicski, but all they had was the 177 that you used. Since I'm 50 pounds lighter and 5 inches shorter than you, needless to say it was not the ski for me. Like driving a Suburban with no power steering.
I did the Main St(s) run from the Challenge Express chair all day. Thought about the Latigo but after the Enforcer 177cm, and Pinnacle 95 177cm I didn't wanna get on another ski with a Marker demo binding again! Darn things brake kept hooking onto my pants cuff and locking my feet together, fell twice because of it, tripped up a third time but kept upright. Never had prior trouble with those pants. Was fine on the Atomic's with Solly binders.

I don't want to discuss what skis I liked and didn't and why till I demo again in (hopefully), different conditions at ELK Mt Friday. They are currently reporting five and a half Blacks open thanks to 5"-6" out of the clippers and snow making temps.

Will say at 5'6.5" 140lbs, the Vantage 90cti 176cm was a good fit for me, mtcyclist was right about this one...and two shops I visited told me I want the 169cm. The value of demoing!

Nordi rep had a 170cm Enforcer which I was gonna try after the 177cm, only the 177 was fine and I didn't feel the need. Plus people have been saying its a different ski in 170cm, and not in a good way.

Quite frankly, I ended up not wanting to ski my 168cm's anymore and went home after the demos!
 

Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
Pass Pulled
Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Posts
4,123
What are the similarities and differences in "feel" between the Brahma and the Latigo? I demo'd the Brahma a year or so ago and felt it was an extremely capable ski. My only 2 wishes would have been a little quicker from edge to edge, and a little more playful.

just ski it more or mount the bindings +1.

My brahmas are very slow edge to edge comapred to my X power 8s, but extremely quick and playful compared to an el capo. Basically the mind and body will adapt to what ever it is use to a cetain extent.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
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But in 177? At least 10 cm too long for me, I think.
No, the 170. Sorry, i didn't see you tried the 177. I will say you should get out on the Kicker Filibuster in the 169.
 

MattD

aka Hobbes429
Skier
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Posts
358
Location
North Carolina
just ski it more or mount the bindings +1.

My brahmas are very slow edge to edge comapred to my X power 8s, but extremely quick and playful compared to an el capo. Basically the mind and body will adapt to what ever it is use to a cetain extent.

Interesting thoughts. Seems to mesh well with what I have noticed in the last 2 years I have done demos. There are so many good skis available these days, one could easily make many of them work if committing some time to getting used to how they best respond for you.

OTOH, for those like me who spend way fewer days on the hill than many on these forums, there's something to be said for picking the ski that just seems to "gel" with you from the get-go. I definitely over-analyzed when looking for extra input and info on the ON3P Kartel 98 last year. Should have trusted what I felt on the demo and never looked back! Multiple other demos of skis in that width category did not produce anything better than what I felt on the Kartel.
 

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