2017-2018 Moment Blister Pro

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Yep, it’s back.

By now we think it’s safe to call it a well-established fact that the Bibby is one of our all-time favorite skis. (If this is news to you, just dig around this site for a bit, and enjoy jumping down all the rabbit holes you will find.)

Some of us love the 184 cm model, while some of us love the 190 cm model. But a bunch of us at Blister — and a lot of our friends — and many of our readers — tend to say things about the Bibby like, “Best. Ski. Ever.”

Why?

Because the Bibby offers a combination of stability and playfulness that we (still) haven’t found on other skis.

We test a ton of skis each year, and there are certainly a lot of excellent ones out there. But we can still say that no ski we’ve ridden strikes quite this balance, while also having a massive sweet spot. And for that reason, this is still a reference ski for us — as it has been since we first started Blister.

But as the trends in the ski industry are to make skis lighter and lighter (and lighter and lighter and lighter — Dear Lord), the Blister Pro is, by comparison, beginning to feel more and more stable.

So we would say that the 184 cm Blister Pro is a playful ski that can still charge, while the 190 cm Blister Pro is more of a charger that, on the feet of a strong skier, can still play.

So if you’re unsure about which size to go with, check out our review of the ski, and pay close attention to the feedback from readers in the Comments Section.

The Graphic

Each year we work with Luke Jacobson at Moment to dial in the graphics. But we loved last year’s graphic so much that we weren’t ready to retire it. So we said to Luke, “Screw it. Let’s bring it back.” So we are bringing it back, and seriously, you really need to see these things in person.

Moment Blister Pro on Blister Review
Moment Blister Pro

Bottom Line

We’re still proud to have played a role in bringing this ski back. And if we didn’t still think that it is an extremely special ski, it wouldn’t still have our name on it.

Go here to check them out or order yours.

And as always, if you become a Blister member, you’ll get 10% off 1 entire order from Moment, plus free shipping.

49 comments on “2017-2018 Moment Blister Pro”

  1. Is this ski different than the 2017-2018 Moment Bibby besides the graphics? Specs on the 2017-2018 Bibby seem to match up with the 2017-2018 Blister Pro and the text on their website seems to imply it’s the original design that made the Blister fall in love with the OG Bibby Pro to begin with.

      • Sorry, Jonathan, I’m a bit confused by your answer. Can you clarify if the Blister Bibby Pro has different a construction than the ‘standard’ 17/18 Bibby Pro on the Moment website?

        (I can’t figure out if by “we got brought back” you mean just the Blister one is the OG flavor or that Moment’s Bibby Pro is now the OG version too because of your input… thanks!)

    • I sent an email to Moment asking about this, here’s their response:
      ————————————————————————-
      There used to be a difference.
      Now the Bibby and Blister are identical other than graphics.
      Please let us know if you have any other questions.

      Thanks!

      AUSTINYOUNG
      MOMENT SKIS
      ————————————————————————-

  2. Is there any way we can pool a slush fund for you to help us also bring back the Cochise : )
    Signed….you know who : )

  3. Choices, choices. I was all set to go find a set of the also sadly retired (but not re-animated) Line Supernatural 108 as my quiver of one playful charger for this year, but this has me re-thinking. Thoughts/comparison/preference between the two for a quiver of one? Relevant info: 6′, 175; expert; stomping grounds: various Colorado and Utah resorts and Mammoth; terrain: steeps, trees and groomers.

    • Short answer (and fairly obvious answer): the Supernatural 108 will likely be the better call for a 1-ski quiver if you will be spending more of your time skiing firm / bad snow. The Blister Pro will *definitely* be the better call if you intend to get into 12+ inches of powder. Because the Supernatural 108 is not a pow ski. But the Blister Pro can actually hold up remarkably well on / in firm conditions, and I certainly know a lot of people who use the Bibby every day.

      Last thought: length. You would definitely want to go 186 cm SN 108. But you could potentially go with either the 184 or 190 Blister Pro, depending on how hard you want to push things (190) vs. how really-quick you want your skis to be (184).

      Of course, you could always sell your car or your cat or something, and just get both, and then you’d have a very sick 2-ski quiver, and you wouldn’t have to make such tough decisions.

      • Did Line discontinue the SN 108? Don’t see it on their website. Assuming they are still around is 186 too long for a similar skier profile as kwakagy, but only 5’9″ 170?

        • Yes, the SN 108 is discontinued. And if you are a fairly strong or pretty strong or quite strong skier, the 186 won’t be a problem. (I’m 5’10”, ~175 lbs.) But an intermediate / low-intermediate / or beginner who spends less time skiing fast might find the 186 to be a bit too much ski. The SN 108 likes some speed, it’s not the best tool for making lots of turns at modest speeds.

          • Thanks … I should have done a little casual surfing around the site before asking the question as you’ve only mentioned about 1000 times that the SN 108 is discontinued and you’re not thrilled about it. I’m looking to build a new 2 ski quiver and looking to pair something up with the Blister Pro for those harder days. I generally tend towards shorter radius skis and like something with a poppy feel, particularly on the hard pack. Based on your reviews I’m thinking maybe the Sick Day 104 or the J Skis Masterblaster … quite a bit different in width though. Any thoughts on which would pair better with the Blister when it hasn’t snowed in a few weeks? Again, mostly west coast (Mammoth, Utah, Wyoming, BC) 5’9, 170ish …

            • I wouldn’t worry so much about the difference in width between the SD 104 and the Masterblaster, I’d pay closer attention to the difference in weight. The SD 104 definitely has more pop, but if you’re planning to use this ski in really firm / harsh conditions, the Masterblaster will be the much better call (yep, because it’s heavier, and has better suspension / damping).

              But if you were talking about Masterblaster vs. SD 104 in fairly soft snow — or even pretty deep snow — the weight will be a lot less of an issue, and now you get to pick whether you want light & poppy (SD 104) or better / more fun in rough conditions (Masterblaster).

              But in terms of weight and feel on really firm snow, the Masterblaster is closer in feel to the SN 108.

      • Thanks. I’ve read so many comments from people saying they rock the BPs everyday everywhere, including firm and bad snow, that I had to ask. 2 ski quiver would definitely be ideal for me given the variety in what and how I like to ski but I’m limiting myself to one new pair this year. Maybe next year I’ll add the BPs as a second.

        Before I pull the trigger on the SN 108 186, are there any other skis that fit the playful charger mode that you would recommend as or more highly for my profile?

        • I think the primary question is exactly how “playful” vs. how “chargy” you want this ski to be? The SN 108 is a charger that has a bit of a playful element when you’ve really brought it up to speed. But for those who aren’t really interested in pinning it, they might find that the ski isn’t as playful as they were hoping for. But assuming you’ve read our stuff (and seen our buyer’s guide spectrums?) on “directional chargers,” then you’ll know what you’re in for. The Moment Belafonte is a touch lighter, but I wouldn’t really say that it’s more playful. But it can be pushed similarly hard. The 16/17 Black Crows Atris is quite a bit more playful while being less of a charger. As is the Line Sick Day 104 (far lighter and more playful). And more in line with the lighter SD 104 is the Candide 3.0 — though again, you are now in an entirely different weight class with those last 2 skis.

          • What – I can’t have a ski that will be super playful at slow speeds, slice GS turns on ice and charge variable snow with no speed limit? Is that really too much to ask for?

            Kidding aside, I skew towards your description of the SN 108 precisely because while I do really value playfulness, I also really enjoy pinning it, and I’ve found it easier to have fun on a charger that is somewhat playful than on a playful ski that is somewhat “chargy.”

            Also, re-reading last year’s ON3P Kartel 108 deep dive, I’m now wondering if I should also look at the ’18 Kartel 108. Any word yet on whether or not it was actually beefed up for this year and if so how it compares?

            • I just double checked with ON3P. The Kartel 108 *was* slightly tweaked from the version we reviewed — thinned at the tips and tails, and carbon fiber was added. So the ski is actually a touch lighter, than the model we tested, though ON3P says that the ski ought to be a bit more powerful (/ precise?) at the tips and tails. “Stronger.” But I can’t really say how “beefed up” that will or won’t make the ski feel.

              But maybe the more important note: you’re looking at a -4 cm mount on the Kartel 108, ~10 cm back on the Supernatural. Pretty big difference, and while there is overlap in terms of how you can ski them, that SN 108 is the more directional charger; the Kartel 108 is definitely the more playful ski (that can be pushed fairly hard.)

              • The mount is yet another conundrum for me. I’ve mostly been skiing a quiver of ’15 Bonafide and 14″ SFB and really enjoy them both and have no problem switching back and forth and adapting to the completely different mount points (even more of a spread than the SN v K), so I honestly think I’d be ok with the mount on either the SN or the K. This is what led me to where I am now – looking for something that’s stouter, wider and more playful than the Bonafide and much stouter than the SFB without sacrificing all of its playfulness.

  4. I have skied/and/or owned every years version of the Bibby and Exit world since they first came out in 2009, The Bibbys are a Fantastic ski, but I would not call them a powder ski, the are best in about up to shin deep powder at best, after that they struggle to stay afloat, where they shine best is the day after, where they are unreal in chopped up powder and crud.

    They are the perfect one ski quiver, not to fat, just perfect, the lay down carves like no 116-118 twin tipped, rockered ski should, NOW I know the Industry is pushing 100-105mm to be the perfect all-mountain waist, and anything over 110 is Ludacris except in neck deep powder, BULL, most industry people only ski the groomers at Vail, and 90% of skiers have a hard enough time skiing a 90mm ski on perfect groomers, so dumbed down skis is what sells.

  5. Hey guys,

    Really like the unbiased reviews on your site, as they are helping me out as I try to navigate the ski market. I’m trying to set up a two ski quiver with my DPS cassiar 95’s. I love the on piste performance that the cassiars offer, but I am trying to find a more powder specific ski to add to my arsenal. I live in northern VT, and ski sugarbush and mad river. As well, go out to Colorado every year. Do you think the moment blister pro would be a good pairing with the cassiar? Also looking at the ON3P billy goat, the nordica enforcer 110, rossi soul 7’s, blizzard rustler 11s, and k2 pinnacle 105/118s. Thanks!

  6. Jonathan- in every review you have done of the Bibby/blister pro to rave about how well it skis in deep powder, and your answer a paragraph was saying how it would be better then the 106 in 12+ of powder, maybe you should reread your own reviews over the years. PAL.

    • I think we’re talking past each other here. The Bibby is good in pow. It doesn’t “excel” / it’s not best-in-classs in really deep snow when compared to other ~118mm wide skis out there (e.g., Salomon QST 118, for starters).

      But where the Bibby blows away most ~118mm-wide pow skis is in variable snow and deep chop.

      And all of the above is consistent with also saying that the 118 mm wide Bibby is better in pow than the much-narrower metal-laminate 108 mm wide SN 108 that has less tip and tail rocker and shallower rocker lines than the Bibby. So no surprise there.

      Anyway, in case anyone else wants to re-read what we’ve written about this ski over the years, you could start here:
      http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/moment-blister-pro/2

      • Has anyone at Blister skied the Faction Candide 4.0? I’m curious how the Blister 190 and the Faction 190 compare in deeper powder.

        • Sadly, no, but we’d love to. On paper, it’s hard to see why one of the two skis would feel all that different / better in deep, good snow (if both are mounted at a similar mount point, say, around -6 cm). With its lighter construction, the 188 cm 4.0 should be coming in a bit lighter than the 190 Blister Pro, which should make it preferable in the air, but might also mean that isn’t as stable in chop & crud.

  7. Heya Blister folks. Sadly, my beloved ’11/’12 Blizzard Bodacious 196’s are delaminating (after about 300 days of use) and I’m trying to decide whether to replace them with the current Bodacious or the Blister Pro 190. I’m liking that the Bibby/Blister would probably be a lot more playful and slinkier through the trees than the Bodacious, but I’m wondering if it’ll be stiff enough for me (6’5″/210lbs with a great love of blasting through choppy crud). I’ll probably be skiing it on <6" days/days-after, so I'm not super worried about float. I've got some Atlases for bigger days. Thoughts?

    • Hi, David, I think the big — and super helpful — key here is that you say you really won’t be skiing it in more than 6 inches of snow. Deeper than that, and the 190 Blister Pro would be the easy choice over the Bodacious. But for your purposes, I think it’s a much closer call. Couple things:

      I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone complain that the 190s are too little ski for them. Which is actually pretty interesting, since the 190s aren’t trying to be the burliest comp ski of all time or anything.

      But if you were perfectly happy on your 196 Bodacious and never felt them to be too much ski … then I think we should be careful before we say, “You’ll be totally fine on the 190 Blister Pro.” If you go with the new Bodacious, you’ll be going with a known entity. So are you more inclined to go with what you know, or are you tempted to switch things up a bit?

      We know that the Bodacious will be heavier than the Blister Pro, so if, for you, you simply want something to demolish crud at speed, the heavier, longer Bodacious *should* be better at that than the 190 Bibby. (I haven’t skied the 196 Bodacious since 2012, but I’m pretty comfortable saying that the 196 Bodacious would win here.)

      I’ve been talking about the 190 Blister Pro forever as a “playful charger” — and it sounds like, for you, we could underscore the *playful* part here, whereas a number of other people have ended up saying that the 190 felt far more ‘chargy’ than playful. You’d feel that playful element. But the question is, do you want playful, or do you simply want to truck (196 Bodacious)?

      Decisions, decisions. Hope that helps, let me know if you have other questions, and lets us know what you end up deciding to do!

        • Sights set on another pair of Bodacious 196’s, if they’re still around this summer. I can’t get enough of their “live out on the shovel” feel. I love that I can weight their non-tapered tips, lay them over on edge, and they’ll crank a turn through anything. They feel like a cross between a hovercraft and a sledge hammer. And they seem to float well enough in the typical Inland Northwest dump. I even love them in (non icy) bumps. They’re my do-anything in anything (but ice) ski. If they’re no longer available, though, then Blister Pros for sure.

  8. (Never thought I’d my add to cents to a Bibby discussion online, so much has been already said.) The compromise in my two ski quiver is that I’m not looking for a dedicated deep powder ski. On a 20”< pow morning (resort), I click into my Bibby’s knowing that no matter what the snow is like later in the day, I’ve brought the optimum all day (resort) tool. Whether it’s a playful bounce in the morning’s deeps, a snappy carve in the afternoon’s crud , a thundering runout in the fog, or a finessed smear in a pinch, it’s lively fun all day long. I looked for years for a ski that romps in last nights heavy dump and yet is instantly tenacious on yesterdays boiler plate traps. I’m 185 lbs, ski the 184 cm, 61 years of skiing. The Blister reviews IMO were right on target – serious playfulness everywhere. The ski has a beautiful variety of turn shapes, a lively rebound, clean releases, and if you want it, early hookup into the next turn. Compared to my daily driver, all the Bibby requires touch earlier “investment” in the maneuver, a fraction of patience while it hooks up, and less expectation for a tighter radius finish. Bring fair/good technique and the Bibby rewards big time. Get a little tired and you won’t be punished. Doesn’t tolerate sloppy skiing….

  9. I finally got to ski the Bibby/Blister today. It was the 190cm Blister with Cy top-sheet, mounted +0.5cm forward. I’m 6’2″ and 200lbs. It was opening day in A-basin and the one run they had open was a zoo. It was pretty scraped off — mostly boilerplate, spaced bumps/piles and some occasional pp. I ski the 185cm Enforcer daily and 190cm Liberty Origin 116 for soft days.

    On the boilerplate, it felt like the Bibby was struggling to get grip, but looking around I think everyone was having trouble setting an edge. Its really unclear if the Enforcer would have done any better. If so, not dramatically so. And I’m confident that the Origin would have done MUCH worse.

    In the bumps/piles the Bibby was super easy to maneuver. Insanely fun, and more energetic than the Enforcer… slash, pop, smear, jump, carve and everything in-between. Very impressive for such a big and wide ski. How can a 118mm ski feel more energetic than and equally manageable as a 100mm ski? In conditions like this, the Origin would have felt planky and lethargic.

    I was a bit concerned that the Bibby would be too much work in tight places but those concerns are now gone! So easy and willing! Really looking forward to getting the Bibby into any kind of soft snow… powder, crud, etc!!!

    One odd thing… I noticed myself skiing in the back seat a bit more than I normally would. Not sure if it was the scraped conditions, the +0.5cm mount point, summer rust or getting used to the new ski. Maybe a little bit of everything. Or maybe its the more progressive mount point in general; I’ve always skied traditional/directional skis. Has anyone else noticed this with the Bibby?

    • Ha, I love this! Opening day review of the Blister Pro from the white-ribbon-of-death zoo!

      The season is officially underway.

      As for that mount point, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it was a combination of (1) a more progressive mount point than you’re used to (2) first day of the season on terrible snow and (3) I suspect that it is a bit easier / quite a bit easier to get into the flex of the shovels of the 185 Enforcer — just get the slightest bit forward and those shovels will start to bend to initiate a turn. At least for me (at 175 lbs) the 190 Bibby needs to get brought up to speed — much more so than the 185 Enforcer — before I can really start bending those shovels into hard-carved turns.

      But its those stiffer shovels that make me love the 190s so much — they hold up so well to hard skiing in chop and steep terrain so much better than most skis of a similar width. When other skis start to fall apart, this ski doesn’t.

      • Thanks Jonathan. You’re probably right on the stiffer shovels. Hopefully between better snow and working out the summer rust this won’t be an issue soon.

        I also noticed that when the snow was soft enough to set the edge and carve, when initiating a turn the outside ski tented to wander (track wide) a bit. The wandering may have been due to the sidecut — trying to make the ski carve tighter than the radius would allow (it was such a zoo that medium speed carves were all I could safely muster).

        I also hadn’t detuned the skis. I think I will do that a bit before heading back out. Or is this a waste of time?

        I think these are all just typical “dialing things in” type of stuff. Overall all, an incredible ski. If they did so well completely out of their element (crap groomers), can’t wait to see what they can do in the deep / chop / variable / steeps.

  10. The shovels are very responsive on the Bibby. When I switch to the Bibby from my everyday driver (180 cm Bonafide), I will initially adjust my stance very slightly to stay off of the shovel of the ski for the first few turns. Both pairs of skis are at factory mounty points. This slight change up helps me to adjust to how Bibby “wants” to hook up into a turn, prefers a turn which has some early, precise juice in it, and rewards a fluid, snappy release. My conscious stance adjustment also helps me adjust to how, initially, the shovels might seem jumpy on flatter, vague sections compared to the Bones. I also feel that there is an enormous (almost luxurious) sweet spot in the middle and tail of the Bibby that I need to dial sometimes. After the first run I don’t think about it. I pondered for a time that a tune issue might be the reason for the shovels eagerness to hook up (a possibility), but now just know it to be the ski’s personality. (However, I always carry diamond file/gummy stone for peace of mind riding on a fresh tune.) The Bibby turn initiation/engagement is very different from the Enforcer 100 which IMO, has a noticeably forgiving (and somewhat ineffective) entry into its turn. Perhaps similar to what Jonathan stated, I feel the Bibby shovels (and the rest of the ski) rewards speed and precise carves with exhilarating power. It makes sense that all that elastic power on demand would require slight accommodations in timing and sweet spot management.

    • Thanks Peter. I’ll keep this in mind the next time I’m out on the Bibby. In the meantime, I detuned about 8″ of the tip.

      Also noticed that the whole edge had developed a very slight lip — sharp enough that when running my finger down, I got a nasty “paper cut”. Ran a diamond stone a couple times up and down and edge is now sharp but smooth. Itching to get back out there!

  11. Skied 4 days so far on the 190s in pretty much everything (1ft of powder, hard groomers, mixed PNW crud). Was not impressed until the 4th day on them. Initially, I had a hard time finding the sweet spot–if I put too much forward pressure the tips felt very catchy/hooky even in powder, get in the backseat and the skis run on you. A few laps on groomers felt like I never new which way a ski might randomly decide to go. I mounted them on the factory line, and started wondering if I should have mounted them +1 or +2. Luckily, yesterday it all came together, and everything Blister says about these seems spot on.

    So what happened? Well, I detuned the ski after each day on them, and got aggressive with it before going out yesterday. Started a few inches closer to the binding to where the rocker takes off, and really dulled the edge. No more hooky/catchy sensation. Also had 3 previous days to get used to the mustache rocker. My previous skis were all flat or continuously rockered (sickle, 4FRNT YLe, faction CT4), and I think that was part of the issue. Very different laying a flat/reverse cambered ski on edge compared to the BPs. I also had to adjust my stance quite a bit because my other skis prefer a more centered stance.

    Goes to show that taking a few runs on a ski is worthless. I probably would have sold the BPs after one or two days on them, but yesterday I was saying they were the best ski I’ve owned! Crazy how when things get sketchy, you just point them and go–regardless of what’s in front of you. They felt more stable the harder I pushed them, but were still quick and poppy off bumps/drops. Agree that they have a nice “suspension”. Definitely not a ski that shines when you just want to take it easy. If you want to attack the mountain, these are the ticket.

    • “Goes to show that taking a few runs on a ski is worthless.”

      Yep. It blows my mind that this is still the common practice for numerous review publications … and that there are people out there buying skis who still pay any attention at all to the publications that test this way.

      Anyway, very glad to hear that you were able to dial these in.

      • Loving these skis, but the 190s are a little much for an everyday ski. Want to replace my other skis with something a little narrower and shorter, but similar feel to the Bibbys. Considering the Deathwish, Kartel 108, or Faction 3.0. Also considering the Bibby 184. Ski in the PNW so this second ski would be my everyday ski. Any suggestions?

  12. Ive got a pair of 17/18 190cm for sale mounted with STH16s at 296 BSL.

    ~5 days on them.

    shoot me an email m4doyle at gmail

  13. Will the Blister Pro be back for next season? I would be interested in an alternative to the topsheet design of the Wildcat. :)

  14. Same comment as Brian. a Moment rep said there hasn’t been discussions between Blister and Moment to bring the Blister Pro back. Any chance this happens?

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