I put a day in on the Belafonte skiing roughly six inches of dense snow in Summit County, Colorado. There was a very slight suncrust in places, but for the most part conditions were awesome. The first run we made, I remember looking below me at a series of odd, dense wind drifts and fresh, dune-like rollers. At that moment, I wished I was skiing on the wider, more playful Bibby Pro. One run later, however, I was happy to be on the Belafonte. As Garrett says, these skis’ stiffer flex allows them to handle varying snow densities and unexpected bumps with ease. I had to be a little more assertive in forcing the Belafonte’s tail out, just as on hardpack, but was very happy with how they floated through the boot-deep fresh.
In Jonathan’s 2nd Look, he notes that the Belafonte comes only in a 182 and 192cm length, and writes, “I imagine there are a number of potential buyers who turn into Goldilocks, bummed because 182cm sounds a little too short, but worried that 192cm will be a bit too much.” And I admit that those two available lengths are a big reason why I don’t own this ski. The 182cm Belafonte is awesomely stable for it’s length. But I’m 6’2″, and there have been moments where I’ve definitely felt it to be too short for me.
Trying to make big, fast turns down Lover’s Leap at Vail, the shovels were getting caught up in old, heavier patches of powder, and I was getting pitched forward. Leaning back a bit, I felt I was no longer in a good, strong position to command the Belafonte’s tails.
Hitting a couple of cliffs into similar, heavy snow in Breck’s Lake Chutes, I noticed similar tendencies. In those situations where a big, stable platform is preferable over a nimble, shorter running length, the 192 Belafonte would be perfect. Yet what’s so great about the Belafonte are its capabilities on hardpack and in bumps on the feet of a strong skier. On those days in between storms, the 192 wouldn’t be nearly as suitable for an everyday hardpack ski unless your home resort happens to be very wide open, which Taos is not. (It could be done, but would you really enjoy it?) Grabbing the 192, I think I would find myself taking the Belafonte out less, reserving them for those particularly fast, hard charging days when bumps and trees are not part of the plan. But I want to ski these things whenever I can, dammit!
Good news. For the 2012/2013 season, MOMENT is putting out a 187cm version of the Belafonte, and we’ve found that the Goldilocks dilemma is solved. The 5cm of added length helps any stability drawbacks of the 182 in serious chop and when hitting features/airs, while still making the ski more workable in bumps than the 192 (well, maybe not for all day zipperline sessions). For a more in-depth look at the 187 Belafonte, take a look at Jonathan’s review.
Bottom Line
As far as general hardpack and fresh snow performance go, the Belafonte does just as well as a daily driver as the PB&J. But the Belafonte is for a different sort of skier with a more focused riding style.
If you’re serious about riding around switch on the way back to the lift and want the option to go anywhere with the same ski, definitely consider the PB&J. If you like to ski fast and hard in all conditions, from steeps to bumps to groomers (facing forward), and want a ski that can take a beating, you have to get on the Belafonte. If you like to do all that while slightly hungover or sleep deprived, or want a ski that will simply demand less out of you, it might be worth your time to take a look at the Blizzard Cochise.
Hi Will,
Thanks for the great review. I am considering the Belafonte or the Blizzard Cochise and wondering what the difference will be transitioning from my current ski: Line Prophet 100 in 186 cm. I am on Dukes and driving the ski with the Dynafit Titans. My size is 6′ and 215lbs. Intermediate to Expert skier, like to do it all except the park.
The Prophet has no rocker and I find it’s powder performance suffers. Also, not the best when things get icy (although it works well on groomers) and it feels a little to soft sometimes.
I like Head skis, was looking at the Inferno, but I like to buy local and the Moment are hand made which is a big plus.
Is the 192 cm Belafonte going to ski shorter than my Prophet 100? If I took the Cochise it would be the longest one,however, I hear to go short on the Belafonte. How stiff is it compared to the Prophet?
What say you about length and feel vs Prophet 100?
Thanks,
Bill
Oh, and I forgot to mention. I will be skiing the Canada, BC coast and interior. Usually heavy powder, wet snow and hard-packed after it gets thrashed and skied out.
I wish you guys would review the 192…
Hey Vail,
Moment is tweaking up the Belafonte pretty significantly for next season, so we’ll certainly be writing a review of the 13/14 version, potentially of the 192, and definitely the 187. Stay tuned.
Will
Hey Will, I have the 192cm 2011 version (i think the same as 2012 and 2013), and your reviews have frightened me that it will be too much ski. I’m 21, 6’3″ 185+, athletic gym rat and a pretty aggressive skier. I would not be using it as a one ski quiver to do everything, rather just as a big mountain bomber, at Jackson Hole/Alta-Snowbird/Taos. I just started skiing this past season, so I am not the best skier on the mountain, but can handle blacks and most double blacks with confidence. I’m just starting to get into cliffs, and 10 footers are about my consistency maximum (have hit a larger cliff, but it was very squirrely, and I need to work on 10 footers before I do that again).
Do you think the 192 is too much ski for what I’m using it for? Im more aggressive the finesse, and like to charge straight down the mountain with little turns. I have asked Jonathan this, but would like your opinion on this as well.
Also, how stiff/charger is the 188 PB&J in comparison? Im coming off of a 183 Line Blend for my all mountain ski, and although it was a very fun ski, it was getting too soft and too short the better I became. I purchased the 188 PB&J as a replacement all mountain ski, mostly for the terrain that is too tight for the 192 Belafonte, and to take into the park here in there just to practice my tricks for the backcountry/all-mtn setting (park maybe 10%). I am hoping the 188 PBJ will be OK for trees and tight spots, what do you think about a 188 in trees? i mean 5cm (blend was 183)is like 2 inches, and I think I remember you saying the 188 PB&J is actually a 186cm tape measure, so 3 cm is even less and shouldnt make too much a different in trees, right?
Hi Vail,
I’ve put quite a bit of time on the 187cm, and feel it offers plenty of stability, at 6’2″. The 192 might dial things up for stability in wide-open terrain, so it wouldn’t be too big if you’re only going to be rippping huge bowls/big-fast lines. I can’t really see the stability gain significant enough to justify swinging around that extra length in the trees, but again if that’s what you have the PB&J for, then no problem there. Between the two I think you have a, aggressive, but well paired quiver. The PB&J should be a good length for the trees, and will pivot and smear much more easily than the Belafone.
Will