Ski: 2023-2024 Heritage Lab HB122, 189 cm
Available Lengths: 179, 189 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 192.5 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2420 & 2576 grams
Stated Dimensions: 153-122-147 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 153.5-122.5-147 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (189 cm): 26 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 82.5 mm / 71 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 0 mm
Core Materials: bamboo/poplar + full-width VDS rubber + fiberglass laminate
Base: sintered
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -3 cm from center; 93.3 cm from tail
- (See Heritage Lab’s site for more detailed mount-point instructions)
After talking to Heritage Lab & others who own the HB122 about their own measured weights for their pairs, we believe most HB122s would not feature as much of a weight discrepancy between the two skis in a pair as our particular review pair. The average weight per ski for our pair (2498 g / ski) is almost identical to Heritage Lab’s average weight from the 189 cm pairs they weighed (2500 g / ski).
More importantly, our reviewer, Paul Forward, stated that the weight difference within our pair “certainly hasn’t had an effect on my enjoyment of the skis.”
[Editor’s Note: In the interest of getting you information sooner on some of the products we’re reviewing, we’re posting here some of our measured specs and manufacturer details, and will update in the future. Take a look, and let us know in the Comments Section below what questions you’d like us to answer.]
What Heritage Lab says about the HB122
“THE UNHOLY MASTERPIECE
Hoarders rejoice. Returning from the dead, the HB122 is the ultimate progressive soft snow shape. Big, rockered, and unapologetic.
- Listed at 189 and 179
- Specs are true to the spirit of our satanic forebearer
- 26.0m and 24.5m radius at 189 and 179 respectively
- Ultra Smooth ABS sidewalls
- Precision fiberglass layup and full-width VDS Rubber
- Bamboo / Poplar wood core
- Delivered with a high-performance factory tune
Developed with input from @Back2hellbent, these beasts are directly inspired by the OG to keep the stoke alive.”
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the HB122:
Tips: 5.5-6
Shovels: 6-6.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 7-9
Underfoot: 9.5
Behind the Heel Piece: 9-7.5
Tails: 7-5.5
The HB122 doesn’t feel quite as dramatically soft overall as some of us expected, given the noodle-y flex of the ski that inspired it, but the HB122’s flex pattern does ramp up pretty slowly as you move from the very soft ends of the tips / tails to the middle of the ski.
Flash Review: Our Initial On-Snow Impressions
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Flash Review below to read our initial on-snow impressions. Don’t have access? Get our Digital Access Pass to read all of our Flash Reviews and Deep Dive comparisons. Or, even better, become a BLISTER+ member to get that + the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
He is Risen!
The graphic on the base looks siiiick
So stoked that these are getting a Blister review.
Damn, those weights are messed up
I’m somewhat certain the published weights here are a typo, and may be intended to read 2476 and 2520. Of the HB122 skis I weighed, they were all ~2500g +/- <50g.
FWIW, we don’t have reason to believe that our measured weights are typos given how we record them (weigh 1 ski, record that weight, weigh the other ski, record that weight). However, just to be sure, we’ll have Paul double-check.
Marshal, make a touring version!! ;)
Excessive if that’s the case imo … Presently going through this issue with a very well-known and highly admired product by both Blister and the rest of us mere mortal’s. I was chided by a popular ski shop out of Colorado for using an unscientific flour measuring kitchen scale haha that my center of mass most assuredly is way off…paleeze. That mundane digital kitchen scale has accurately measured many pairs of skis. Same little POS type of scale that our TGR brethren have used over the year’s most assuredly. Most people are reasonable when it comes to +/- several grams difference between skis i.e. (40-50 is tops for me) and a ton of people would never think of weighing anything … all good. Geez the skis I just sent back were just 135 grams off now I’m kind of embarrassed after looking at the above difference. The Heritage Lab ski above appears to be an awesome ski and one that I have definitely had my eye on and should be super fun. Just need to get some within reasonable tolerance. A whole different discussion and very subjective. I absolutely loved my old HB’s as did many of my friends. Fun is what it’s about.
Both of my HLs R110 R120 were within 30g of each other…
Edit. They are both within 10g
I’ll weigh the skis this weekend and update as needed with confirmation of weights. I have no reason to doubt the weights obtained at Blister HQ before they got to me. If there is that much discrepancy, it certainly hasn’t had an affect on my enjoyment of the skis.
Update: Paul re-weighed the skis with demo plates on them and his weights (after subtracting our average weight for those particular plates + screws) were within 6 grams of each of our weights.
I.e., we must have just ended up getting a pair with an uncommonly large weight discrepancy between the two skis in the pair, but as Paul noted, “it certainly hasn’t had an effect on my enjoyment of the skis.” Based on what Marshal and other members here have attested to, we’d expect most pairs to not have as wide of a weight difference between the two skis in a pair.
Thanks for verifying! This information means I will tighten up measuring each pair of skis (not just a few at random). Easy fix! Thanks Luke and Paul. Appreciate you both double-checking.