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BP 78 or Total Joys?

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hey Divas!

I'm currently looking to replace my old K2 2006 True Luvs. I was barely an intermediate skier when I got them, mainly skied greens and blues. Now I'm a more aggressive skier and am spending more time on steeps and bumps.
I'm looking for more of an all mountain ski and I only ski in the northeast. Curious to hear from some of you who have tried or own either the blizzard black pearl 78 (or Cheyenne) or the Head Total Joy
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hey Divas!

I'm currently looking to replace my old K2 2006 True Luvs. I was barely an intermediate skier when I got them, mainly skied greens and blues. Now I'm a more aggressive skier and am spending more time on steeps and bumps.
I'm looking for more of an all mountain ski and I only ski in the northeast. Curious to hear from some of you who have tried or own either the blizzard black pearl 78 (or Cheyenne) or the Head Total Joy
Welcome! Have you skied on any other skis in the last year or two? Any particular reason you are thinking about the Total Joy instead of the Absolut Joy, which is also 78 underfoot? I've been skiing the Absolut Joy in the northeast in a variety of terrain for a few years and just had them on groomers at Taos (nothing else was open). Was not missing my mid-80s skis that might be consider more all-mountain.

Very hard to make a recommendation between the two. I've demo'd the BP78 it was fine but not exciting. At the same time, I really like the current BP88 and BP98. Quite different from the original BP that I bought in 2012 though. I bought the Absolut Joy a few years ago after demo'ing it and the Total Joy. I had the K2 OneLuv from 2008 when I was an intermediate. But that's just my experience and may or may not be relevant to your style of skiing.

What is your height and weight? I'm an older petite skier, advanced, 5'0", 112 pounds.
 

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thank you! I have demoed the BP 98s and the elan insomnias. Felt like a puppy who hadn't grown into it's paws on the 98s, and the insomnias just felt like an okay Carver.

I didn't see the absolutes at my ski shop which is probably why I glossed over them, though some articles I read seemed to position them as a much softer ski. I was also thinking about trying out the BP 88s but thinking they might be too wide. I guess I won't know for sure until I actually ski them!

I'm 5'4" and 135 lbs, and I'm only 23 so I do see myself skiing more aggressively over the next few years
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Thank you! I have demoed the BP 98s and the elan insomnias. Felt like a puppy who hadn't grown into it's paws on the 98s, and the insomnias just felt like an okay Carver.

I didn't see the absolutes at my ski shop which is probably why I glossed over them, though some articles I read seemed to position them as a much softer ski. I was also thinking about trying out the BP 88s but thinking they might be too wide. I guess I won't know for sure until I actually ski them!

I'm 5'4" and 135 lbs, and I'm only 23 so I do see myself skiing more aggressively over the next few years
What length are your current skis? What length BP98 did you try?

I wouldn't be interested in buying the BP98 for northeast skiing. Had a good time with the BP98 at Taos at a relatively short length but that was after 9+ inches of fresh snow. For the northeast, 75-85 underfoot makes more sense. Easier to improve technique.

I ski okemo or mount snow most often. I've demoed the BP 98s and Elan Insomnias but I'll be at okemos demo day on March 10th and am hoping to get a clearer idea of what to try

Are you sticking to groomers or already exploring off-piste?

That's great that you can make it to a demo day. If you can, try to take out one model in more than one length. Doesn't matter whether the second length is longer or shorter. You'll definitely learn something even if only do one run in the length that doesn't seem like the optimal length.

Recently at Taos I thought I was taking about the BP88 @152. But turned out I had the 145cm. Note only really good for the Ski Week group lessons I was doing in the morning, turned out to handle high speed on groomers much better than I expected in the afternoon. For reference, the two pairs of all-mountain skis that I've bought after demo'ing in the last 10 years are 159cm (different brands).
 

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My current skis are short, I think 145? I was only 13 when I got them. Good tip about length! I've had different people at the ski shop recommend different lengths between low and high 150s. I'm trying to explore more bumps and glades but haven't had quite enough snow recently
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
My current skis are short, I think 145? I was only 13 when I got them. Good tip about length! I've had different people at the ski shop recommend different lengths between low and high 150s. I'm trying to explore more bumps and glades but haven't had quite enough snow recently
I know you are asking about skis, but how did you buy your current boots?
 

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I know you are asking about skis, but how did you buy your current boots?

Ha! At the same used equipment sale as I got the skis when I was a kid. I know, it's time for a complete gear overhaul but I'm nervous about boots because I'm so used to these.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The good news is that end of season sales have started. Wachusett has 25% all skis and I think boots too, for example. I'm sure the same goes for up in NH.
 

BethL

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm probably the only person to say this in Colorado, but the Cheyenne's (same as the BP 78's I think) are my favorite ski! I also have the BP's - the 88 width. I'm 5'8" 125lbs and ski the Cheyenne's in 164 (or 163, I cannot remember which) on most days. I like groomers and soft bumps. I'll do a black bump run if my kids make me. :smile: Otherwise, I like blue bump runs.

I did not demo the skis before buying, because I could not find a place to demo these skis. I got a good deal on the skis from Powder7 in Golden, CO.
 

Sparky

Angel Diva
I haven't tried the BP78 but I have the 2017 Total Joy as my groomer/low snow ski and I ski out west. I think it's a great ski and does well on bumps, through trees, and a little off piste. If you're looking for all mountain then I would think going slightly wider with the Total Joy may be better as they can still hold a good edge on the firm groomers. I'm 5'3" and have them in 158 and they seem to work for me. I didn't try the 153 mainly because I was replacing older BP88 in 152 which I felt I grew out of as they started to get squirrelly on me. (Yes, I blame the skis, not my skiing!) But best bet is to just try and demo as many skis as you can!
 

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I didn't try the 153 mainly because I was replacing older BP88 in 152 which I felt I grew out of as they started to get squirrelly on me.

SQUIRRELLY! This is exactly how I've been describing my old true love! Though I always attributed it to carving shape more than short length. Praise Divas for teaching me to be more attentive to length
 

dianakate

Angel Diva
I have no opinion on the BPs, but I have had Total Joys since the first year they made them and I love them. I am a fairly aggressive skier and have skied them at both Okemo and Mt. Snow. They hold an edge like crazy in the ice, go right over all sorts of crud and are quite fast. They are easy to turn, so are super fun in bumps and glades and are a great ski to progress on - they were great a few years ago and I have never felt like I outgrew them as I gained skills.
 

sevensaes

Certified Ski Diva
I tried the BP78 last month at Jiminy Peak and did not enjoy them at all in the conditions present that day (icy followed by afternoon softening). They felt really insubstantial underfoot, squirrelly, and didn't grip ice or power through choppy or slushy snow well enough for my liking. For the 1% of my demo runs that were on nice packed powder, they felt great: super turny, nimble, playful, great snow feel...and I thought "so this is why people like these!" But for the conditions I usually encounter and the way that I ski, they just weren't right. I am a bit bigger than you (5'7", 150lb) so as always YMMV.
 

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