Blizzard's Bonafide 97 features a complex 'mesh' of stringers made of different densities of different woods. What that means is designers are able to target and tweak the flex in different areas of the ski with much more precision than previously.
For the skier that should result in a more smooth progressive flex - stiffness should taper off towards the tips and tails. Whilst that is nothing new, the potential for fine-tuning the flex pattern is interesting.
In practice, the flex pattern should make the ski a little more accessible and versatile (hence the classification as all mountain, rather than 'freeride' - a label which can be a little off-putting for some). The reality is the ski retains much of its freeride character; it's a superb, go anywhere ski, with a forgiving flex. There is maybe a touch less pop than comparable skis, but the on piste performance is superb even compared with the Salomon Stance 96, for example.
It glides effortlessly into long and short turns at speed and almost as easily at lower speeds. This is a very accessible, very versatile ski, which handles way narrower than its 97mm waist would suggest.
