Salomon BBR 2012 Preview
Written by Dan Morgan, Thursday, 10 February 2011A brand as big as Salomon can never rest on it’s laurels. Just when you think it’s impossible to innovate after the rocker phenomenon, Salomon pull a few things out of their sleeves.
The Salomon BBR is the one we are most excited about.
We featured the BBR briefly back in December but details were scant outside of a product poster and a few candid shots after Salomon rolled into Salt Lake City with a truckload.
However, when we caught up with Salomon recently, not only did Eric Davies of Salomon GB kindly give us a great video overview of the ski, but he also gave us the coup of arranging for the ski’s designer, Bertrand Krafft, to share his story on how and why the ski came to life. Both videos can be seen below.
Briefly, the BBR is a radically shaped ski that shares more than a passing similarity with a surf board and that’s very much intentional and relevant. Available in a top end wood core sandwich construction called the 8.9 or with wood core monocoque construction and called the 7.9, both versions have different vital statistics. A super wide shovel of 147mm or 140mm for the 8.9 and 7.9 respectively at their widest points tapers to a choice of a 79mm or 89mm in the middle, but instead of ballooning back out to the 130mm you’d expect, the tail remains pinned at 110mm or 102mm. The geometry in the shape gives you great float with a turning radius of between 11.2 and 13.5 depending on model and length. Add the rocker tip profile, regular camber underfoot and some decent torsional stiffness and you have something interesting.
Over to Eric from Salomon:
Designer Bertrand Krafft was also responsible for the original and ubiquitous Salomon X-Scream and where the X-Scream had an “X” at it’s core in terms of shape, the BBR undoubtedly has a “V”. In the video below Bertrand tells us how the BBR was born:
Most skiers who first clock the BBR will undoubtedly be sceptical…”if this shape works then why hasn’t anybody done it before?”. Well, with Salomon backing it, and unlikely to put a ski like this on the market if it did not perform, the BBR has the potential to become another cult ski. As for how it rides, early reports suggest this one might just live up to how it’s billed.
Almost without exception, all other skis widely available on the market today hold few surprises when actually tested, but with the BBR, none of us have any idea what that first turn will be like, and that makes it an exciting prospect which we cannot wait to ski on.
The BBR is available already in very limited quantities in the UK. If you are reading this with a smug smile on your face because you’ve already clicked into a pair, let us know below!
Salomon BBR 8.9 - UK RRP £500
Sidecut: 147-88-110
Lengths: 166/176/186
Salomon BBR 7.9 - UK RRP £400
Sidecut: 140-79-102
Lengths: 149/159/169/179
Written by Steep_Pete on 02/11
Nice snaps guys. If they do ski like they look, I’m sold on my first Salomon ski for 10 years, even if I can admit to eyeing up the Sentinels this year too. Of the naysayers, I don’t know why they’d think these won’t ski well. My only concern is how those super wide tips will be at slower speeds but the Rocker probably negates that.
Two models? That’s a dilly of a pickle though it’s probably got to be the 8.9 just on the construction. And those radii are insane.
Going to have to brave a trip to Snow and Rock. Wish me luck.
Written by Harriet on 02/11
Have I just found my one ski quiver? Great size range on the 7.9. Love the surf board look.
Written by Shaman on 02/11
Skied these (8.9s) the other day. Very surprising. I note with interest that most reviews I can find who slate it haven’t ridden them. More fool them. They are not the best carvers, the best for powder float etc etc but they do all of it very well and only start to wobble when really REALLY pushed.
I cannot agree more that Salomon would not put something that sucked on the market with this much buzz around it.
These are not supposed to be a race grade carver, not a tool you’d want for really big days but for every other day and chopping up crud and crust they are a lot of fun and that’s the whole point.
Demo if you can.
Written by Shaz on 02/13
Nice vids. Just saw a video of this carving like a slalom ski after your interview with the Salomon rep. Can’t work out if it’s the ski or the skier but 11 or thereabouts metre sidecut is going to be fun either way in a ski that floats like this one will. Any of these about in the 3 vallees area (some snow would be useful if you have seen any of that too)?
Shaz
Written by chris on 02/14
love the look, cant wait to ski
going to be all about the tails for me. props to Salomon for not being a sheep.
Written by Chris Jones on 03/21
DEMO day at Mt Hood Medow an skied the 8.9. what a dream. I had the most fun I had had in a long time. 28 deg 6” - 10” of cream and chopped cream. No problem at speed. Had a little tail slid on hard pack ice nearing the lift. I ordered a pair for 2012
Written by daveT on 03/23
Salomon store at Whistler has these on demo. Tried the 8.9’s on a day after a 25cm dump. Reasonably impressed - they did everything well - but they also did not excite me by doing anything exceptionally. As a single ski, rather than as an element in the quiver (which seems to be the current trend), it would be a good choice. Apparently Salomon plans to base several models in their range on the BBR concept next year… a good bet for them. But for me, I prefer to have a ski that excites me, wows me, blows my socks off by doing 2 or 3 things really really well.
Written by Angus on 04/21
I bought the 7.9s in March and have since skiied all sorts of terrain and snow in Verbier, Zermatt, Val D’isere and Glacier 3000. I really like them, they float weel, they turn quickly, they feel short on piste and stable off piste. They do clatter if you ski them with your feel very close together and they are not great at straight line speed but they do most things pretty well - I’m very happy!
Written by James Gambrill on 04/29
Got a pair of the 8.9 BBRs in a 186cm last month and skied in a range of conditions across Colorado. Superb for everything except bumps, where the combination of the super wide shovel and length made them something of a handful. Still a ski that carves so well and can handle the powder is very impressive. If you want just one pair of skis for all conditions (and don’t like bumps) these would be a very very wise buy.
Written by BobZ on 11/19
Was lucky enough to be at Park city today for opening day, and on top of that one of the shops was demoing the BBRs. What a great ski!!! Great on the corduroy, great on the crud and really stable at speed. Would loved to have tried in powder, but alas that was not to be today. Tried the 8.9 at 176 and 166, both were great. The 7.9 not as god, but that is to be expected. What a day! What a ski!
Written by Brian Williams on 11/23
Hi, Am an old man ( almost 70 yrs ) still ski, and race on dry slope. Am timid off piste, and have just orered a pair of 176, 8.9 BBR. Am spending 3 wks in Austria and France this winter and hope they will assist my performance. Will report back on performance. Still have my 2.05 m Dynastar Median Pro in ski rack. Havent been used for years, but cant face throwing them away. Regards Brian
Written by Jimbo on 12/11
Anyone tried tele on bbr’s? I’d be interested to hear how they go!
Written by TerrieC on 12/17
i just bought a pair of 166, 8.9 and love them - incredible carver and handle the crud as well or better than my old rossy zenith oversize - on a big powder day i would probably bring out my fat planks but i plan to use these as my all mountain ski
Written by Bhs on 12/31
Did a demo of 14 skis before buying the BBR 8.9’s. They do everything well. Skiing in powder, crud, groomers and with great conditions. Would highly recommend these skis for all conditions! No buyers remorse!!!
Written by TerrieC on 01/01
I have just spent 2 days now putting these skis to the test, steep, deep, icy moguls, powder, groomers - I agree, no buyers remorse
Written by RG on 01/11
Anyone tried these BBRs on a tele setup? I have had issues with tip dive on uphill ski in deep pow with most skis and Hammerhead bindings. Wonder if the wide tip and narrow tail would help with this.
Written by Alistair on 08/13
Ordered the BBR 10 from level 9 sports in salt lake. Didn’t know what to expect other than they would be hard core mountain machines.
We’ll I fell in love after the first run! Although they have a massive shovel they don’t get in the way on the groomers, keep looking at my feet going these look like surfboards!,
Australia gets mainly hard icy conditions and the BBR 10 held its edge we’ll in hi speed GS turns, I did find its limit with a bit of chatter but it’s never going to be a race ski.
These thinks love soft afternoon snow, found myself on the edge of the groomers were the had been pushed aside.
Surprised that they made really short turns as good as they did to.
I’m 6 “3 and 90kg and chose the 184. Don’t be afraid to go long on these, they ski short. They just feel big when sitting on the chair!
Overall I’d rate 8.5/10. True jack of all trades. Can’t wait to try them in powder
Written by John on 02/11
In a word - wow. Trawled my local shops looking for these after your original article but with no luck. I might have to go further afield. Do you know of any specific shops selling them? Been holding on to a pair of Rossi Zeniths umming and ahhing about moving up to something with a bit more float and these look like they could bridge the gap perfectly.