Most of my time on snow has been spent with forward-mounted, freestyle-oriented skis. The Blizzard Bonafide 97 is not that. It's actually the complete opposite of that. So, I was skeptical (read: doubtful) that the two of us would be compatible. Well, opposites attract, right? Our first few turns together were a bit awkward, but it was a me problem, and after a few runs of getting to know each other, that awkwardness was completely gone. It's a blast to rip around with on groomers and more open terrain, and while it definitely requires some effort and decent technique in tighter terrain, it was surprisingly manageable. It's certainly not ultra-forgiving of poor technique and mistakes, but it's not ultra-punishing either.

Overall, spending time with the Bonafide 97 is just like any meaningful relationship: it'll need you to give consistent effort, attention, and will certainly require a bit of work, but if you're willing to do that it'll offer an extremely high level of support and stability in exchange.