The Official Great Pacific Octopus Thread

[racesla]

It sounds like the reviewer is the exact opposite type of skier the skis are designed for. Which makes me want to try them more, lol.
Was really surprised at the review.
I'm guessing no one in Missoula has a pair...:/

I've got a a pair of 187s, med/stiffs over here in Anaconda if you want to give them a try at Disco. Yeah that review was pretty weak for blister. Couldn't disagree more.

[grinch]

I can see your point and I used to have a lot of respect for their reviews both ski and bike and have them on my fb, twitter, and possibly Instagram feed. But as of late , way before this review, I've seen what can only be described as glaring innacuracies. How can they be better skiers than me and atleast as heavy and find the gpo stiff(I'm sure they charge more and are more capable than me)? Also since like I said I find them quick and capable in moguls(for a ski this width)and I'm not a even a mogul skier. Ya maybe the ski isn't your bag but those comments don't make sense whether it's your kind of ski or not. If there was issues with flex, quickness or moguls I should be more acutely aware and struggle even more than them. Just doesn't make sense. Not reviewing a stock ski(MVP) and not correctly tuning or detaining a ski for a review is just irresponsible journalism. I guess I'm a praxis fanboy as well but truthfully I'm finicky as he'll and if there was any issue I wouldn't consider them and would get rid of them like other skis. The only thing his great deals and customer service does is make me have more models than I would otherwise and the CS just gives the piece of mind that it's a safe purchase of quality. If I didn't think they were the best is be after the best. I'll take any help I can get technology wise skis or bikes. Little issues drive me nuts. The review doesn't have a couple innacuracies it has a lot

[adrenalated]

I generally think Blister does a pretty good job with their reviews, but I gotta admit that I've been less than impressed lately. Endlessly talking about how the Bibby/Blister Pro is the hands-down best "playful charger" ever without reviewing the RES Billy Goat? C'mon. They may indeed end up liking the Bibby better but you absolutely cannot make blanket claims that something is the best if you haven't compared it to one of it's closest competitors. And then trying a ski extensively and giving up because they didn't know how to tune/detune it? Seriously?

I'll agree with them that Praxis skis can be rather.... unskiable right out of the wrapper. I HATED my latest pair of 184 Freerides the first day, because I made the mistake of skiing them right out of the wrapper. Tune the edges to the bevels I prefer and detune them properly and they were perfect. Learned my lesson on the GPOs and did it right away. Also perfect.

I'm on 187 med/stiff carbons mounted at -2. Absolutely no issues with float in any kind of snow unless it's really, really deep (aka any ski in the class sinks). They're a BC ski so I don't ski them in crud, so no comments there. They have never, ever hooked on me in firm snow. They have never, ever found it demanding to ski. Never found it to have a small sweet spot, never had the tails feel hard to release.

It sounds to me like that particular reviewer likes oversized park skis, basically. Floppy and forgiving.

[grinch]

Exactly exactly. But 3 of them skied it multiple days. I like some moment skis and really like some others but they're total moment fanboys . They seem to like Rossi lots too. Never any mention if rossis exploding at first sight of a rock in the distance. Blizzards aren't floppy skis but they seem to like them. Something just doesn't to jive

[grinch]

I want a pair of mvp's sooo bad now

[neck beard]

Go Grinch!

How can a 116mm ski with a tapered 140mm tip not float well enough in powder? There may be others that float better, and the centered mount does remove some of tip-driving + float sensation, leading to augering if you drive too hard. But to say that it floats worse than an Automatic is just being silly (117mm waist, 140.5 tip). The med/stiff GPO tip isn't so stiff that it float that badly. I don't get their opinion on float. Nor lack of easy performance in trees. That makes no sense.

As for the rest, like grinch said: detune tips and tails like we all do with similar shaped skis. Then go ski. If you can't have a good time on that ski, then... I dont get it. Any over analytical reviewer could pick holes in it, just like they could any other ski if they felt inclined.

It sounds like this guy was on a ski size and flex that he shouldn't have been on. And who cares about his variations on 360's v.s. skiin the fucking ski.

Those guys over review. They take their micro-super-serious-skier opinions too seriously. This casts a good ski in a poorer light than it deserves, and will be misunderstood by most readers

Bottom line: the GPO got a lot of internet attention as an easy to ski but high-performance capable versatile ride. Dudes like Blister feel obliged to somehow balance the situation, or failed to see that when skied by a skier it skis great v.s. when skied by a reviewer looking to over-review, it skis just like the reviewer wanted it to ski.

[shroom]

grinch is on one. that was a pretty funky review.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Blister has gotten a bit Outside Magazine.

I don't get out to Disco much, but thanks for the offer!

[eskido]

Yeah, I can't disagree with anything said here, the more I think about it it really pisses me off when they just rave about other sticks and then nit pick the fuck out of the Praxis models. That said, I am certainly still plannin on the GPO being my next ski and everything said about Keith's quality, customer service, and outright passion for what he does was spot on, I'll be a fanboy for life and proud of it!

[adrenalated]

Those guys over review. They take their micro-super-serious-skier opinions too seriously. This casts a good ski in a poorer light than it deserves, and will be misunderstood by most readers

A good reviewer should be able to pick out the positive and negative characteristics of any ski they try and objectively present those findings, explaining what style of skier would most enjoy that ski, and what style of skier might not enjoy it. To do this requires a fairly good understanding of your personal skiing style as well as a very solid understanding of your own biases.

Not many people can do that well.

[North]

I think the Blister guys do a good job and I read a lot of the content, but I feel like they're trending towards the same 'industry norm" reviews they claim to oppose. There seem to be a disproportionate number of reviews that conclude with, "this is great, everything is great, it's gonna be great for most people" and a diminishing number of, "I fuggin' hated this thing and wasted 72hrs of my life trying to review it" opinions. Gear is pretty good these days, but it's not THAT good. I understand that not everybody wants to flog and write about shitty products 24/7, but I think the Blister of old offered more opinions on both sides of the coin, highlighting the good and the bad.

Regarding the GPO review, at first I was kinda stoked (Hooray! They DIDN'T like something and wrote about it). After reading the full review I was mostly confused. From day 1 I've thought my 187 GPOs have been dead easy to ski - never thought of the sweet spot as small, and the flex is as described: medium stiff. I think the shape forces me across the fall line more than I'd like in firmish chop, they deflect more than I want in crud(Carbon layup?), they're not as floaty as I expected, and I'd like them to slarve a little easier (hmmmm.....maybe I should detune a bit more). But do they require a precise pilot? Having bought, sold, and just repurchased 186 Renegades mostly because of the 'precise pilot' requirement, I'd say no way. Everybody has different styles and experiences, but most of the + & - in the review ran directly counter to my experience. Funny, because I bought some 184 Bacons mostly on the rec of that reviewer and have been really stoked on those.

I'm no Praxis fanboy by any means. I had no love for my MVPs - one of my quickest buy/sells ever . I like my GPOs but don't love 'em, and they're the only Praxis I own. That review was an odd one though.............Bring out the pitchforks!!!!!

[Shu Shu]

I think its safe to say having read a lot of people's opinions on the GPO on here, including ones who felt meh, or much prefer the BGs or other similar skis, this review is a serious outlier.

I mean I guess it just comes down to feel? I have owned three pairs of Moment skis, and enjoyed them all-with the Garbones being the best. But in a million years you would never confuse a Moment ski with a Praxis ski, they just feel different.

Considering the reviewers went as far as to co-brand a ski with Moment, (and I wouldn't be surprised to see some co-branded Governor or Bela if those ever get changed) it's maybe not so surprising that they just don't love the GPO, they obviously prefer the Moment sauce...so fine whatever, but yeah it's so strange that dudes who seem to ski all the cool toys got so confused by the GPO?

In the end though I get to ski my GPOs tomorrow and I can't fucking wait. Thank god they're not the same skis Blister just reviewed

[undertow2]

I completely agree Shu... The Bibby and GPOs feel is completely diff and have zero issues with their taste and choices of skis... Hell they loved the Automatic and I absolutely hated it... What I found odd and out of sorts is how diff they portrayed the characteristics of the GPO... No way in hell do I find it demanding, not floaty in light POW, hard to break loose or hooky... My take on their criticism of the ski is the exact opposite...

[Jimty]

Read the Blister review last night as soon as it was flagged here - I've been dying to see what they had to say about the GPO for months. The response I tried but failed (thanks iPhone) to post simply said: "that's weird".

I agree that something feels very strange about that review - it just doesn't chime with the tone of any other Blister reviews I've read since....well, their review of the MVP. Almost everything in it was negative - hell, if I didn't know better I would run a mile from a GPO and probably Praxis in general. Whilst I accept that it really is different strokes for different folks when it comes to skis, and reviews are just reviews, I really was taken back by the (to my mind) compete lack of positives. It's probably the first ski I've seen truly pilloried by them. Given how hard Keith and co work and the quality of the product I guess I just feel it's kicking the little guy a bit.

I admit that it wasn't love at first ride with my Praxis, but now I've gotten to know them I wouldn't change them for the world. I suppose I'm just amazed that after multiple reviewers with different skiing styles took them out for a spin and over 20 days of testing that review is what came out the other end.

And I really don't get why they reviewed skis which can be customised in the "wrong" flex for the reviewer that ultimately posted the review. It just seems bizarre, although I assume there is a reason for this. TBH I can't imagine that Keith wouldn't have happily supplied a ski in the preferred flex if asked....

[SupreChicken]

I want a pair of mvp's sooo bad now

Want mine? 193 med-stiff glass with east shore graphic. 5 days. Minty. Single mount for ffg16/sth16. Prob need to hang on to them for another week or so (until I have my turbos mounted) but...I could possibly deal. PM me if you're interested, grinch.

[grinch]

Want mine? 193 med-stiff glass with east shore graphic. 5 days. Minty. Single mount for ffg16/sth16. Prob need to hang on to them for another week or so (until I have my turbos mounted) but...I could possibly deal. PM me if you're interested, grinch.

Thanks but too long for me. I'd be after 183's. Prob do the custom sale on those or piste j's or glass BC if available. Still undecided but leaning more to MVP now after confirming how poor blisters reviews can be. I have zero variations of 360's in my bag o tricks so I should be good

[N1CK.]

I owned a stock flex carbon MVP and now stock flex carbon GPO. My experiences vary greatly from the Blister reviews. I'm around 190lbs in the Winter.
Though I'm sure those guys are more skilled skiers than I am, that doesn't mean they have any more fun than I do. I sold the MVP after 2 seasons (loved it. mounted on line and -1.5) with the intention of getting a longer size, but opted to try the GPO (-1) instead. Nothing to lose as if I didn't like it I could always go back to the original plan. The GPO is not as all-around versatile as the MVP was, closer to a more versatile Protest.

I think a 187 MVP and my 188 Protests could cover any ski day I'd ever have.

[grinch]

I owned a stock MVP and now stock GPO. My experiences vary greatly from the Blister reviews. I'm around 190lbs in the Winter.
Though I'm sure those guys are more skilled skiers than I am, that doesn't mean they have any more fun than I do. I sold the MVP after 2 seasons (loved it. mounted on line and -1.5) with the intention of getting a longer size, but opted to try the GPO (-1) instead. Nothing to lose as if I didn't like it I could always go back to the original plan. The GPO is not as all-around versatile as the MVP was, closer to a more versatile Protest.

I think a 187 MVP and my 188 Protests could cover any ski day I'd ever have.

Good to know. I have gpo and protests. It'd be hard to get rid of gpo though so maybe. More seperation and get the jibs or glass BC. More options now

[adrenalated]

Regarding the GPO review, at first I was kinda stoked (Hooray! They DIDN'T like something and wrote about it). After reading the full review I was mostly confused. From day 1 I've thought my 187 GPOs have been dead easy to ski - never thought of the sweet spot as small, and the flex is as described: medium stiff. I think the shape forces me across the fall line more than I'd like in firmish chop, they deflect more than I want in crud(Carbon layup?), they're not as floaty as I expected, and I'd like them to slarve a little easier (hmmmm.....maybe I should detune a bit more). But do they require a precise pilot? Having bought, sold, and just repurchased 186 Renegades mostly because of the 'precise pilot' requirement, I'd say no way.

Incidentally, that's actually a way better review of the GPO than the Blister review.

[gritter]

While many may disagree with their findings I didn't detect much of a hidden agenda here. I thought that Blister's review of the Protest and the Concept were both extremely positive (the review of the Concept is tempting me to go for it as a much wider than planned quiver of one for Europe). My read of the GPO review was almost the opposite to the idea that they had a downer on Praxis - it felt to me like they desperately wanted to like it but didn't and were trying to be clear and precise about why - perhaps that came across as nitpicking on the details, but you can't fault them for not liking it, and the nature of their reviews is to be overly analytical. There is barely a ski on their site that does not have some downsides listed.
I did think that the bit about the edges was a bit drawn out - I think that it is relevant to the review that they didn't like the tune out of the wrapper (this is something to note for a potential buyer) but they made a bit of a meal out of it.

Anyway, so what should I get for Euro quiver of 1 for resort, side country and some day tours. Movement Trust, Line Supernatural 108, Atomic Automatic 109 or Praxis Concept. How would it influence your decision if the Praxis were effectively twice the price of the others? Oh, and anyone have a code for me ?

[grinch]

Praxis gpo

[2FUNKY]

The blister guys state that they ski all their skis straight out the package. No tuning or detuning. This is why they hated the MVP and sounds like the same issue with the gpo. Food fer thought.

[whyturn]

GPO is a great ski. I also have BG in 186 and trying to downsize. They are carbon med/stiff 187 with fks at -1 for 310 BSL. About 10 days just Minor top sheet chipping and bases are minty. Octopus graphic. Anybody interested. Will post in gear swap but thought I would start here. $375 flat? Can leave fks 18 on for $600?

[Duffman]

One problem that they noted that I couldn't agree more with is the damn out of the box tune. To succeed as a ski company and not just appeal to zealots like us who will debate the merits of detuning an extra 3cm for days, the skis need to ski at least fairly well out of the box. Both my GPOs and before that my OG Protest were a handful in stiffer set up snow and had serious tip drag due to the ridiculously sharp and barely beveled front edges of the ski. An edge shouldn't need major work just to make the ski work as intended, and this trait could easily turn off prospective buyers at demo days, new customers who don't research as intently, etc.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Idk, detuning a little with a gummy stone is one thing, but I'm now doing all my skis at one half and 2. I like quick edges. Maybe I just have boots that are too tight and good edge control.