Contrary to its predecessor which I reviewed here, this particular version has a completely different shape (150-116-123), flex, and purpose. Instead of the mustache rocker design seen on the 174/184/190 Bibby Pro, the Special features a longer shovel combined with 6mm of camber and a flattish tail specifically for skiers that have no desire to do anything switch and prefer a more directional charger. The flex here is also stiffer than the 190 Bibby, greatly enhancing firm snow performance.
"How would you describe the Bibby Special in one word"?
Confidence-inspring.
As someone whose everyday ski for the past 2+ seasons has been the 190 Bibby, I was beyond stoked to hear of this new design since it's pretty much everything I've ever wanted in a ski that no one has yet to make. After 12 days of slaying groomers at Breckenridge and Keystone, and after a powder day at Vail with 9" of overnight snow, I'm convinced this will be my everyday driver for the life of the ski, unless I'm dicking around in the park. Edge control on hardpack is more than adequate and not once did I feel squirrley or uncomfortable at high speeds. In the end, the Bibby Special has all the characteristics of the Garbone/M1 when applied to non-new snow.
"What makes this ski so awesome?"
The Bibby Special will push you. It will make you a better skier.
Not once have I found a speed limit. The Bibby Special loves speed. It thirsts for it. And it will reward you handsomely for driving it as hard as possible. Contrary to the Bibby Pro, it took more than a few runs to fully adjust to the sidecut and how to appropriately engage the ski on a variety of differently-arced turns. Granted the 7mm of tail taper will want you to simply point the ski downhill at all times, but the 34mm of tip taper gives you the ability to make tighter radius turns. Ultimately, you'll want to straightline as much as possible given by the flex of the ski and how smooth the ride is through even crud.
"How does this ski handle soft snow?"
Simply put, the Bibby Special is a powder destroyer.
The key to powder skiing on the Special is to keep a more neutral stance. I found that when driving the tips hard into the snow, the ski was not reacting favorably. But once I remained centered and allowed the ski to do the work for me, I could not have been happier with its performance. Immediately, I began searching for anything and everything I could jump off of, and once I did, I was amazed by how well the Special stomps. Again, take everything that was awesome about the Garbone and make it wider... that's the Bibby Special in a nutshell when it comes to stompability. And with the added stiffness and much flatter tail when compared to the Bibby Pro, you lose zero slarvability. Even in tight trees, the Special pivots quite easily and you can shut down speed just as effectively as the Bibby Pro.
"But what happens once the mountain gets tracked-out?"
I dare you to find a better powder ski that can bust through crud this well.
While the statement above is quite the over-zealous one, I have not been on a ski this shape before that sliced through crud so easily and effortlessly. Towards the end of that lone powder day, I was cruising through chop at unsafe speeds without any hesitation. At one point, I tried my best to point the tips straight downhill through a long mogul field hoping to yard sale and prove a point that the Bibby Special has a flaw.
I failed. There are no flaws.
In the end, the Bibby Special will elevate your skiing. For those that desire a stiff powder ski that can be used anywhere on the mountain, that can handle any condition, and that will give you incredible assurance in the air and on snow, check out the Bibby Special (also offered in 196cm length).
Here are a few ski edits showcasing how much fun will be had on the Bibby Special (which will be called The Governor for the 2012 season):
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