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Chronic vs. Chronic Blend

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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65

Alright so I've been skiing for 15 years, but just started hitting the park last season, and have never bought ski's before. 

So heres the deal, I need an all mountain/park ski, 35% Park, maybe 10% Pow, everything else groomers.  6'2, 200 pounds, size 13 shoe, agressive/expert skiier.

My main question is that do the blends really perform that much better in powder, and are they much worse in the park?  I was thinking I wanted to get the blends because i do occasionally get into some powder up in Mammoth, and I feel like because I'm really big with really big feet and this is the first pair of twin tips I'll have ever ridden it might be a less drastic step down.  Just wondering what the real differences between the ski's are, other than the obvious waist.  Is the blend much stiffer?  Is it much heavier?  Are you sacraficing a decent amount of park/jib performance for the blend?  And which of the two rips groomers better?

The other thing is I've found last year's Chronics for $250, but last years Blends i've only found for like $330.  Also didn't the blend get new construction this year while the chronic just got a (sick!) new paint job?  I'm buying in 08's.

Nov 20 2008 6:19PM
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ace_
Posts: 3189 - Karma: 39
ooo. im not quite sure about the flex, weight, torsional stiffness, of the blend. but i cant imagine that there that much different from the chronic. however i do own the chronic and let me tell you it rips, rails to jumps to pipe then go carve it up on the groomers. oh and im pretty sure there bullet-proof. there sturdy as hell.
- and yes the new 09 blend did get redesigned to be a "blend" of every ski you can buy put into one.
Nov 20 2008 6:44PM
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zackblain
Posts: 2322 - Karma: 22
Ha, I'm like the exact same size as you maybe a little heavier and same size feet. I have last years 08 blends in a 186 mounted dead center. I used them primarily for park but even being centermounted they killed it on the groomers. If I were too do it over again I would have mounted them at like -3 from dead center too get even more groomer performance.
Nov 20 2008 6:52PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
yeah I'm going to mount -2 or -3 haven't decided yet
Nov 20 2008 7:23PM
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regge
Posts: 720 - Karma: 74
if your thinking that your going to mount 3 back i probably go with the blends... alot of people are now starting to ski park from 90 to around 110 under... i know for a fact that 09 chornics have a symmetrical side cut, and i looked up the 08 chronics and the tips and tails had a difference of 2mm so they are very close to being symmetrical.. you always want to center mount symmetrical skis because thats how they are made to be ridden... my friend has the 08 blends and does fine in the park.... the blends flex is really similar to the chronic they are both a medium stiff flex with alot of pop... if i were you i would go for the wider ski and buy the blends... send me a message if you have any other questions
Nov 20 2008 11:07PM
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DietCoke
Posts: 1317 - Karma: 7
The blend is a completely different ski this year than it was last year.

last year's blend was 90 in the waist versus the chronic being 85 in the waist. Aside from this, their sidecuts were very similar. Ive also heard that they flex very similarly, with the blend maybe being slightly stiffer due to its fatter waist and more freeride-type inspiration. They also have cap construction which i think is a huge downer, but doesnt really affect the performance that much.

Id say this years blends are a much better ski overall personally. They have increased the waist to 100 underfoot and given it more pow-ski like characteristics, while still keeping it a park ski. From what ive heard (i havent flexed them myself) they are somewhat stiff underfoot and slightly flexier in the tips and tails to keep up the park ability of them. This year's also have ABS sidewall construction i believe and got the dope new graphic (which is way sweeter than last year's).

If you gotta get 08s id say go with the blend, its practically the same ski with a few slight differences and more versatility due to the added waist.
Nov 21 2008 11:05AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
since you will be doing more all mountain go with he blends.  the chronics is more park specific but it wont fit your needs in the pow.  the 08 blend is a real good choice, it has a pretty similar flex to the chronic, its pretty stiff.  it is by far the lightest ski of that width that was on the market last year. they should rip real good in the park and all mountain, plus better in the pow because of the more freeride oriented sidecut. now the 09 blend is wider, sidewall, softer than the 08 and the chronic, and would probly perform better in the park than the 08. but the 08 is still good.  and to the kid who said the chronic has a symmetrical flex, that means it has the same flex in front of and behind the recommended mounting point, which is 6 cm back. center mounting puts it ahead of the symmetric flex. i mounted mine at center because i personally feel that anything behind center is not as fun, mostly because i ski only park.  and for you mounting needs, 2 cm back should be fine, or even center because the tail is so much thinner than the tip, it will still sink in powder.
Nov 21 2008 4:51PM
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Franny
Posts: 3980 - Karma: 77
Dam your size 13. Good luck finding boots that big. Im a size 12 and its so hard to find boots for the park that fit. Most companies make up to size 30.  Even with that,  i bought boots that are 29.5 and my boot has a shell thats 29 and a liner that is 29.5.
Nov 21 2008 6:15PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Yeah boots are going to be a problem, I can't afford to not buy off the internet, and theres no ski shop in town.  I have to go to sport chalet, try on the like 4 sets of boots they carry, and then do some internet magic to find a boot that fits kindof the same as whatever one fits me best that I can get at an online outlet.

Thanks for the answers guys, I guess the bottom line is are the blends worth spending the extra $50 or so on because i can't find them as cheap as Chronic's?
Nov 22 2008 1:55AM
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