In the interests of full disclosure, let it be known that I’ve been in love with the Bonafide since we first met at a SKI magazine test 6 years ago. Our torrid affair extended far beyond the bounds of a ski test as the Bonafide became my everyday ride, allowing me to sample its prowess in every condition from glistening, granite-hard, frozen corn to sloppy crud with the water content of a pond. It has risen to every occasion.

Because of our intimate relationship, every time I hear Blizzard has some ideas about how to “fix” the Bonafide, I feel a knot twist in the pit of my stomach. I pray the impending tweaks will be superficial, like removing a mole, rather than more drastic surgery that might compromise the Bonafide’s brilliant all-terrain aptitude.

So when I learned Blizzard intended to fiddle with both the Bonnie’s sidecut and baseline, my gut quivered. Should any of you share my trepidation, allow me to allay your fears. Yes, the tip and tail are a touch wider, creating a slightly tighter turn radius (18m @ 180cm), and the sublime Flip Core baseline has been modified to create more snow contact, but aside from improving hard snow grip and short-turn facility, the changes don’t alter the Bonafide’s essential traits of fright-train stability and bulldog grip.

The newest Bonafide earned gushing accolades from veteran testers like Bob Gleason of Boot Doctors: “As the Bonafide has displayed for years, this ski is dynamically versatile. They play like a symphony at various speeds, terrain, and snow conditions. The subtle difference of the new Bonafide is the lengthened side cut in the ski’s forebody. The new Bonafide enters the turn earlier with stronger initiation. It feels like suspension tuned for charging into the turn.”

Citizen testers like Mark Pederson were similarly smitten: “Solid on edge throughout the turn. I could find no speed limit and found it easy to smear turns when necessary to slow or stop. It took a few runs to find the sweet spot, but once I found it, I was hooked. If you needed one ski you could depend on regardless of the resort or the conditions, the Bonafide is a great selection.”

Despite an avalanche of accolades to its credit, the Bonafide isn’t for everyone. It can’t disguise its impatience with slow, plodding turns and it reserves its best behavior for those who can tip it to a high edge angle and apply some energy to the enterprise. But if you have the requisite skills, you’ll find the Bonafide can handle whatever you place in its path.