The Rossignol Black Ops series has garnered attention for its versatility and performance across various terrains. This article delves into the specifics of several models, providing a comprehensive review to help you make an informed decision. We'll explore the Black Ops Sender Ti and the Super Black Ops 98, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal conditions.
Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti
The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is best suited for deep and soft powder days at your ski hill. The Black Ops Sender Ti is one of the widest underfoot skis in our lineup this year. With a healthy dose of tip and tail rocker, this ski helped our testers stay afloat and active, especially in uneven terrain with sudden twists and drops. With a strong will to stay on top of the waves, we could navigate tight trees and venture through rock drops with a strong sense of stability.
Performance in Powder
The Black Ops Sender Ti showed our testers quite a surfy time in the powder. The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti's strong dose of rocker in both tip and tail allows for quick changes in direction and the ability to scrub speed blisteringly fast. Plenty of face shots for everyone on the Black Ops Sender Ti, even if they're slushy face shots. Some of the dings from above against the Black Ops Sender Ti that relate to width or shape boost its Terrain Playfulness score.
Carving and Edge Grip
The Black Ops Sender Ti has enough edge grip to hold when hitting bottom. Not a carving ski by most metrics, the Black Ops Sender Ti can still hold an edge in softer conditions. But it's not our first choice on groomer days where conditions are fast, firm, or variable. Once again, the width underfoot leaves the Black Ops Sender Ti with a lower score in our carving metric. We found that the narrower skis in the lineup did have better torsional rigidity. Little can be expected from a ski with close to 10 millimeters more material underfoot when it comes to edge-to-edge responsiveness.
Playfulness and Terrain
Our testers also felt at home in the air on the Black Ops Sender Ti. Surf the high line and then take to the skies on the Black Ops Sender Ti. Although slower from edge-to-edge, our testers enjoyed the ease with which this ski allowed us to pivot and scrub speed. Fun airtime is a bonus for us especially considering how much more material this ski brings along for the ride than other high scorers in this metric.
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Stability and Speed
Despite Rossignol's claims that this ski is made for full-gas and big lines, we found more success while keeping the speed down and flowing with the terrain at hand. With a hearty layup, we were surprised that the Black Ops Sender Ti isn't more stable at speed. There were moments where the Black Ops Sender Ti deflected over the chop and kept our testers moving forward. There were also other times where this ski felt slow and or suddenly “too soft.” We found that the rocker profile on the Black Ops Sender Ti wasn't able to consistently support us as we tried to adjust to chopped-up snow. Keep the speed down and enjoy flowing through the unique terrain on this ski.
Construction and Design
Rossignol touts the Sender Ti as its beefiest, baddest ski within the all-new Black Ops range. Designers include Double ACT LBS and Damp Tech technologies in this new Black Ops Sender Ti model. Rossignol completes the poplar wood core by reinforcing it with carbon and a titanal beam. Soft snow are where we had the best time while skiing on the Black Ops Sender Ti.
Value and Alternatives
The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is certainly playful in powder, especially for a ski measuring only 104 millimeters underfoot. But this ski is pricey compared to other options that are much more well-rounded in the all-mountain category. For those looking for a crud-busting ski, the award-winning Volkl M6 Mantra or extra-powerful Black Crows Justis are better options. The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is a great ski to smash-and-grab every pocket of snow, making more of the mountain feel more playful. Playful, poppy, and easily able to pivot, the Black Ops Sender Ti is a fun mid-fat option for the right skier under the right conditions. Except for its exceptional scores in terms of powder performance, the competition outshines the Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti in nearly every other metric. The Nordica Enforcer 94 is our top recommendation for those looking for a great carving machine for front-side groomers.
Rossignol Super Black Ops 98
Rossignol’s 'Super Black Ops 98' has been around the block a few times, had multiple names but it might be the longest continually run twin tip ski on the market right now, possibly ever. We think it was first called the Slat (and then Holyshred, Black Ops 98 and perhaps other names too) and hasn't changed much, if at all, since. It's a precisely tuned and aggressive for a 'freestyle' ski with power and dampness enough to charge all over the hill.
Versatility and Performance
What makes the Rossignol Super Black Ops 98 such a great ski is that its relatively simple design doesn’t pigeonhole it into any particular category or style of skiing - it caters to a pretty broad swath of skier types from hardpack chargers with a need for speed, to all-mountain jibbers, to big-mountain skiers that like techy, bony lines without a ton of snow. “So fun and powerful! It absolutely rails carves (so quiet yet so responsive) - these are like velcro but they don't feel uncontrollably locked in. These do it all from day mode to full send. Skier: Mark Valtr.
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Construction and Feel
The Super Black Ops 98 is a pretty damp, powerful ski. The core has some pop to it when you load it up but overall, it's definitely on the stiffer, damper end of the scale for a freestyle ski. It powers through crud and mixed conditions comfortably. It offers a great midpoint between something like an Enforcer and a more traditional jib ski, like a Volkl Revolt 96. It's a whole lot more fun than an Enforcer but a lot more powerful and grown up than even a relatively stiff park ski like the Revolt. It does ok in soft snow too, with a wider tip providing some float and rocker backing it up. It's not a powder ski, it doesn't love to be thrown sideways in 3D snow, but it will handle some moderate depths of snow comfortably, powering through as much as it floats. All this comes with the caveat that it's a ski that requires strong legs to get the most out of. Skier: Mark Valtr.
Playfulness and Park Performance
That damp, quiet, and stable ride is paired with a fairly energetic core and a round, predictable flex that lets you load up the ski and pop, slash, or butter off anything in sight, especially knowing that it’s got your back no matter how sketchy the landing is. The last bit is the key. This ski doesn't have the lowest swingweight or the most playful feel but we loved it in the park for stomping big jumps and boosting deep off cannon rails. Even our camera man got airborne on these. Skier: Aaron Kalat.
“The Super Black Ops 98 is totally my type of ski: a chargy all-mountain ski that allows for confident and powerful turns. I also love it in the park for its stability. Given that the Super Black Ops 98 works exceptionally well just about anywhere on the mountain - it could be an all-mountian pick no problem. But we gave it a Best of Test award in the park, because it absolutely stomps. Most park skis are on the softer side these days and there isn't much out there (except for properly boring skinny slopestyle skis) that allows you to go as big as the Super Black Ops. A blast from the past. Click into the retro inspired 7SK style of the Rossignol Super Blackops skis for the progressive performance you need to charge, rip and lay down tracks anywhere on the mountain. They blend the dynamic feel of a wood core and energy boosting titanal layers with progressive rocker for a playful yet precise ride.
Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender TI
Black Ops 118 (BO118)
The BlackOps 118 (BO118) has a weird history - dating back to the release of the Seven series of skis released by Rossignol in 2013. While these skis were a huge hit with crowds, it’s introduction left Rossignol’s freestyle/freeride oriented team members without a ski that was ideal. As such folks like Parker White and Chris Logan went without a ski that suited their unique styles.
Design and Construction
Details on the construction of these skis were, and still are pretty hard to come by. I’ve seen interviews, and chatted with folks that claim there is metal in this ski, rubber in the layup, and other materials thrown in the mix. However, I’ve been unable to confirm any of this. For shape, we’ve got a fairly standard sidecut for most modern jibby pow skis, but with a huge caveat of a massive amount (approximately 6mm) of camber underfoot. Lastly, for a mount point - we’re looking at -2.5cm from true center (TC) on the 186cm, which even for today’s standards, is still VERY far forward for a “Hard Charging” ski.
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Soft and Fresh Snow Performance
I’ve had some of my best days on snow on these skis, and I can tell you, in soft deep snow the B0118 does not disappoint. Given its width and relative lack of tip taper, the ski has a ton of surface area on the 186cm length, providing ample float on even the deepest/lightest snow days. Additionally, when at speed (and this ski wants to go fast), the rocker profile on this ski allows BO118 to plane on top of the snow quite well.
Performance in Chopped Powder
Given the fact that this ski is arguably the heaviest available ski on the market at the time of writing, you’re most likely not touring on it. Which ultimately means, you’re going to encounter some chopped pow at some point while on the BO118. Well, similarly to the Fresh Snow section, again this ski does not disappoint. The relative mass and dampness of the ski really allows the user to drive and blast through chopped snow without losing momentum. I want to be explicit here: when I mean blast, I really mean blast, as in this ski doesn't even flinch while driving through chop at speed.
Speed and Stability
Assuming you just read the previous section, it should come as no surprise that the BO118 likes to run. So there’s a couple things to break down here: First - this ski is VERY stable at speed, regardless of most conditions (minus maybe refrozen coral). It’s a bit harder to both initiate the turn while also harder to quickly pivot in order to shut it down. I’d chop this up to the very heavy weight of the ski, the massive amount of camber underfoot, and lastly the fact that the ski really encourages the driver to let them run. Meaning that when at speed, its naturally harder to change direction or momentum.
Air and Playfulness
We’ve got a pretty soft flex on the very heavy BO118, which does mean that airs are a little weird. So let’s break that down! Popping off of stuff is really easy, as it's really really easy to press/butter the tip/tails. You too can even manual out of shit just like Parker does on these bad boys! This makes them incredibly fun, to pop off of every little side hit, terrain undulation, and snowed over tree to your heart's desire. However, those softer tails don’t provide as much support as other, similar, skis in the category when landing. Lastly, and again to no one's surprise, is she’s heavy, so spinning/general rotational mass is high on this - which equates to significantly more effort to get sideways or throwing tricks.
Touring Considerations
Really - don’t tour with these skis. There are so many better options out there for this. The only thing I would consider would be something like a Duke PT16 or Cast setup specifically for sidecountry days - meaning using skins simply to get back to a resort with little to no vert gained in that skin.
Comparisons with Other Skis
How’s it Compare:183cm Atomic BentChetler III is… More surfy, similar weight, similar at firm conditions, similar stability while at speed, and a similar (slightly softer) flex pattern. Side note here - this ski is sick, it's like a slightly less stable, more surfy version of the BO118186cm 4FRNT Renegade II has… More float, less weight, more surfy, faster to pivot (no shit its fully rockered), worse in mixed conditions, similar stiffness.
Table 1: Comparison of Rossignol Black Ops Skis
| Ski Model | Ideal Conditions | Carving Performance | Playfulness | Stability at Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Ops Sender Ti | Deep and soft powder | Moderate edge grip | High | Lower at high speeds |
| Super Black Ops 98 | All-mountain, park | Rails carves | Energetic core | Damp and stable |
| Black Ops 118 | Deep powder, chopped conditions | Not ideal for carving | Easy to butter/press | Very stable |