You have to give Rossignol credit for persistence. The French brand has been trying to re-kindle Americans interest in carving skis for several product cycles, with about the same success as someone trying to feed a cat broccoli. I doubt one American skier in a thousand could name the product family the Forza series replaced. (Rossignol employees don’t count in this calculation.) This speculation isn’t a comment on Rossi’s competence – its fantastic (and deep) Hero collection demonstrates total mastery in how to blend finesse and power in world-class racing machines – but on the entrenched indifference of its target audience.
For the sake of all concerned, I’d love to see the Forza 70o V-Ti ignite a renaissance in American’s collective ability to carve a turn, but I’m not holding my breath. For starters, the name of the new Forza flagship might as well be in Morse code as far the mainstream U.S. skier is concerned. The “70o” reference is to edge angle, or the degree to which the ski will be tilted at the apex of the turn. I have no data to support my assertion, but I’d hazard a guess that 98% of homegrown Americans who aren’t recent graduates of a racing academy couldn’t get themselves into the position required to execute a single such turn, regardless of the inducements offered.
Okay, enough with the negativity. On the upside, the 70-degree reference turns out to be more an aspirational essence than a skills requirement. Unlike some of the power-obsessed avatars of the Carving clan that dominate the Technical and Frontside Power rankings, the Forza 70o V-Ti has a refreshingly open mind about turn radius. True, it’s 14m sidecut is made to cut a tidy corner when laid on edge, but a deeper dive into its sidecut dimensions reveals how its shape enhances the skier’s perception of its versatility.
Because the Frontside category comprises the most complete price/ability range in the ski market, its membership includes models meant for both end of the skills spectrum. In other words, some models are made to assist the uninitiated along the path to conscious competence, while others serve those who’ve already achieved total carving awareness.
The Rossignol Experience 82 Basalt is the rare bird that can serve both initiates taking the next step along their journey and those who’ve already arrived at their destination. Skiers who have endured the indignities of rentals and/or tattered hand-me-downs will find salvation in the EXP 82 Basalt. In the lower speed range inhabited by the less talented, it’s mindlessly simple to steer. It’s a classic confidence-builder for someone climbing the ability ladder.
With a sidecut made for carving but a baseline inclined to drift, the EXP 82 Basalt tries to accentuate the positive and disarm the negatives. As a learning vehicle, it’s more into gentle encouragement than demanding strict adherence to carving principles. As a long-term companion, it will be reliable as long as you keep your ambitions in check. For someone who is skiing more for social reasons – say, to hang with the grand-kids – the EXP 82 Basalt is just what the ski doctor ordered. Note that the $850 MSRP includes a binding.
Two years ago, Rossignol completely overhauled its keystone Experience series, re-defining its target customers as recreational skiers who want to take in the entire resort experience, of which skiing is but a part. They’ll spend most of the day on groomed slopes, but want a ski that will allow them to travel off to the side of the trail should conditions be favorable. They expect quality and performance, but they’re not looking to stretch the performance envelope as much as stay comfortably inside it.
The Experience (EXP, for short) 82 Ti W is all about ease. While its sidecut favors short turns (13m @ 159cm), they’re not of the high-twitch, trench-digger variety, but more languid, rolling smoothly on and off the edge under a light rein. While they respond to proper technique, they aren’t so high strung as to require it.
The Experience 86 Basalt W from Rossignol is part of a petite minority of Women’s All-Mountain East models that headlines a mostly Frontside collection. Rossi has completely re-imagined its Experience series, long the mainstay of its core recreational models, to fit what it perceives as a new skier type, the “All-Resort” skier. Skiing is still an important part of the overall resort experience, but it’s not the whole ball of wax for this resort visitor. While this person is an avid skier, she’s not going to go wandering out of bounds intentionally and whatever powder she essays will be on the side of the trail. She’ll find something else to do when the weather is lousy, and she’s not going to push too hard on the performance envelope.
In commercial terms, the EXP 86 Basalt W is a “step-up” model, most likely a first-time purchase for a skier who has survived until now on rentals and second-hand fare. Its “all-trail sidecut” will engage at the top of the turn and hold firm through the finish, encouraging skills development without insisting on it. If the skier applies a little tip pressure, its supple forebody transfers energy with gentle insistence, coaching the skier up on an edge that feels confidence-building underfoot.
Overview For most of the 1970’s, 80’s and into the 90’s, Rossignol was king of the roost, the most recognized trademark in a market crammed with brands that did not survive this epoch. It built a race department that was the envy of all, with stars like Alberto Tomba...
