2021 Blackops HolyShred

For two years, Rossignol treated its Black Ops models as if they were part of a clandestine operation known only to insiders. The problem with marketing a secret ski collection is you can be too successful at keeping it quiet. After serving as second fiddles behind the legendary 7 series, Black Ops models have now been thrust into the spotlight as their replacements. The Holy Shred brings two distinctive elements to the party that its 7 Series predecessor, the Sky 7, lacked: Titanal in its lay-up and a full-on twin-tip baseline. Almost every ski in the All-Mountain West genre has tail rocker, but no other major brand produces an unabashed, directional twintip intended for all-mountain skiing. The addition of Titanal gives the Holy Shred the stability on edge that most Pipe & Park twintips lack. Here’s another twist to the Holy Shred story: it’s unusually high camber line gives it spring-loaded rebound that propels the skier off the bottom of bottomless snow. While its dual-shovel baseline suggests it might smear easier than mayonnaise, when in powder – its preferred terrain if you can find it – its 45-degree braid of synthetic fiber loads up as it finds the belly of the turn; as it recoils, the rising Holy Shred helps the skier unweight as he (or she) crosses the fall line, as Old School a move as camber itself.