The Experience collection – EXP, for short – has formed the commercial core of the Rossignol collection for as long as memory serves. As originally conceived, the Experience family served the large population of skiers with aspirations of all-terrain skiing who spent most of their time on the groomed, frontside of the mountain. It was the one product family that served the entire ability spectrum, from never-ever to accomplished expert.
Please indulge a brief stroll down memory lane, as it serves as an instructive backdrop to the new EXP series. At the top of the first Experience family was the E98, sporting two full sheets of Titanal around an all-wood core. It was as torsionally stiff as rebar and took no guff from any terrain, from diamond-hard boilerplate to clumpy crud. It was every cm an experts-only ski. Many of our members stil revere it, I’m sure.
But the star of the line, in terms of sales, was never the E98, or its successor, the Experience 100, but the next step down in the line, the E88. Without the burly Titanal laminates, the E88 was more playful and easier for less skilled skiers to have their way with. I don’t know what the actual sales figures are, but in its heyday the E88 had to be one of the best-selling skis on the American market.
While the top-of-the-series model continued to change its dimensions and construction, the second position in the line remained an 88, although its innards also morphed over time. In its final incarnation before bidding adieu, the Experience 88 used the same rich, Titanal and basalt build as its wider bro, the 92 Ti Basalt.
The reason for this detour into the misty past is because no matter which generation of the E88 you may have encountered in the past, it has little to do with the Experience 86 Basalt of today. For starters, the top model in the series has been retired, so the EXP 86 Ti takes over the flagship role. Even though it has Ti in its name and under its skin, the new 86 Ti skis nothing at all like the E98 or E100.
The EXP 86 Basalt has been created to serve a new breed of in-bounds skier, which Rossi refers to as “All-Resort.” Skiing is 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 participant, he’s not going to go wandering out of bounds and most of his powder runs will be on the side of the trail. It’s probably safe to say he’s not going out in the worst conditions (by his definition), nor is he going to push very hard on the performance envelope.
In commercial terms, the EXP 86 Basalt 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 double-rockered baseline promotes a go-along-to-get-along attitude that encourages 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.
An aggressive skier who can’t wait to tear up the untamed backside of the mountain is better off looking at the diverse Black Ops family. The EXP 86 Basalt is the ticket for someone who just wants to enjoy the sport without feeling unduly challenged at every turn.
The true measure of a ski like the EXP 86 Basalt isn’t simply how easy it makes the sport for the target skier; it’s how well it performs once he’s attained a higher level of proficiency. It’s notable that the EXP 86 Basalt earned identical marks for Power and Finesse properties, just what one would hope to see in a ski intended to help skiers improve in a stress-free environment.
All of our Mt. Rose instructors were impressed by its potential for their students, describing it as “fun” and “versatile.” Jim Najima, head of our PSIA posse, called it, “great on groomers and off-piste. Fun ski.” Coach Theron Lee agreed, finding the EXP 86 Basalt to be “surprisingly quick and smooth. Great for an intermediate trying to be advanced. Easy to ski and forgiving, with a big sweet spot.”
As long as the skier’s ambitions lie within the resort boundaries, the EXP 86 Basalt will provide years of simplified skiing. For its tractable personality and ease of use in all soft-snow conditions, we award the new EXP 86 Basalt a Silver Skier Selection.
