Rossignol completely overhauled its cornerstone Experience series for 2019, in the process slightly shifting the series’ emphasis from on-trail to off-piste. The new Experience series has a more unified construction story across the top three models, so the Experience 88 Ti now uses the same construction as the top of the line E 94 Ti. The most obvious – and influential – changes to the new generation E 88 are in the tip design and the introduction of Line Control Technology (LCT) to improve ski/snow contact.

LCT consists of a vertical Titanal band running down the ski centerline that smothers the ski’s natural tendency to counter-flex and disrupt snow contact. The new, rounded tip integrates a viscoelastic dampener that dissipates shock before it can disturb edge contact at the top of the turn. These new features contribute to a ride that adapts well to changing terrain and is tolerant of all turn shapes, from the slow, short turns favored by more conservative skiers to the hair-on-fire, fall-line charges of the unleashed expert.

Danielle Goldsmith, co-owner/operator of Goldsmith’s Ski and Board, was instantly smitten. “This is what I‘ve been looking for from a Rossi Experience model for years.   Truly versatile, holds a carve, super smooth, changeable turn radius and solid performance,” she writes. Bob Gleason agrees, noting, “A nicely improved version of the Experience. Forms a very consistent round turn. Is versatile in varying speeds and types of terrain. Predictable as the sunrise,” he concludes.

Like the Experience 88 HD that preceded it, the Experience 88 Ti is ideal for the skier who has been out of the ski market for a decade or more. It doesn’t require any adaptation by the skier and can handle just about any snow condition. As another admiring tester attested, “This was a very stable ski without being rigid. It gave me confidence to pick up speed, then held the edge extremely well.”