About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the skis, which I purchased with my own money in April of 2022.

My take

The Rossignol Black Ops Sender TI is a ski for an advanced skier who likes a stiffer ski to take long turns at speed and is playful enough to be a fun and dynamic all-mountain ski.

About the skis I own

• Model: 2022 Rossignol Black Ops Sender TI
• Size: 180cm

About me

• Height: 6’0”
• Weight: 175lbs
• Experience: 27 years of skiing

Test Conditions

• When I bought these skis: April 2022
• Days tested: 25
• Mount position: Factory settings
• Boots: Rossignol All Track Elite 130
• Boot size: 26.5
• Bindings: LOOK Pivot 14s
• Where I’ve used them: Mt. Bachelor, OR
• Terrain: Resort snow all over the Pacific Northwest

How they perform

What I was looking for

I was looking to test the new Rossignols Soul Series, as that was their flagship for many years. I had tried their other “Black Ops Series” and was excited to try the new ones. They are much more fun and dynamic than the old series. These skis allow me to have that “all-in-one” ski that can carve very well, float in powder, and have enough regenerative energy from the sheet of metal to make it bounce back.

Why I chose this gear

I decided to buy this ski because it provided more stability and stiffness than the other Rossignol model, the Rossignol Sender. It also held an edge better; and as a former ski racer, it is important for me to have a ski with a good backbone, as I want to push a lot of energy into the ski.

What I love about them

• Speed: The Sender TI is slow to move at first, considering it has that core of metal in it. I have to put a lot of energy into the ski to get it moving. It is no carving ski for sure, but it can carve well if I want to take it out for some big turns. Being 100mm+ underfoot, it isn't built for carving, but does a decent job if one isn’t skiing in other conditions.
• Edge Hold: Overall, this ski holds an edge well. I had tuned my pair to have a sharper edge, so when on groomers, they did hold nicely. The skis do have that metal in them, so at high speed and with energy into the ski, they do rebound nicely into the next turn.
• Powder: These skis crush it in powder conditions, providing great float in 5–7 inches of powder. They also have a good backbone in the tails for putting all that pressure on the back of the ski.
• Trees: In the powder in the trees, these skis are really fun. Further, the metal core doesn't make them too stiff to turn them in tight situations.

Issues I have encountered

• Turns: These big, heavy metal boards are certainly not the quick-footed ski, but they do make some really fun and stable long turns at speed. They’re by no means a slalom ski, but more of a GS-turn style ski that I feel safe on at long, high-speed turns.
• Durability: The durability of the ski is okay. The graphics are cool, but the topsheet is easily damaged. The top plastic seem to chip, scratch, and tear easily from skis crossing and hitting each other. After a few instances of my skis clashing together, the plastic ripped or chipped, which exposed the inside of the ski quite easily.
• Other: These skis aren’t for those who are not “strong” skiers who like stiffer skis. They are tough to get moving, a little stagnant if one doesn’t engage them, and not as playful as some other skis in its category.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment I had with these skis was skiing them on a day at Mt. Bachelor where a particular area of the mountain hadn't been open for a few days, but the grooming crew kept it up. Overnight, it had snowed about 10 inches with a little bit of wind as well. That side of the mountain opened in the morning, and I knew it was going to be an epic day for the Rossignol Sender TI. Why? As I skied over to that area, the groomers were in pristine condition with some powder on top. So, I was able to carve the skis into the hard pack below as I was still cruising through some new snow. Then when I was able to reach all the new powder, I floated so well and it was so fun to ski some big, long turns in the fresh powder. It was such a fun day for these skis.

Value for the money vs. other options

These skis are certainly worth it, but there are some other great skis in the family of all-mountain that are different and fun in other ways. As I have said before, this is a stiffer ski for an advanced skier. There are some other options in the 106mm family that could be easier to move, a little bit more dynamic, and more friendly on price. Examples being the K2 Mindbender 105 TI, the Rossignol Sender (non TI), and the Armada Tracer 108. But, this ski rips and it's fun for big turns in powder and mixed snow.

Final Verdict

The Rossignol Sender TI is a lot of fun. It’s stiff, hard to work, and takes some getting used to, but, boy, does it rip. It’s super fast, has a big turn radius for laying down some really fun giant slalom turns, and floats like a boat in powder.