Expert Review: Rossignol Black Ops Holy Shred Skis · 2022

The new Rossignol Black Ops Holyshred is an awesome 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 with a powder emphasis.

Tips of the Rossignol Black Ops Holy Shred Skis.

About the ski I own

Model: 2022 Rossignol Black Ops Holyshred
Size: 184cm

About me

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 185lbs
Experience: 26 years, 16 years ski racing

Test conditions

When I bought this ski: April 2022
Days tested: 25
Mount position: Factory Mount
Boots: 2022 Rossignol Alltrack Elite 130
Boot Size: 26.5
Bindings: 2022 LOOK Pivot 14
Where I’ve used it: Mt. Bachelor and Central Oregon backcountry
Terrain: Powder, mixed conditions, and groomer

How they perform

Carving

4/5

Durability

4/5

Flotation

4/5

High Speed Stability

4/5

Turn Ease

2/5

Versatility

3/5

What I was looking for

I wanted to test the new series to the old 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. 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.

The Rossignol Black Ops Holy Shred Skis.

Why I chose this gear

I decided to buy the Holyshred because it is a great dynamic powder ski. It holds an edge well; as a former ski racer, a ski needs to have a good backbone as I want to push a lot of energy into a ski. Unfortunately, for a powder ski to ski on groomers well is few and far between.

What I love about them

Speed: The Holyshred is slow to move at first, considering it has that core of metal in it. As a skier, one has to put a lot of energy into the ski to get it moving. It is not a carving ski, but it can carve well if I want to take it out for some nice big turns. Since it's 110mm+ underfoot, it isn't built for carving but does a decent job if I’m not 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 hold nicely. The skis have metal in them, so at high speed and with energy into the ski, they rebound nicely into the next turn.
Groomers: The Holyshred handles well on groomers, but it takes a lot of energy to get that ski moving. It takes nice big turns well, but not very quick for small turns.
Powder: These skis crush it in powder conditions, providing great float for 5-7 inches of powder, and a good backbone in the tails for putting all that pressure on the back of the ski.
Trees: These skis are really fun in the powder in the trees. The metal doesn't make them too stiff, where I can't turn them in tight situations.
Backcountry: Great float, good for long turns in pow and taking some big slashes in the soft snow.
Durability: Topsheet gets eaten up pretty quickly, and bummed that it chipped so quickly. The base holds up nicely, though.
Weight: Heavier than an average ski, considering its metal sheet.
Switch riding: It has an easy rise off the tail of the ski, so not a true twin-tip ski-to-ride switch, but I don't have a problem.
Stability: Ski is very stable and very dynamic, but again, one has to put a lot of energy into the ski.

Issues I’ve encountered

Turns: These big heavy metal boards are not meant for quick sharp turns but are great for long fast ones. They are certainly not quick-footed skis, but they do make some really fun and stable long turns at speed. No means a slalom ski, but more of a GS turn style ski that I feel safe on at high speed big, long turns.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment with these skis was skiing them on a day when a particular mountain area hadn't been open for a few days, but the grooming crew kept it up. Over the night, it had snowed 8 or 10 inches with a little bit of wind as well. Finally, that side of the mountain opened in the morning, and I knew it would be an epic day for the Rossignol Holyshred. Why? As I skied over to that area, the groomers were in pristine condition with some powder on top, so I could carve the skis into the har pack below as I was still cruising through some new snow. Then when I could reach all the new powder, it floated so well, and it was so fun to ski some big long turns in the fresh powder. It was such a fun day and a great day for those skis.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Rossignol Holyshred is certainly worth it, but there are some other great skis in the all-mountain family with a powder emphasis that are different and fun in other ways. Again, as I have said in the review, this is a stiffer ski for an advanced skier. Some other options in the 110mm+ family are easier to move, more dynamic, and more price-friendly. Some skis might be the K2 Mindbender 116 or the Atomic Ben Chetler 110. But this ski rips, and it's fun for big turns in powder and mixed snow.

Final verdict

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