Expert Review: Rossignol Sender Squad Skis · 2023

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

My take

The Rossignol Sender Squad is an awesome ski for an advanced to expert level 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 for big mountain and powder.

About the gear

• Model: 2023 Rossignol Sender Squad
• Size: 194cm

About me

• Height: 6’0”
• Weight: 185lbs
• Experience: 26 years skiing

Test conditions

• When I bought these: October 2022
• Days tested: 15
• 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 groomers

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted an all-mountain ski with a good stiff backbone that could handle high speed well and make some big carving turns. 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 the ski because it provided more stability and stiffness than the other Rossignol model. In addition, it held an edge better. As a former ski racer, I know it is important for a ski to have a good backbone as I want to push a lot of energy into a ski.

What I love about them

• Speed: The Sender Squad is slow to move at first, considering it has a metal core. As a skier, one must put a lot of energy into the ski to get it moving. It is not a carving ski, but it can carve well if one doesn’t want to take it out for some nice big turns. Being 100mm+ underfoot, it isn't built for carving but does a decent job if someone 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 hold nicely. The skis have that metal in them, so at high speed and with energy put into the ski, they rebound nicely into the next turn.
• Groomers: The Sender Squad handles well on groomers, but it takes a lot of energy to get the skis 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: The topsheet gets eaten up pretty quickly; I’m kind of bummed that it chipped so quickly. The base has held up nicely.
• Weight: It’s heavier than the 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 certainly not quick-footed skis, but they make fun, long, stable turns at speed. They are by 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 area of the mountain hadn't been open for a few days, but the grooming crew kept it up. Overnight, it had snowed 8 or 10 inches with a little bit of wind. That side of the mountain opened in the morning, and I knew it would be an epic day for the Rossignol Sender Squad. Why? As I skied 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 was able to 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

These skis are certainly worth it, but some other great skis in the all-mountain family 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. But this ski rips, and it's fun for big turns in powder and mixed snow. Some other options to look into could be the Armada Declivity 108 Ti or the K2 Mindbender 108. Both are fun skis, but the new Rossignol Sender Squad is more fun as an advanced ski.

Final verdict

The Rossignol Sender Squad 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. Whether it's knee-deep powder, some mixed snow chop, tree skiing, or a hard groomer, one will feel right at home in any condition with these skis.