Rossignol Black Ops Rallybird
The folks at Rossignol have overhauled their entire women’s freeride collection for winter 2021.
It’s au revoir to the much-loved 7 Series (cue sniffing!) and a super-stealthy bonjour to a new Black Ops range (cue hurrah-ing!).
With their sustainably sourced wood cores and recycled steel edges, the new Black Ops series are a multi-talented bunch that command you ‘Ride Free’, which quite frankly, we’re more than happy to do.
We’re all over liberating skis that encourage riders to do what they like, in their own particular style, and the new women’s Rallybird is exactly that – a veritable weapon that will help you unleash your inner freeride agent and start ticking off those big mountain missions.
Described by our female testers as a ‘friendly freeride ski’, the Rallybird ripped around the variable conditions at this year’s Ski Test, sailing through the crud with fluidity, carving up the piste with stability and popping off bumps and jumps with just the right amount of spring.
At 101mm underfoot with a 13m radius in the 162cm version we tested, it’s uber turny for tight corridors but can still surf through wider turns when you reach those open powder fields.
The extended wood core keeps things torsionally stable when you’re travelling at speed but if you’re looking for more to push against, you might want to look at the slightly punchier Rallybird Ti, with its extra metal injection.
The narrower and lighter Stargazer is another cracking Black Ops offering if you want to take things in the other direction and scale it back a touch with an even more reassuring rig.
Verdict
Super accessible for the progressing freeride skier, it’s a confidence-inspiring and well-balanced steed for taking on more challenging terrain.
- Brand:
- Rossignol
- Model:
- Rossignol Black Ops Rallybird
- RRP:
- £585
- Lengths
- 154, 162, 170
- Radius
- 16m @ 170
- Dimensions
- 137-102-127 @ 170
- Weight per ski
- 1800g @ 170
