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Review: 2012 Rossignol Experience 88 - Page 2

post #31 of 53
11/25/11 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by prenzn View Post

He Phil

I've have just bought the Rossignol Experience 88 for tight trees on the backide and some frontside skiing. I also like mougles sometimes. I'm an aggressive heavy skier (185cm tall, 80 kg ). I also have the Rossignol SUper S 7. But I wanted something, when there is not enough snow to use the super Seven. ope my decision was the riht choice!

 



80 kg is 176 Pounds! The Rossi 88 also got fantastic test results at skiis.com. That was also one of the reasons why I took the Experience 88

 

 

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post #32 of 53
2/11/12 at 6:40pm

I just returned my new rtm80 to the dealer and he agreed to credit me back .

I found the ski to be a bit short with the full riser in the 171 size and just not enough of a ski .

it felt unstable on the flat and a bit chattery at speeds , it was a bit too aggressive but amazing once you got it on edge 

 

I trying to figure out if the right choice is rtm 84 , blizzard 8.7 , e88 allin like the 177 cm range .

I ski mostly east coast , like to carve and enjoy some finesse ski with mid size turns as well ,

like to be able to mix up the speeds on a dime on the blacks ,

 

i AM 5,10, 195lbs , 43 yrs old ….anyone would suggestions ? 

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post #33 of 53
2/12/12 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by felixsh View Post

I just returned my new rtm80 to the dealer and he agreed to credit me back .

I found the ski to be a bit short with the full riser in the 171 size and just not enough of a ski .

it felt unstable on the flat and a bit chattery at speeds , it was a bit too aggressive but amazing once you got it on edge 

 

I trying to figure out if the right choice is rtm 84 , blizzard 8.7 , e88 allin like the 177 cm range .

I ski mostly east coast , like to carve and enjoy some finesse ski with mid size turns as well ,

like to be able to mix up the speeds on a dime on the blacks ,

 

i AM 5,10, 195lbs , 43 yrs old ….anyone would suggestions ? 

 

If you can Demo the Kendo; it is a very fun fast ski that can definitely handle some carving. Not sure where you are in the east, but if you live on LI you can get a demo from Snow Haus as I have not seen this ski for demo at too many other shops/mountains outside of a demo day. If you want to demo the experience line they have demo's of the 83,88,98 at potter brothers in Kingstop (19 on i-87) which is on the way to hunter, windham, or bellaiyre from the ny metro area
 

 


Edited by Eastcoastdad - 2/12/12 at 9:49am
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post #34 of 53
2/12/12 at 8:30pm

If you're in the Boston area then I suggest making trip to Wachusett some night. Their demo shop has all the fun toys. (Fisher, Rossi, Nordica, Volkl, K2, Line, Kastle, etc) I actually just tried out the Experience 88s today and loved them.

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post #35 of 53
2/13/12 at 6:46am

And this right here is my issue when I'm researching skis.  176 pounds is "heavy".  I don't even think that's heavy according to BMI.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by prenzn View Post



80 kg is 176 Pounds! The Rossi 88 also got fantastic test results at skiis.com. That was also one of the reasons why I took the Experience 88

 

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by prenzn View Post

He Phil

I've have just bought the Rossignol Experience 88 for tight trees on the backide and some frontside skiing. I also like mougles sometimes. I'm an aggressive heavy skier (185cm tall, 80 kg ). I also have the Rossignol SUper S 7. But I wanted something, when there is not enough snow to use the super Seven. ope my decision was the riht choice!

 



 

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post #36 of 53
2/13/12 at 8:39am

Quote:

Originally Posted by St Bear View Post

And this right here is my issue when I'm researching skis.  176 pounds is "heavy".  I don't even think that's heavy according to BMI.
 


176 pounds doesn't mean much, until you know the person's height.  His/her BMI is 25.13, overweight begins at 25, so according to that 176 pounds is heavy.

 

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post #37 of 53
2/13/12 at 8:45am

You heard the man.  Get on a diet!
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by mtcyclist View Post

Quote:


176 pounds doesn't mean much, until you know the person's height.  His/her BMI is 25.13, overweight begins at 25, so according to that 176 pounds is heavy.

 



 

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post #38 of 53
2/13/12 at 8:50am

176 lbs heavy?  Naw.  Try "fit" or "solid" rather than "slim" at 200 lbs.  Imagine what options us guys have for skis.  Not so much, they do exist, but I think a Rossi Exp 88 would be easily overpowered by a 200 lb hard charger.  SIGH......

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post #39 of 53
2/13/12 at 8:56am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunnerbob View Post

176 lbs heavy?  Naw.  Try "fit" or "solid" rather than "slim" at 200 lbs.  Imagine what options us guys have for skis.  Not so much, they do exist, but I think a Rossi Exp 88 would be easily overpowered by a 200 lb hard charger.  SIGH......


Seriously?  Do you know this from experience?  I'm going to a demo day next month, and the Exp88 were #1 on my hit list.  This would be a disappointment, considering the stellar reviews they've been getting.

 

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post #40 of 53
2/13/12 at 10:49am

I am 5' 10" and I way in at the 200 lb mark. I own a pair of 88's in 177 cm and I love them. More than anything your skiing ability should determine what you are skiing and how hard you want to charge. I have been skiing for  40 yrs now and when we used to ski pow, anything bigger than a 60 cm waist was unheard of. I can shred my 88's in the pow or on the groomers. I also have a pair of Rossi masters GS for the days when I am on piste most of the time also a 174 cm and a pair of CX 80's  170 cm . Ability Ability Ability... choose a ski that matches your ability not a ski to make you ski better. Be confident and if you like it, make it do what you want it to do. I guess what I am trying to say is I am not over weight for this ski or any other in my quiver. Reason and logic would say Lindsey Vonn should not be on a mens GS 191 ski but she can make it do what she wants. 

 

If you are looking for a good all mtn ski that will perform in the pow crud and goomers that the 88's would be a good choice as well as many others but I am partial to the 88's.

 

 

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post #41 of 53
2/13/12 at 11:02am

I'm 6'0" and 220 lbs. I skied them yesterday on hard pack at Wachusett and didn't feel like I was overpowering them. To be fair, I wasn't bombing down super advanced terrain and everything was well groomed. The E88 was super turny and very fun. It won't be my primary ski for high speed groomers, but will definitely be my go-to ski when I just want to have some fun, especially at lower speeds following my girlfriend around the hill.

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post #42 of 53
2/13/12 at 11:26am

He lads

Thanks for your comments! I have tried the ski a couple of times now and I absolutely liked it. I bought the ski in 185 cm and it is really great fur to carve with this ski. I've also had fun in the mougles. Cause of the rocker it also works in powder quite alright. I'm actually from Austria. The ski was really worth to buy. I was really surprised about its carving ability.

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post #43 of 53
2/13/12 at 11:46am

There may have been a a misunderstanding Bear; my comments were a question, not a statement.  And not from personal experience, that's why I was asking.  I "think" they might be overpowered from what I've been reading, particularly compared to the Rossi Exp 98.  But I don't know.  I was hoping someone who is a bigger guy could comment and help provide some insight.  Looks like that has happened!

 

Bliz, Prezn: did you find much chatter at speeds?  Any chance to hit some crud and check stability?  What about tight turns for possible tree use?  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

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post #44 of 53
2/13/12 at 2:16pm

And if you are demoing the Experience 88, you should also try out the Nordica Steadfast.  I wasn't able to demo the Rossi but the Steadfast did everything I wanted it to do(trees, bumps, powder, carving) and did it really well.  YMMV

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post #45 of 53
2/13/12 at 7:15pm

Funny you mention the Steadfast, I just heard about it last week (must have had my head in the snow or something), and it was being mentioned as a strong competitor against the Exp 88.  The Steadfast has been getting some good buzz.

 

Demos where I live are rare, but I would just LOVE to pit a couple skis side by side, even if only for a couple runs.  I'm willing to bet I'd know right away which I prefer, then I'd have some real confidence before buying.  Sadly, that's not the case right now.

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post #46 of 53
2/13/12 at 7:24pm

I was able to demo the Steadfast one week, Line Prophet 90 the following week and two weeks later the Steadfast again.  If I had not skied the Steadfast I probably would have bought the P90.  But on the same run under somewhat similar conditions the Steadfast handled better, seemed more lively and is lighter in weight.

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post #47 of 53
2/26/12 at 7:01am

so , if i heard correctly, the rtm 84 is a more aggressive ski then the e88 and  the e88 is a bit more versatile finesse ski.

how is the e88 on higher speeds...

 

i like to parellel ski with boots touching and enjoy mid size turn with a some speed at the end . 

starting to lean towards e88 instead of rtm 84…..(just starting to sound that the rtm just wants too go fast and rip FULL TIME)

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post #48 of 53
2/26/12 at 8:22am

 

I recently demo'd the Experience 88 and came away wondering who this ski is really for.  I'm a Rossi fan, currently have a pair of Rossignol Radical 9 GS skis and love 'em.  I was looking for a pair of 50/50 piste/off-piste skis for soft snow days at my home resort in the French Alps.  I'm 6'2", 185 lbs and an ex-racer.  I tried the Experience 88s in a 186cm on an "everything day" - some fresh snow, some crud, hard groomers, bumps.  Overall I was disappointed and felt the ski did not excel on any dimension, especially compared to some other Kastle, Stockli, and Volkl skis I'd also demo'd.

 

As other reviewers have noted, its strength is it is an easy turning ski, and pleasant at modest cruising speeds on groomers.  But at higher speeds the tips really flapped and wandered and lack of metal just made it too unstable.  But then again, many soft snow skis have speed limits on the groomers, so I then took them into about 4-6" of somewhat tracked fresh hoping that at 88cm wide and 186cm long I'd get some decent float.  But that was not to be - something about the tip design made the float very disappointing for a ski this size.  The early rise felt like something tacked on by the marketing department rather than something truly integrated into the ski design.  They floated less than a pair of 78cm Stocki Stormriders I tried earlier in the day with 10cm less girth.  And without decent float, it doesn't matter how easy turning the ski is, you still feel like a submarine.  I then took them into some bumps and the were certainly soft enough to absorb the bumps, but too heavy and "planky" for quick maneuvers.  Finally, in crud there just wasn't enough grunt for them to feel stable.

 

So overall, the Experience 88 might be an ok, easy turning ski for an intermediate/advanced skier looking to cruise groomers and occasionally venture into some bumps or soft snow.  But too soft, unstable at high speeds and insufficiently floaty for an expert looking for a versatile all-mountain ski.  Needs some metal and a different tip design for that profile.  Much better for that profile would be the Kastle MX78 or MX88, Stockli Stormrider 78 or VXL, or Volkl Kendo or Mantra.  Any of those are awesome skis and Rossi (as much as I have always liked 'em) needs to raise their game to compete in that crowd.

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post #49 of 53
2/27/12 at 6:53am

You might try the E98
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manigod View Post

 

I recently demo'd the Experience 88 and came away wondering who this ski is really for.  I'm a Rossi fan, currently have a pair of Rossignol Radical 9 GS skis and love 'em.  I was looking for a pair of 50/50 piste/off-piste skis for soft snow days at my home resort in the French Alps.  I'm 6'2", 185 lbs and an ex-racer.  I tried the Experience 88s in a 186cm on an "everything day" - some fresh snow, some crud, hard groomers, bumps.  Overall I was disappointed and felt the ski did not excel on any dimension, especially compared to some other Kastle, Stockli, and Volkl skis I'd also demo'd.

 

As other reviewers have noted, its strength is it is an easy turning ski, and pleasant at modest cruising speeds on groomers.  But at higher speeds the tips really flapped and wandered and lack of metal just made it too unstable.  But then again, many soft snow skis have speed limits on the groomers, so I then took them into about 4-6" of somewhat tracked fresh hoping that at 88cm wide and 186cm long I'd get some decent float.  But that was not to be - something about the tip design made the float very disappointing for a ski this size.  The early rise felt like something tacked on by the marketing department rather than something truly integrated into the ski design.  They floated less than a pair of 78cm Stocki Stormriders I tried earlier in the day with 10cm less girth.  And without decent float, it doesn't matter how easy turning the ski is, you still feel like a submarine.  I then took them into some bumps and the were certainly soft enough to absorb the bumps, but too heavy and "planky" for quick maneuvers.  Finally, in crud there just wasn't enough grunt for them to feel stable.

 

So overall, the Experience 88 might be an ok, easy turning ski for an intermediate/advanced skier looking to cruise groomers and occasionally venture into some bumps or soft snow.  But too soft, unstable at high speeds and insufficiently floaty for an expert looking for a versatile all-mountain ski.  Needs some metal and a different tip design for that profile.  Much better for that profile would be the Kastle MX78 or MX88, Stockli Stormrider 78 or VXL, or Volkl Kendo or Mantra.  Any of those are awesome skis and Rossi (as much as I have always liked 'em) needs to raise their game to compete in that crowd.



 

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post #50 of 53
2/27/12 at 7:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philpug View Post

 

Title:  So uhhh, Are you Experienced?

 

 

Length/size Tested: 178

 

Environment of Conditions:

*Location of review: Sugar Bowl

*Runs Taken: 6

*Snow Conditions: Manky/mixed conditions 

*Demo or Purchase: Demo

 

Summary (inc. Strengths & Weaknesses):

 

Strengths: Rossignol is back, sure they never really went away but starting about 2 yours ago, Rossi got serious about making skis that ski very well in all categories just look at the magazine tests last year. With Tim Petrick, one of the smartest minds in the industry at the helm, I am expecting nothing from great things in their future.

With the early rise and exaggerated sidecut 16M (135mm tip eek.gif) in a 178cm length, The Experience 88 is one of the shortest turning 88mm skis for next year. At slow to medium speeds, this ski wants to just turn, turn, turn. While this might not be an attribute everyone will want in a ski of this width, but with limited options in narrower skis, this is the carver in the 88 class

 

 

Weaknesses: Sometimes a skis strengths are it's weaknesses, if you are a speed hound, this is NOT the ski for you (but definitely the Experience 98 wink.gif, more on that ski in it's own review). The one area I found a limitation was off piste, while the ski does have early rise in the tip (and tail), I found the snub nose would plow snow and not rise on top. In the heavy snow I was in..I found I almost went over the handlebars because the skis would just stall. Will the person buying the Experience be taking the ski in these conditions, probably not, but it was a limitation. 

 

Other skis considered in class: Kastle BMX88, Blizzard Bushwacker, Blizzard Mag 8.7, Fischer Watea 88

 

 

 

 

Tester Info:

Age: 47

Height/Weight: 5/10" 188

Average days on snow: 0-10, 11-25, 30+  (pick one)

Years Skiing: 0-5, 6-15, 15+  (pick one)


so your are not expecting much from the great skis they are making.... roflmao.gif

 

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post #51 of 53
4/1/12 at 6:55pm

today i test demo'd them at cypress mtn in west vancouver...got 20cm fresh last night, but still pretty much spring conditions 0C temps...tried on some easy groomers as well as some blues that were all hacked up by this time of day.

 

after a number of runs i couldn't wait to return them...sure they edged wonderfully for a rockered ski (but being spring soft snow conditions it wasn't hardpacked so anything can pretty much 'edge' well in such conditions), but i found their 'auto turn' technology just too much, way too directional. i was on a 170 (the 178 was out on the hills

...but still.)

 

if any of you kayak and use front foot pedals to shift the rudder to left and right, this is how i felt when stepping down on the rossis....imo there was no middle ground: it was hard left or hard right... couldn't vary my turns more naturally, or open her up to a more gs turn, unlike how I can vary my turn shapes on my atomic blackeyes (despite having a similar radius), or as i could when i next demo'd the head peak 90 series, which allowed me to also more freely, relaxingly, vary my turn shapes...seldom have i felt so ''locked in'' (limited is a better descriptive word) to a ski's turn shape as i did when on the E88

 

and so it is with skis:  there is no 'right or wrong', no 'greatest' ski out there, just what works for you (hence demo demo demo)....and this one just didn't do it for me, despite having so many happy owners, which is great.

 

so next I will try the kastle mx88 or lx92...as well as nordica jetfuel and steadfast...maybe even the volkl kendo or bridge, or something from movement or line....that's what i love about the demo tents at whistler/blackcomb--you can demo about 4-6 ski makers for free for 1-2 hrs (sure there are a limited number of skis to demo, but..)....even better is during whistler's last wkend a number of mfg also come up and you can demo a number of skis for free, too, ie fischer, kastle, head, etc.


Edited by canali - 4/1/12 at 7:49pm
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post #52 of 53
4/2/12 at 11:22am


and to be fair i will, once at whistler, demo the correct size (only one size up,however: 178)

.hopefully it won't feel so overwhelmingly directional.

Quote:
Originally Posted by canali View Post

today i test demo'd them at cypress mtn in west vancouver...got 20cm fresh last night, but still pretty much spring conditions 0C temps...tried on some easy groomers as well as some blues that were all hacked up by this time of day.

 

after a number of runs i couldn't wait to return them...sure they edged wonderfully for a rockered ski (but being spring soft snow conditions it wasn't hardpacked so anything can pretty much 'edge' well in such conditions), but i found their 'auto turn' technology just too much, way too directional. i was on a 170 (the 178 was out on the hills

...but still.)

 

if any of you kayak and use front foot pedals to shift the rudder to left and right, this is how i felt when stepping down on the rossis....imo there was no middle ground: it was hard left or hard right... couldn't vary my turns more naturally, or open her up to a more gs turn, unlike how I can vary my turn shapes on my atomic blackeyes (despite having a similar radius), or as i could when i next demo'd the head peak 90 series, which allowed me to also more freely, relaxingly, vary my turn shapes...seldom have i felt so ''locked in'' (limited is a better descriptive word) to a ski's turn shape as i did when on the E88

 

and so it is with skis:  there is no 'right or wrong', no 'greatest' ski out there, just what works for you (hence demo demo demo)....and this one just didn't do it for me, despite having so many happy owners, which is great.

 

so next I will try the kastle mx88 or lx92...as well as nordica jetfuel and steadfast...maybe even the volkl kendo or bridge, or something from movement or line....that's what i love about the demo tents at whistler/blackcomb--you can demo about 4-6 ski makers for free for 1-2 hrs (sure there are a limited number of skis to demo, but..)....even better is during whistler's last wkend a number of mfg also come up and you can demo a number of skis for free, too, ie fischer, kastle, head, etc.



 

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post #53 of 53
4/2/12 at 4:16pm

I ski the 170cm Rossi Avenger 76Ti in all conditions just fine. 5'10"@190#.

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