Review: Rossignol Experience 88 HD 164cm

Brand: Rossignol
Model: 2017 Experience 88 HD
Length/Radius: 164cm/13m
Dimensions: 135-88-124

I came to this ski after skiing on the Rossignol Experience 84 last season at 170cm.  I found at that length the ski was just a little long for me as I'm 5'8" and weigh only 130lbs.  The 84 is a great all mountain ski but I found it gave up edge grip on the really firm stuff due to its lack of torsional rigidity.  I just couldn't drive the tips hard enough to bite without them giving up.

When I saw the line of 2017 Experience skis had the new HD carbon alloy matrix I couldn't wait to jump on a pair!  Essentially what this does is stiffen the ski torsionally but doesn't affect the stiffness of the ski along its length.  In theory, it should help getting the tips to bite on hard pack.  I also read a review of the Experience line a couple of years ago suggesting to pick the length that best suits you out of the two marques.  This landed me at 164cm with it being the next size down from the 84 at 170cm.

My first impression of these skis put a grin on my face from ear to ear!  My first lift access turns of the season were on these skis, and straight off the lift I was carving turns effortlessly.  At 164cm with a 13m radius they're like a wide slalom ski with all mountain rocker in the tip and tail.  I've skied these all over the mountain during the last few weeks; groomers, powder, trees, steeps, bumps, crud, and the bunny hill.  Overall, I'm very impressed with their versatility and ability as a 'do anything, go anywhere' ski.  You wouldn't think they were 88mm underfoot with the way they rip down a groomer, or as narrow as 88mm in the powder with the amount of float you get.  The short radius (and length) means you can turn them quickly in the trees but they're just as at home making wedge turns down the bunny hill.

However, here's where I feel they give up some performance.  At 88mm underfoot you have to be patient going from edge to edge, and that's fine most of the time especially with a 13m radius ready to propel you through the next turn.  This patience is something I don't have though when I'm skiing tight, steep, well defined moguls.  I try and ski bumps with as much turn shape as possible, which means edge grip at the top of the turn to make the turn shape round.  I find with these I'm in the fall line and approaching the next bump before I've had time to roll the skis onto the new set of edges.  That's fine if you like to make pivoty, swishy turns in the bumps, that's just not my personal goal.

A 13 meter radius is also very small for an all mountain ski.  All they want to do is turn and the turns are quick.  It doesn't give you much time to let the turn develop and you spend lots of time going side to side instead of down the hill.  If you look at similar all mountain skis they're in the ballpark of 16-20 meter radii.  The short radius also gives you a feeling of over rotating the ski sometimes when not making a carved turn.

Personally, I found that making aggressive, carved turns with high edge angles would cause an uncomfortable binding sensation in the inside leg as the ski bends.  I have them mounted with Marker Schizo bindings so I've been skiing them at -1cm recently, which has cured most of this problem by moving the narrowest point of the ski forward and more underneath my center of mass when I'm hanging off the front of the boot.

All in all I'd give this ski a solid 8 out of 10.  For a perfect 10/10, I'd have the 84s (or even an 80mm) with a 15-16m radius at about 166cm in length.  Rossignol I hope you read this!!