REASONS TO BUY
Excellent floatation
Fun and surfy in powder
REASONS TO AVOID
Vibrates and higher speeds
Unnerving in mixed conditions
Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti Review
Best for deep and soft powder days, this ski lacks the versatility to make it an all-around contender
Credit: Rossignol
RELATED: Best Skis of 2024
Our Verdict
The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is best suited for the deep and soft powder days at your ski hill. With a healthy dose of tip and tail rocker, this ski helped our testers stay afloat and active, especially in uneven terrain with sudden twists and drops. The Black Ops Sender Ti has enough edge grip to hold when hitting bottom. But it's not our first choice on groomer days where conditions are fast, firm, or variable. While a great choice for a powder ski, it lacks the all-around performance to make it a versatile one-ski quiver.
Editor's Note: We updated this Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti review on February 23, 2022, and now includes our hot-take on value, as well as suggestions for similar products if you decide that this is not the ski for you.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |  | |
| Price | $800 List $450.00 at Amazon | $449.99 at Evo Compare at 2 sellers | $519.99 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $749.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $550 List $474.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Primarily a soft snow ski, this model struggles when things are firm and fast | Whether you forgot to check the conditions report or are just skiing at a new hill, fret not with this standout all-mountain performer | This ski means business and is one of our favorites for all-mountain carving | Fantastic powder performance for the hard-charging, expert all-mountain skier | A solid blend of performance and value for the intermediate-to-advanced skier |
| Rating Categories | Rossignol Black Ops... | Volkl M6 Mantra | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Blizzard Rustler 9 | Salomon QST 92 |
| Stability at Speed (20%) | |||||
| Carving Ability (20%) | |||||
| Powder Performance (20%) | |||||
| Crud Performance (20%) | |||||
| Terrain Playfulness (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Rossignol Black Ops... | Volkl M6 Mantra | Nordica Enforcer 94 | Blizzard Rustler 9 | Salomon QST 92 |
| Waist Width | 104 mm | 96 mm | 94 mm | 98 mm | 92 mm |
| Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail Width) | 137-104-127 mm | 135-96-119 mm | 127-94-115.5 mm | 131.5-98-121 mm | 129-92-117 mm |
| Available Lengths | 180, 187, 194 cm | 163, 170, 177, 184, 191 cm | 165, 172, 179, 186,191 cm | 162, 168, 174, 180, 186 cm | 152, 160, 168, 176, 184 cm |
| Length Tested | 180 cm | 177 cm | 179 cm | 186 cm | 184 cm |
| Turn Radius | 18 m | 18 m | 17.1 m | 18 m | 16 m |
| Camber Profile | Rocker/Camber/Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Rocker/Camber/Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker | Tip/Tail Rocker |
| Manufacturer Claimed Weight | 9.0 lbs | 9.0 lbs | 8.9 lbs | 8.5 lbs | 8.6 lbs |
| Core Material | Poplar, Titanal | Poplar, Beech, Double Titanal | Performance Wood (Proprietary), Double Titanium, GR400 Carbon Glass | Freeride Trueblend Woodcore | Poplar |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
Rossignol touts the Sender Ti as its beefiest, baddest ski within the all-new Black Ops range. Designers include Double ACT LBS and Damp Tech technologies in this new Black Ops Sender Ti model. Rossignol completes the poplar wood core by reinforcing it with carbon and a titanal beam. Despite the perceived improvements, especially when compared to the skis in Rossignol's legendary history that it replaces, we found the Sender Ti still to be primarily a deep snow day ski.
Performance Comparison
Soft snow are where we had the best time while skiing on the Black Ops Sender Ti.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Stability at Speed
The Black Ops Sender Ti is one of the widest underfoot skis in our lineup this year. Despite Rossignol's claims that this ski is made for full-gas and big lines, we found more success while keeping the speed down and flowing with the terrain at hand. We experienced considerable vibration at high speeds and would gladly pick something else for big long turns on wide-open terrain.
With a hearty layup, we were surprised that the Black Ops Sender Ti isn't more stable at speed.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Carving Ability
Once again, the width underfoot leaves the Black Ops Sender Ti with a lower score in our carving metric. We found that the narrower skis in the lineup did have better torsional rigidity. Little can be expected from a ski with close to 10 millimeters more material underfoot when it comes to edge-to-edge responsiveness. However, we found that the Black Ops Sender Ti provides a decent edge hold when given enough time to get on those higher edge angles in soft conditions.
Not a carving ski by most metrics, the Black Ops Sender Ti can still hold an edge in softer conditions.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Powder Performance
The Black Ops Sender Ti showed our testers quite a surfy time in the powder. With a strong will to stay on top of the waves, we could navigate tight trees and venture through rock drops with a strong sense of stability. The Black Ops Sender Ti's strong dose of rocker in both tip and tail allows for quick changes in direction and the ability to scrub speed blisteringly fast. We were happy to choose this ski when we knew visibility would be limited and skiing the same area through multiple paths would be common.
Plenty of face shots for everyone on the Black Ops Sender Ti, even if they're slushy face shots.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Crud Performance
There were moments where the Black Ops Sender Ti deflected over the chop and kept our testers moving forward. There were also other times where this ski felt slow and or suddenly "too soft." We found that the rocker profile on the Black Ops Sender Ti wasn't able to consistently support us as we tried to adjust to chopped-up snow. Avy-debris was especially challenging, and we found ourselves slowing way down to concentrate on picking our way through such challenging terrain.
Keep the speed down and enjoy flowing through the unique terrain on the Black Ops Sender Ti.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Terrain Playfulness
Some of the dings from above against the Black Ops Sender Ti that relate to width or shape boost its Terrain Playfulness score. Although slower from edge-to-edge, our testers enjoyed the ease with which this ski allowed us to pivot and scrub speed. Our testers also felt at home in the air on the Black Ops Sender Ti. Fun airtime is a bonus for us especially considering how much more material this ski brings along for the ride than other high scorers in this metric. While not a park ski by any means, we feel that the Black Ops Sender Ti is a strong contender for the all-mountain terrain park.
Surf the high line and then take to the skies on the Black Ops Sender Ti.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Should You Buy the Black Ops Sender Ti?
The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is certainly playful in powder, especially for a ski measuring only 104 millimeters underfoot. But this ski is pricey compared to other options that are much more well-rounded in the all-mountain category. Not exactly true powder ski and not a versatile all-mountain ski; your money is probably better spent elsewhere.
Playful, poppy, and easily able to pivot, the Black Ops Sender Ti is a fun mid-fat option for the right skier under the right conditions.
Credit: Scott Rokis
What Other All-Mountain Skis Should You Consider?
Except for its exceptional scores in terms of powder performance, the competition outshines the Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti in nearly every other metric. The Nordica Enforcer 94 is our top recommendation for those looking for a great carving machine for front-side groomers. For those looking for a crud-busting ski, the award-winning Volkl M6 Mantra or extra-powerful Black Crows Justis are better options.
The Rossignol Black Ops Sender Ti is a great ski to smash-and-grab every pocket of snow, making more of the mountain feel more playful.
Credit: Scott Rokis
—
Bobby Garrett
You Might Also Like
