2023 Rossignol Black Ops 118

On the wider side of wide, and on the progressive end of freeride, the Rossignol Black Ops 118 is a very solid contender. The Gamer from yesteryear, the Black Ops 118 gets a graphics and marketing recharge for 2023, continuing the trend of being a super-rockered and floaty twin tip that excels in both backcountry use and resort powder day applications. Built with a poplar wood core, damp tech rubber inserts, and a titanal beam underfoot, these skis have a strong build to complement their playful and fun-loving personality. As with any ski that’s bigger than big, the weight will follow, as these skis tip the scales at 2550 grams per ski in the 186. This weight seems like a lot, but given the surface area and the intended application, that build marries well with the freeride shape. They’re not difficult to turn, especially in softer snow, retaining all the positive properties that we’ve loved from these skis in years past. Also in that 186, the Black Ops 118 produces a 25-meter turn radius, so these things are on the smeary side of slarvy. For backcountry booters, wide-open bowls, and super deep snow, the 2023 Rossignol Black Ops 118 is the ultimate tool for the job.

Joshua Matta noted the 186 was true to its size, and gave the skis top scores of 5 out of 5 for flotation, stability, and playfulness. He found the torsional stiffness, edge hold, and versatility to be on the other end of the spectrum, with 2’s out of 5 given for those categories. Overall impression, quickness, and maneuverability all got 4’s. Joshua had a hard time figuring out the demo binding and the mount point on these skis: “Ramp angle and forward mount woes. I wish the binding was more upright and mount further back. Still though damp stable playful pivot and you can force it into an arc on thick corn snow. Surprisingly useable in snow that it wasn’t made for but could be someone’s big powder ski even for the east . Only the insane would daily drive this.”

Bob St.Pierre did move his test 186 binding back about 2 cm from the recommended mount point to give it a slightly more directional feel. He noted the length as “appropriate” and scored the ski top marks of 5’s out of 5 for flotation, playfulness, and overall impression. Lower scores of 2’s out of 5 for versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge hold are not surprising given the more one-dimensional nature of the ski. “I loved this thing in the spring snow, I can only imagine it’d be ideal in a foot or more of fresh. I found the ski to be very maneuverable for its size, and didn’t have any issues hitting higher speeds through the sloppier stuff—very water-ski like, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the ski in the conditions that we had. Not the lightest for when you need to make a turn, but does a great job going sideways and in multi-directional formats. Incredibly fun and smeary—this thing is an amazing ski for those who are lucky enough to ski in snowier zones.”

While a soft-snow specialist for sure, the 2023 Rossignol Black Ops 118 has a lot of uniqueness to it that sets it apart from the competition. With a stable underfoot zone and an incredibly playful rocker profile and taper shape, the 118 excels in direct proportion to the softness of the snow.