2023 Rossignol Experience 80 Carbon

For intermediates looking to push their boundaries and learn to perfect the art of the carved turn, there aren’t too many skis out there better than the Rossignol Experience 80 Carbon. This ski returns unchanged for 2023, and that’s great news for skiers that are progressing out of the beginner phase and are looking to purchase their first pair of all-mountain skis rather than renting or leasing. Those are great ways to go for sure, but if you’re looking for something to call your own and help you advance in your ski adventure, the Experience 80 Carbon has an awesome blend of attributes and quality that make it a fantastic choice. Most skiers spend the majority of their time on groomed or smooth terrain, and that’s where this ski really shines. Early-morning groomers are perfect on these skis, as you get the high-quality and performance pedigree from the wider and more advanced Experience series of skis, but in a lighter and more user-friendly format. When the day goes on, and the snow starts to deteriorate, the 80 mm underfoot width goes a long way in smoothing out the terrain and making the late-day conditions more fun and accessible.

Built with a paulownia wood core, the skis have a light and energetic start to them. This adds quickness and agility to the ski, while keeping the performance to a maximum. Rossignol inlays carbon stringers into the ski in order to stiffen it and give it more energy, and it works quite well on its own, but the fact that it keeps the overall weight down, especially when compared to metal, is a very good thing for skiers looking to maximize their time out there on the hill. These skis also feature a sidewall underfoot that provides excellent grip, and that equates to more confidence and more fun. While some of these intermediate skis that use carbon instead of metal may chatter a bit once you get up to speed, Rossignol’s Drive Tip Solution takes care of that mess. By mixing up Visco material and directional fibers in the shovel of the ski, this technology filters out the unwanted vibrations through their version of a radiator. This material takes those bad vibes and disburses them evenly through the ski so that you can’t really feel the chatter, and this too leads to more confidence and better control.

At 80 mm underfoot, the skis definitely are in that nice zone of mixing front side and all-mountain disciplines. In the 174 cm length, the skis weigh 1850 grams per ski which is nice and light for excellent maneuverability and agility. By producing a 16-meter turn radius in that 174, skiers will be able to access a nice short arc when going slower, but if you want to step on the gas and open it up a bit, the ski’s shape will handle that as well. While there isn’t a whole lot of rocker to talk about, there is a bit of an early rise that coincides with the capped shovel and the Drive Tip technology. It’s no accident that these profiles and technologies go together—it makes for a smooth and predictable entry point into the turn. The flatter tail has little to no taper, so you’re getting a long and smooth effective edge from tip to tail.

It’s all about smoothness and having fun out there on the hill, and the Rossignol Experience 80 Carbon is going to take you there with less effort and more fun than a lot of other skis out there on the market today. Thanks to the profile, shape, and construction of the Experience 80 Carbon, intermediate skiers are getting the ticket to the next level of skiing confidence and control.