2023 Rossignol Sender 104 Ti

The Rossignol Sender 104 Ti gets a marketing and graphics refresh for this year, but still feels and behaves a lot like the Sender that left this spot from last year. Built with a paulownia wood core, titanal beam, Double LCT Visco, Air Tip, Damp Tech, and vertical sidewalls, these skis have a lot going on, but Rossignol does a fantastic job in making them come together as a cohesive unit that makes a lot of sense for a wide variety of all-mountain skiers. Bordering almost on the freeride category based on dimensions, the shape is still more on the directional side of the spectrum. Solid, smooth, and incredibly versatile, the Rossignol Sender 104 Ti likes to make a lot of turns especially in shorter sizes, but once you get up to 178 and 186, we see more “normal” radius shapes at 18 and 21-meters respectively. Weighing 2200 grams per ski in the 178, they’re not feather-light, but the air tip does keep the swing weight down, so they feel lighter on the feet and are still highly maneuverable. The Rossignol Sender 104 Ti makes an excellent choice for advanced and expert skiers looking for either a one-ski quiver for snowier zones, or a wider option for skiers who mainly ski in lower-snow areas.

Ryan Daniel calls the 186 an “aggressive 186,” with correlating scores of 5’s out of 5 for overall impression and stability. Ryan also gave it 4’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. Ryan states that “This ski was sweet. Stiff! It railed turns for its width. Handled speed with no issue and wanted more!! I was surprised how quick it was edge to edge for its width. Very damp and plowed through piles of snow on groomers. The Sender is best skied in one diction. I could also think of better skis for butters. I enjoyed the sender 104ti.” To that end, I got the pleasure of following and filming Ryan on these skis, and he definitely made them look quite good—certainly carving better than a 104 is supposed to turn. Dave Hatoff calls his 178 just right, scoring it 4’s out of 5 for flotation, stability, playfulness versatility, forgiveness, and overall impression. He calls it “Damp, strong, but still playful with its unique rocker profile. A nice floater in soft snow and powder but still able to grip and rip on the hard stuff. A great powder ski for the East, daily driver for the west. For advanced skiers.” That split of snowier zones versus low snow areas makes a lot of sense here, for skiers that are looking for one ski, the 104 serves well for snowier spots while it makes a good snow day ski for other skiers.

Marcus Shakun is pretty tall at 6’5”, so it’s not surprising that he found his 186 to be a perfect length. With a lower score of 3 out of 5 for forgiveness, Marcus bookends that with 5’s for flotation and stability. 4’s out of 5 fill the rest of his card, including overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. Very high baseline scores for this ski from Marcus. He calls it a “Very playful and versatile big mountain ski. Holds a great edge at high speeds. Super stable in varying conditions. Not overly stiff, it has some dampness to it which gives it some pop in and out of every turn. Expert skiers skiing on varying terrain will get the most out of the Sender 104 ti. Another 186 skier, Jamie O’Brien notes that it’s just right, and like Marcus, gave 5’s out of 5 for flotation and stability. Jamie also scored it 4’s for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and playfulness. His lone 3 was given for versatility, showing that Jamie felt the 104 was better suited to deeper and softer snow. “The Seder 104 TI is the dream ski for the east coast pow hound and the western all-mountain crusher. Fresh snow is almost a must-have for this ski to come alive for the advanced skier but it also performs on packed pow for the expert. Very playful and forgiving even in the 186.”

We’re loving the new Sender line as a whole, but the 104 Ti stands out in terms of power, turnability, and flotation. When you get up to the Sender 106 Ti Plus, we see that longer radius and heavier weight, so that takes the stability at speed to the next level, but for most skiers looking for a strong freeride ski with a more directional personality, the Sender 104 Ti is a fantastic option.