2025 Rossignol Super Blackops 98

By adding a superlative adjective and a fresh coat of paint to the ski, this 98 mm twin tip continues its push to stardom. This has been a more fun-loving and exciting ski over the past five years or so, and that trend will continue into 2025. The Rossignol Super Blackops 98 fits the bill as a wonderful twin tip that excels in all-mountain conditions and terrain, also showing its freestyle prowess with park skills and natural feature acumen. This is a highly intuitive and confidence-inspiring ski that allows for creativity and fun-loving skiing all over the mountain. We’ve touted wider twin tips around here basically forever, and that love does not change. Rossignol has had this ski in one form or another, including way back into the Scratch BC days, and in that sense, they’ve been ahead of the curve. Since then, they’ve taken the ski and the style to new heights, all the while keeping the wonderful parts that make it unique and special. This new graphic also comes with a matching Pivot 15 for a few hundred more, creating one of the most cohesive and gorgeous setups on the hill.

The construction stays the same. For the most part, this ski has a pretty simple and straightforward build. We are getting a poplar wood core, multiple layers of fiberglass, and a titanal binding retention zone underfoot. In the tips and tails, Rossignol uses their damp tech rubberized material to soften the vibes and smooth out the whole apparatus. As a result, this ski is heavy, as there needs to be quite a bit of epoxy used to keep the fiberglass adhered to the core. In the 182 cm length, this ski hits 2000 grams, which is heavy for not having full metal. That heft does equate to stability, as this ski is one of the most chatter-free twins on the planet, and that’s part of the charm. When we get into shape, it’s easy to see how the ski becomes more maneuverable and agile, but based off construction, it’s a rugged overall feel. When you give it a rap with your knuckles, there’s not a whole lot of chatter going on at all—it passes the phonics test. Tester Matt McGinnis has a lot to say about this one: “So here’s the thing: I didn’t actually expect to like this ski at all. Looking at it, I just didn’t think there was enough tip or tail rocker for it to be particularly fun, especially on a snowy day like today. But then I skied it, and absolutely loved it. This ski was everything that I personally love in a ski. It was fast, stable, surfy, skis switch well, poppy… overall it just fit my personality to a T. I wish I could write more about it here, but the bottom line is actually pretty simple: if you’re looking for that rare ski that features both stability at speed, quick maneuverability, and most importantly for me, surfability, then this is one of the few skis that fits the bill perfectly.”

The shape and profile once stood out, and basically paved the way for most modern twins. Built as a twin tip, but with more modest splay, this lower-profile ski is smooth and easy to use. In deep snow, this means that the tips and tails don’t get pushed down too hard, allowing for great flotation—better than some competitors for sure due to this shape. Overall, it’s flat—not a ton of camber underfoot and containing width-appropriate rockers in the front and rear. Again, this leads to the silent and strong character of the ski that makes it fun and versatile. There’s some decent taper here, enhancing that flotation and working in harmony with the rocker profile. Turn initiation is smooth and easy and the finish portion of the turn is predictable and strong. Since the turn radius is a bit longer (19-meters in the 182), it’s more up to the skier to dictate the shape and duration of the turn rather than it being hooky or grabby. This falls in line with the freeride personality of the ski, keeping it squarely in the fun-loving category. Tim Clary notes that it’s a “versatile ski that performs well in bumps without sacrificing power and stability at speed. Great flotation in fresh snow as well.”

If they keep making it, we’ll keep skiing it. Put whatever name or topsheet you want on it, the Super Blackops 98 is a prime candidate for top twin tip of the class year in and year out. There’s always room in the ski industry for these upper-90's twin tips, and this one falls on the sturdier side of the spectrum. What it lacks in pop and energy, it more than makes up for in versatility and stability. While the weight and the shape keep it somewhat out of the park-specific conversation, it’s still got some tricks up its sleeve, you just must work a bit harder to make it cooperate. This opens the Super Blackops 98 up to a variety of skiers, all of whom will love the ski’s capabilities and capacities.