The Best Women’s All-Mountain Wide Skis of 2022: Rossignol Black Ops Rallybird Ti
The Rossignol Rallybird Ti isn't the most forgiving ski in the bunch, but advanced ladies with strong technique will reap its benefits.
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Specs
Tip / Waist / Tail (mm)
137-101-127
Lengths (cm)
163, 171, 178
Radius (m)
13m (163cm length)
Gender
Women's
Symmetrical
Yes
Rocker Technology
Yes
Stability at Speed
4.31 / 5
Quickness / Maneuverability
3.63 / 5
Playfulness
3.81 / 5
Forgiveness
3.56 / 5
Hard Snow Performance
4.06 / 5
Crud Performance
4.25 / 5
Balance of Skills
3.94 / 5
Binding Included
Yes
Flotation
3.88 / 5
In its second season, the Rossignol Black Ops Rallybird Ti went up in testers’ books, which isn’t an unusual phenomenon—some skis take longer to crack than others. But put in some runs to get to know this old bird, and you’ll be rewarded.
The Rallybird Ti may not be as nimble and quick to jump from edge to edge as others because of its heavier construction which incorporates an extended core of paulownia wood and Titanal, but if you’re barreling down the fall line and through manky snow, this is the ski you want underfoot.
Testers scored it high in Stability at Speed and gave it the second-highest scores in the Crud Performance department because it’s just so darn sturdy. The downside to this stiffer, beefier construction is that the Rallybird Ti is not the most accessible ski in this category. Testers acknowledge this by giving it low scores in Forgiveness, saying that you had to really be balanced on top of the Rallybirdt Ti to fully command it. Ladies also dinged it in the Quickness category because the ski is a little slow to transition from edge to edge.
“A little heavy and slow to maneuver,” admits tester Katie Ryan. “Super sturdy but would have liked to see a little more of a side edge.”
But with a middle-of-the road waist width and more modest rocker profile, the Rallybird Ti is one of the more versatile all-mountain wide skis designed to take advanced skiers from the frontside to the back bowls without skipping a beat. Testers gave it high marks in the Balance of Skills category accordingly.
Says tester Marina Knight: “Kind of surprised by how fun and versatile this ski is. You can push it on groomers or ski it more softly. Nice in chopped up snow and maneuverable.”
While intermediate skiers may be a little out of their league on the Rallybird Ti, this ski is a top choice for strong ladies who like to explore and charge all of the resort.
“Holy smokes, this ski is FUN,” sums up tester Courtney Harkins. “It rips at high speeds, darts through crud, and moves around trees no problem.”
- Strengths: Stability at Speed (5th in category), Crud Performance (4th)
- Weaknesses: Forgiveness (7th), Quickness (12th)