2021 Rossignol Black Ops Escaper

We'll touch on it a few times, but there're a lot of different names going on with the Blackops line from Rossignol this year, and I promise, we'll all get through it together. The Escaper model in the Blackops line basically takes the place of the Sky 7, offering a bit of a narrower ski that has the same overall character, but with some new Blackops freeride twists. While many skiers loved the Sky and its maneuverable and quick-turning nature, it did lack a bit at speed due to the extra-light tips and tails. Rossignol has changed that for the Escaper, offering more of a traditional build with beefier (yet still manageable) tips and tails to go along with the rest of the ski. At 94 mm underfoot and with no metal, the skis are going to be quick, easy to turn, and hold a decent edge on hardpack. It's more of a narrow freeride ski versus a wider all-mountain ski, just because the build has more in line with an off-piste ski, similar to that of the Sky 7. With a 19-meter turn radius, a full wood core and the Blackops adventure attitude, the Escaper might not seem as cool as the Senders or Holyshreds of the Rossignol world, but they're going to find a good following with a wide variety of skiers, and that's just how we like it.

Jeff Neagle skied the 178 cm length Escaper and found that the strengths were more in the quickness and maneuverability direction versus the strength and stability. Most of his scores were 4's out of 5, and that's pretty well lined up with what we'd expect from a mid-90's underfoot ski without metal. Jeff has a "feeling that the Escaper isn't going to get much attention because it's not the 'cool' ski in the Blackops collection, but realistically it's probably the best option for most skiers out of this new freeride range. The Escaper feels light and agile on your feet. It will go where you point it with ease but it also feels supportive and relatively stable. You get a nice energetic feel out of it when linking turns and you don't have to give it a lot of skier input to achieve that, which is going to make it a favorite among intermediates and less-aggressive skiers. You get nice lateral acceleration out if it without too much work." He's not the only one picking up on that effort to reward ration.

Steve Sulin also scored mostly 4's for the Escaper, with a lone 5 for overall impression. He, too, was on the 178 and noted it was a good length for him. Steve is in agreement with Jeff, stating that the Escaper is a "great upgrade from the Sin/Sky 7 skis. They're a lot of ski, but are forgiving so it makes sense." In regards to the nimble nature of the ski, Steve found them to be "quick and fun, great in bumps, and they carve a wicked turn. They make a great turning ski-light but strong." It's that type of performance that makes the Escaper stand out, and so far, our testers have picked up on that. Also on the 178, Phil McGrory wished for a longer pair (186) but that didn't stop some high scores from popping up on his sheet. 4's for versatility, forgiveness, quickness, and maneuverability were the high points while a 3 for torsional stiffness was the low score. Still, pretty high average scores for these versatile sticks. Phil states that "the new Blackops Escaper from Rossignol is a solid all-mountain ski that is playful and forgiving. Stable enough for hardpack days on groomers but also playful and nimble enough for off-trail skiing. At 94 mm underfoot and with a gradual tip rocker profile, the ski has good flotation in softer snow but when the ski is on edge, the tip profile provides solid edge contact." Phil would also recommend the Escaper to intermediate to advanced skiers.

Lots of fun stuff going on with the new Blackops line. The Escaper is a great new offering, hoping to take over where the Sky left off, but also add some new details and things to like of its own.