2022 Rossignol Experience 82 Ti

For the 2021/22 season, Rossignol has completely redesigned their Experience line of all-mountain skis. The new collection is more focused on firm snow performance than ever before, while still retaining a versatile feel. This Experience 82 Ti is the narrower of two skis that use metal. Differing from the skis they’re replacing, the new Experience Ti skis use more traditional horizontal metal laminates as opposed to the vertical metal struts in the previous skis. We also get a full poplar wood core and Rossignol’s new Drive Tip Solution. This new tip construction uses a complex combination of fibers and visco that works to turn vibrations and harsh terrain into a smoother feel and useable energy. The shape of the new Experience 82 Ti is interesting as it seems to blend the two previous generations of these skis. The rocker profile is relatively similar to the previous generation, while the sidecut shape (what Rossignol calls All Trail Sidecut) is more extended like the earlier and first generations of these skis. It makes a lot of sense given the fact they’re a little more focused on firm snow. By keeping the rocker, Rossignol allows for smooth turn initiation and a touch of versatility, but by extending the sidecut and especially in combination with the new construction, they’ve increased overall edge grip and stability.

Dana Allen tested the 176 cm length in the Experience 82 Ti. He mentioned that ideally he would choose a longer length, but that the 176 also didn’t feel tremendously short. Dana awarded the Experience 82 Ti some impressive scores, including a full 5 out of 5 mark for torsional stiffness/edge grip. That’s something Rossignol really did a good job with in the new Experience line. Especially the Ti models just feel glued to the snow when you’re in a turn. We also got a 5 out of 5 score for quickness/maneuverability. Right behind that were 4 out of 5 scores for stability and overall impression. Those characteristics are exactly what we’re looking for in a narrower all-mountain/carving ski with metal. “If you want a ski that you can roll edge to edge with practically no effort, set the edge, and rail through a turn with speed and stability, this ski is perfect. Definitely on the stiffer end of the spectrum longitudinally, it is not especially forgiving, but will reward an attentive, strong skier. From short to medium radius turns the ski is perfect. Even for a longer radius turn, especially in a longer length, it’ll do just fine. It will definitely serve you well. Not a super versatile ski in that bumps, soft snow, or powder, would not be ideal. For front side groomers and things like that, super fun and appropriate.” In our testing, we found the 86 Ti feels a little more versatile for off trail conditions, while the 82 is quicker edge to edge and very precise.

Steve Sulin also skied the 176 cm length, which he thought skied true to size and didn’t find any reason to size up or down for himself. Steve loved the performance of the Experience 82 Ti, which we noticed right away in assessing his scores for the ski. 5 out of 5 marks from Steve for stability, quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, versatility, and overall impression. Torsional stiffness/edge grip and forgiveness were right behind at 4 out of 5 scores. For a ski that’s just 82 mm underfoot, those are some really impressive scores. Often narrower skis like this score well in certain categories, but poorly in others, but the Experience 82 Ti is more well-rounded than most skis in this width range. “super fun but powerful ski. Does it all with ease. A great upgrade to past models. Loves the front side, but comfortable all around conditions.”

We think the best way to think about the Experience 82 Ti is as a wider, more versatile carving ski. Although Dana was most impressed by its carving performance, the reality is it’s quite a bit more versatile than dedicated frontside skis. What’s nice is you don’t really lose much performance compared to those narrower, race-like skis, but you gain some nice versatility and a touch of forgiveness for skiing the whole resort. Overall, we’re really impressed by the new Experience line and we love that we get a narrower model with metal as previously the narrowest ski to include metal was the Experience 88, which was noticeably slower edge to edge than this 82.