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2023 Rossignol Experience 82 Ti W

SkiTalk Test Team

Testing skis so you don't have to.
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Tricia: Having skied every rendition of the Experience W (formerly Temptation) lineup, I have to say that this is my favorite by far. The first version had a strong turn shape built into it, making for an incredible carver that made you want to find corduroy but not necessarily venture off piste. The second act came with a less aggressive turn shape and nimbleness that inspired me to get off the groomers. The new construction and shape which was introduced last year seems to have taken the best parts of its two predecessors, introducing a playful carving ski that confidently takes you into trees, moguls, and, well ... pretty much anywhere. As a part of our SkiTalk long term test fleet, I was able to ski the Experience 82 Ti several days in a variety of conditions from zoomer groomer days to spring slush, corn, and a few inches of fresh -- pretty much everything except deep powder -- and was never let down.

Insider tip: Forget the past and embrace a new Experience.​
Elemmac: Vanilla ice cream leaves some people longing for a little more excitement. The Rossignol Experience 82 Ti left me craving chocolate chips and peanut butter cups. It does everything right, but I need a little something extra. Smooth, easy, stable, and forgiving are all words that could describe this ski. An intermediate skier won’t be overwhelmed because it has a light and forgiving nature. It is easy to roll into a carve, even at slow speeds. An advanced skier can lay down some railroad tracks without questioning the ski's ability to hold an edge. This ski may be vanilla ice cream, but Rossignol has hit a sweet spot that a large range of skiers will enjoy.

Insider tip: When in doubt, size up. I skied this in the length I normally choose for freeride skis rather than sizing like a carver.​
 
Awards
Who is it for?
Someone looking for a great all-around daily driver with an on-piste bias.
Who is it not for?
Someone looking for a powder ski.
Skier ability
  1. Advanced
  2. Expert
Ski category
  1. Frontside
  2. All Mountain
Ski attributes
  1. Groomers
  2. Moguls
  3. Off Piste
Segment
  1. Women

Specifications

right ad
Available sizes
151, 159, 167, 175
Dimensions
126-82-114
Radius
12m@159cm
Rocker profile
  1. Camber with tip and tail rocker
Size Scaling
  1. None
Construction design
  1. Carryover
Binding options
  1. Flat
  2. System
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Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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Nov 1, 2015
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Reno
Long term update:
Skis in the 80something world are an easy choice when you're not quite sure what the day will bring.
The one thing that was certain is that we didn't have fresh snow, and we were likely going to be skiing some scraped off slopes and dabbling in some chalky piles.
The Experience 82 Ti really wanted to dabble in the hand full of bumps off on the sides and though the bumps were firm, this was just the ski to play around. Transitioning from the firm groomers to the sassy side hustle was managable because of the Ti in the construction. This is a very well rounded ski.
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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Reno
@Tricia you sound like Goldilocks, and the 3rd generation of this ski sounds just right!
This is a well balanced ski. In all reality, the firm groomers and scraped off snow was more ideal for a real carving ski, but the 82 Ti did pretty well.
 

AmyPJ

Skiing the powder
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Nov 12, 2015
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Ogden, UT
I absolutely loved this ski when I tested it last year. I told @utskier I wanted a narrower daily driver like *cough cough* the Experience 82ti W. He walked in the door with these. :ogbiggrin: Expect a long-term review from me.
06591A6C-480A-43AD-A905-EBFC4A2A8CA7.jpeg
 

AmyPJ

Skiing the powder
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SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
7,835
Location
Ogden, UT
First update after skiing them several runs in primo conditions on the groomers in the sunshine, which is where I stayed:
This is the smoothest ski I've ever been on, full stop. I almost equate them to having lower tire pressure on my mountain bike over rocky terrain, with a fatter tire, it just smooths everything out. These skis have this magical way of feeling like they are rolling over pushed around piles that formed on the groomers once things started to get skied out. Stuff that I would find myself "bracing for impact" these skis would just cruise through, not blast, just cruise through like velvet, or maybe melted Velveeta. I don't know how else to describe it.

Another observation is that 1) I bought them in a 167, which is a tad long for me, but they have significant tip and tail rocker for a "frontside" ski, and 2) they are mounted quite forward which I typically am not a fan of, since I still brush a lot of turns and have rotary skills dialed in but carving is still elusive to me; well, despite having a lot of tail behind me compared to what I normally prefer, these skis will release the turn and brush easily. I found the longer I was on them, the more I learned to really trust that tail and was standing taller knowing that I'd have a smooth ride and could carry some speed without feeling like I was pushing the envelope too hard. When I did tip vs. brush, yowza I was giggling. They entered the turn so easily. I was also able to make really short turns on a steeper pitch easily which is something I really like in a ski. I really am looking forward to more time on these after I get my boot fit issues sorted out which are holding me back in a lot of ways.

One thing is that I find them to be quite heavy with the Look system bindings, but I think this lends to how smooth and stable they feel, and they certainly didn't tire me out at all--quite the opposite, in fact. It'll be interesting to see how I like them off piste in conditions that are challenging for me; will the tail feel like it's getting caught up, or will that rocker back there allow them to slither through stuff while still providing some support?
 

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