How would you compare the S7 to Black Ops 118? For reference, here are a whole bunch of our measured weights (per ski, in grams) for a number of notable skis. I agreed with Jeff above, they need a longer length for the big guys out there, Im 135lbs 59 and the 186 is great for me. As I noted above, the Black Ops 118 has a big sweet spot. Your choice of ski, boot design and size will always be a very personal and subjective decision.
They really dont stay soft for very long and are super stiff and damp as you get closer to center. I mounted at -5 from true center. Become a Blister member now to check out this and all of our Flash Reviews, plus get exclusive deals and discounts on skis, and personalized gear recommendations from us. Luke, do you have any objective or experiential info regarding this? Solid when needed. Both rely on soft-stiff-soft, and turned up tips and tails. Blast it. Me: 64, 220 lbs, 47 yrs old, advanced / expert skier, west coast. When the snow firms up, the Black Ops 118 maintains that monster-truck feel its incredibly damp, and it does not get deflected easily. And skiers who prioritize quickness and a low swing weight over high-speed stability should check out lighter skis (see the Powder Skis More Playful section in our Winter Buyers Guide). DAMP TECH reduces ski vibration for increased snow contact and smooth, confident control in variable snow conditions. I would say the squad 7s were a ton of fun but a ton of work. But with the fore-runner and equal, to me of the Black Ops 118, you did.
Tip/waist/tail dimensions are proportionally close: 145-118-140 Bl.Ops, 147-120-141 for longer Pets. Will try out that mount and post how I like that once the season gets rolling. I think the two skis suit different skiing styles if you ski a lot of trees or tight terrain and prioritize quickness over stability, then the S7 probably makes more sense. Otherwise, the things have too little fore/aft balance, at my size & profile. I got the 118 last year and agree with your entire review. Anyone yet test both skis back to back (A/B), same runs, same day?? I would reccomend going into a local shop, and just talking with them about whats going to work best for you. Thanks! I would prefer a narrower ski for days where conditions are brutally firm, but if the groomers were soft at all, the Black Ops 118 held an edge, initiated turns easily, and I was pretty blown away by how hard I could carve it. I am 5'10" 180 lbs. How would the Rossi blackops 118 compare to the blizzard bodacious 186. You Buy, We Plant Trees! I am an intermediate skier (I circle Type II when renting) that hits the slopes maybe 1-2 times per year for the past 3-4 years. (3) Related to #2: how well will more directional skiers get along with the Black Ops 118?
I cant say much about park, its not something I have interest in. Jonathan has said that the Helldorado had a pretty small sweet spot that made it hard to stay balanced in variable conditions and terrain, but I would say the Black Ops 118 is the opposite it feels like it has a huge sweet spot, and I always felt pretty balanced on it. I look fwd to the next year's Black Ops 107 on which I've already planned an 'extraction'. (I want to try 1.5 and -2). I mount it on the recommended line and very happy with it. (Unfortunately, the 189 Pettitors are, in my/our experience, a bit unstable and mostly mediocre at +5, the mount you reviewed back when the 189 Pettitor was first being made.). I got some advice from the Snowbird shop guys when I bought my first pair of adult skis that has stuck with me.
Even the Blister review headline starts with our managing editor is calling the Rossignol Black Ops 118 his favorite resort pow ski of all time Interestingly the review also ends with my main takeaway from this ski though is that it feels like a purpose-built tool with a very specific end user in mind a pow ski for physically strong advanced to expert skiers who ski with a neutral stance and like to jump off stuff, but not necessarily spin/flip. I guess I see how both of these statements are true, but you really need to pay attention to the word resort here. And bigger skiers should note that this skis max available length is 186 cm; Sam, Jonathan, and I never had any issues with tip dive and we range from 58, 155 lbs to 510, 175 lbs, but larger skiers should keep this in mind. I love your reviews thank you so much! As always, note the length differences to keep things apples to apples. That said, if you are accustomed to very directional pow skis with mount points of -10, 11, etc., you might feel differently, and should expect to need to adjust to the more forward mount, or just stick with more directional pow skis. I have loved my S7s and wonder if there is an advantage to a new buy? What a lame name.. maybe its better in French? The fine print. For the 179 Pettitors, my mount point is at -2 or -2 1/2. Solid when needed. See below.). Funny, this ski has a very similar weight, shape, width, flex and rocker/camber profile to another ski, the Nordica Helldorado, that Blister somewhat panned in the from several years ago. I bought this ski with the intentions of it being just my pow ski, but the more I skied it, the more I liked it and realized how hard it could be pushed. Learn More Men's Free Touring Ski Boots Alltrack Pro 110 LT, loc_en_US, sid_RAJME01_bv32__bv32_000, prod, sort_[SortEntry(order=SUBMISSION_TIME, direction=DESCENDING)]. Given your background, I think just having them mounted -6 cm from the true center of the ski would make sense (that equate to about 3.5 cm back from the recommended mount point, but going off the true center of the ski is always the safest bet). Gad, but you are a favorite website, and yet youve missed out on such a great ski until now with the new Black Ops reprising the Pettitors, and one of your new favorites too. How much more playful is it? One can usually ski this ski with both forward and more upright styles, depending on the mount point and skier size. There, the Black Ops 118 offered the exact combo I was looking for. Reforest Action. Note I say resort because at least for heavier folks like myself, you need to find the bottom the of snowpack for this ski to work, even with a neutral stance, or risk excessive tip dive. If you dont believe these skis would be a good fit for my level or desire to learn more and get better, what would you recommend? for bigger folks like myself, I think these skis are best kept in the resort for powder days, but are far less suitable in the bottomless snow you can find on heli / cat trips. Do these require more or less work/input from the skier? Even mounted at -6cm from true center it just feels too short for us north of 6 ft. Good on groomers. It also still felt good at around -5.5 cm from center. Sorry, but I finally got a pair of the Black Ops, an almost NOS version pre-Gamer, and have skied them a lot. They also ski switch really well. And this is pretty unusual these days for a 118mm-wide ski thats designed to be able to pivot and play around in powder. Much better than the Magic J. Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8 Less aggressive skiers should choose a smaller size, while more aggressive and experienced skiers may want to choose a size up. Here we have compiled some factors that should be taken into account when deciding on which ski size to choose. How similar is this ski to the 2012-2013 rossignol squad 7? I was able to ski these at a demo day last weekend, I wouldve bought them on the spot if they were for sale. But I digress. I wont give my own report as you guys are more adept at reporting and better skiers than me. However, the flex then ramps up a lot, and does so pretty quickly. For the 189 Pettitors, maybe move it back some each time for bigger guy, but for comparison purposes: I think unless your using this to spin off BC booters, mount at least -2cm to -4cm behind the rec line, giving distance of -5 to -7 from true center. So the main point here is just that the Black Ops 118 is not some featherweight jib ski thatll probably only perform well in perfect snow. I ski Alta/Bird and I had been primarily skiing on Gunsmokes as my everyday driver, and this ski does everything I liked about the gunsmokes, better, and raises the limit by a few notches. point, where tip drive feel is maybe there but minimal; and the other point 2 cm back, where tip drive potential becomes greater; depending on the skier, for the 189 (90/91) Pettitor, the first is at about +3.5 to +4.5, the second at +1.5 to +3.5, in my (our) experience). Heres how wed characterize the flex pattern of the Black Ops 118: Tips: 5.5-6Shovels: 7-8In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5Underfoot: 10Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8Tails: 7-5.5. Adjust fore/aft to get this versatility. Not so fun. I think directional skiers who ski with a very aggressive, forward stance will prefer skis with stiffer tips and more rearward mount points. Maritime snowpack has taught me to be leery of pow skis w/ this much camber. +4.0 if I want most forward still feeling a bit of tip drive; Thanks for the feedback Luke. So recommended mount points from. I had way too much fun laying over hard carves on the Black Ops 118. There are some elements that each share like lack of serious or any taper. So I ended up spending most of my time on the Black Ops 118 with the bindings at -4.4 cm from center. The issue with having a ski this wide as your only ski is that they are a ski with a specific purpose, even if you can use them outside that role. Now if only Rossi made 1 more ski in the blackops line to bridge the gap between the 118 and the 98. Take a quick glance at the list below. Playful all the time. Based on the skis specs, that seems like a pretty believable description.
But if you want a ski that is loose and balanced, but thats also capable of absolutely mobbing through chop, we think that the Black Ops 118 is one of the best options on the market. And it should be even more appealing if the in-runs and runouts you hit tend to be choppy or rough. They then renamed the original Black Ops the Black Ops 118, added a 176 cm option for the 118 (in part to give the extremely talented Tatum Monod a ski to shred on), and weve now been getting time on the 186 cm model. As an intermediate skier with one set of skis, I would suggest something in the 90-100mm range, as thats the true western all mountain range. Id love to say more about both skis, but Ive probably said too much already. I have now skied on them periodically for a season, and thought I might offer some perspective on the Blister review. Great review including your impressions of the Pros & Cons of the Black Ops ski. Which takes us to. the 189 (pull length 190 to 191) Petttor 120s (the sometimes Seth Morrison ski). Would you recommend these skis for an intermediate skier trying to advance their level? Or just re-release the sickle and call it good! A few seasons ago, Rossignol started putting out extremely vague and mysterious posts about a new freestyle pow ski. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. The Black Ops 118 is exactly as described by Luke. The other main issue Jonathan had with the Helldorado was its flex pattern it had very soft tips and tails, and it sounds like they stayed softer longer than the Black Ops do (the Black Ops is really only soft in the last ~15 cm of the tips and tails, and is quite stiff everywhere else). Theyll be able to let you feel the skis in a way you wont quite get online, even if you dont end up buying there. This is not a general purposes tool for powder IMO. ), Mount points are crucial, and a comparison of mine for these three skis gives some perspective:
All in all, the Black Ops 118 is a blast in powder. Then I have to get more upright. This ski is stupid good on fairly soft groomers for how big it is. Its very easy to slide around, and I got used to the weight pretty quickly. Its (also) too wide (, too!) When I bought the ski, I was interested in finding a great powder ski, in particular one that I could use for heli / cat skiing. Its far from the most nimble ski, and it does require a good deal of input to ski. being -2,4 and 3 subtracted from that is -5,4??). Yes as many comments a 192cm will be a good option. I spent a lot of time that week driving from the back seat. Did you get this ski out in deep, heavy, wet snow? Maybe too fast. The ON3P Kartel 116 is also over 2400 grams, and it is a very, very good ski that weve still found to be quite playful. Im fairly sensitive to mounting points, and I hate remounting. Anxiously waiting. How similar are these to the 2012-2013 rossi squad 7s? The ski that stays solid when others call it quits. Big picture, I feel like I should start by saying that in many ways I feel let down by the promise of this ski. Both heavy skis. In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5 IMO opinion, this is the sweet spot for this ski. the 179 (pull length 180) Pettitor 120s (the Sean Pettit ski) and You guys rarely miss the boat on an incredible ski (except for race skis and some near race skis). My legs definitely feel pretty tired after skiing hard all day on the Black Ops 118. I havent skied the Helldorado, but based on Jonathans review, it sounds like the main differences are in the flex patterns and rocker profiles of the ski. Since my resort powder days often only consist of a handful of truly untracked turns and much more of my time is spent skiing chop, I absolutely love the Black Ops 118 as a resort pow ski. Heres my experience: The first time I used these skis, we had 12 of fresh snow (heavy PNW snow) on top of hardpack / ice. Given Rossignols secretive stance with respect to the Black Ops line, we wanted to offer a closer look at the skis specs and to see how it compares to some of the other pow skis on the market. That said, the Black Ops 118s mass and size does make skiing fast through firm crud pretty tiring, and my ankles and knees definitely felt the impact of that after a long day of skiing fast on the Black Ops 118 on firm snow. I completely share your stoke on the Pettitor 120, and still reach for my battered pair now for resort rip if there is any new snow overnight. Because before and after its in the air, the Black Ops 118 feels extremely solid, even at high speeds. I found myself skiing faster, going bigger, and otherwise just skiing more aggressively on the Black Ops 118 in chop than I have on any other ski. I havent felt more confident skiing hard on any ski Ive ever been on. Rossignol told us no construction changes were made to the 118 and 98, but we have pairs of the 20/21 versions so we will be able to double-check. While the Black Ops 118 does feel very loose, its important to keep in mind that it weighs almost 2500 grams per ski.
More playful. I mentioned earlier the Black Ops 118s sharp loose feel, and that combo proved to be a huge asset on days when the snow varied from soft to quite firm. And I was exhausted every day by noon as a result. (Rec. Its far from the quickest ski, but its weight becomes much more of a benefit when that fresh snow starts to get tracked out. The Rossignol Black Ops 118 is a big, heavy, and pretty strong ski thats also got a very centered mount and nearly symmetrical rocker profile and shape.
Should I expect the same from these? After about a half a day on the ski, I got used to the weight and did not think the Black Ops 118 felt sluggish, especially given its weight. Blister Members can now check out our Flash Review of the Black Ops 118 for our initial impressions. It is a very versatile and fun tool for a ski in this class. Shovels: 7-8 jeglit, this is for you also, very specifically! Ive demoed the Black Ops ski over two periods, back in November at Loveland and recently at Copper Mt., in maybe 2-4 of powder only, with wind drift and crud, but also groomers. But, interesting, Skied the Black Ops for a season when they first came out. Yes, heavy a bit in tight trees but great charger ski.
I think you need to be physically strong to ski it, but you dont need to have perfect technique. But the Black Ops 118 feels slightly shorter, fore/aft, than the 184 Bibbys, to me. And when youre coming back to earth, the Black Ops 118 provides a really big, supportive landing platform. Ive been riding it since it was released, as my pow ski of choice for deeper days at Kicking Horse and sled skiing. But with the bindings at -4.4 cm from center, I could drive the Black Ops 118 quite hard, and I never found its speed limit in chop. (All these mount points feel right for particular skier styles and purpose, and particular skier size. Ran these through a long groomer, a punishing mogul run, and steep powder and fell in love with them. guys its confusing on which ski your testing. I could pressure the front of the ski a bit, but it seemed like the ski wanted me to just stand in the middle and let it run.
(2) How well does the ski accomodate a more forward or a more set back mount point? The result was the Black Ops a 118mm-wide ski designed with the input of backcountry-freestyle icons Parker White and Chris Logan. Spins and shifties on the Black Ops 118 required significantly more effort than other freestyle-oriented skis Ive used. And after all that, Ive come to the conclusion that the Black Ops 118 is my all-time favorite resort powder ski, and one of my favorite skis Ive ever had the pleasure of riding. Stomp and smear. Of all the skis Ive been on, I think the Black Ops 118 is the most stable in soft chop. Like the K2 Pettitors, the Black Ops 118s carve well on Colo. groomer days, for the right-sized folks. Its the Black Ops version of the Moment Bibby Pro 190s. Men's FREERIDE PROGRESSIVE Skis BLACKOPS GAMER. They also say the 98 is getting some tweaks. I think the ski has a huge sweet spot, and it required a major mistake on my part to feel like I was too far forward or back on it. At my size and skier profile, and at the farther back mount points, I can ski all these skis either upright or more forward again, at the right mount points. Id recommend checking out our Deep Dive of the Black Ops 118 for some info on that comparison. But if you want to be able to make super quick turns and particularly if you want to do that all day youd probably be better off on a lighter and / or more tapered ski. -2 from recommended is fantastic for all mountain freeride. There is an intriguing comparison. I might also add that I am too old anymore to really launch off anything, but on these skis, on that day, I felt like I probably could have, and I would have been fine. As usual, I found your review great, detailed and almost entirely accurate for myself also. The factory are useless? Awesome to make big hard carves, can be driven in bumps (where I mounted them (I only weigh 145 as well)), and never had an issue with diving in pow. How much better is this Black Ops Gamer? But for those who are willing to put in the effort, the Black Ops 118 offers a phenomenal blend of playfulness and stability. https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/rossignol-squad-7, Michael, the Rossignol BlackOps 118s ski very different from the Squad 7s: believe it or not, for mid-size and lighter folk, much more stable, and much better on edge, including on groomers. Would you say 4.4 is still good for me or would you recommend something different due to my height? 1710 & 1744 Atomic Bent Chetler 120, 184 cm (18/1920/21)1910 & 1941 Scott Scrapper 115, 189 cm (17/1819/20)2013 & 2099 Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, 184 cm (18/1919/20)2034 & 2052 Blizzard Rustler 11, 188 cm (17/1820/21)2083 & 2097 Line Magnum Opus, 188 cm (15/1618/19)2102 & 2137 Line Sick Day 114, 190 cm (17/1819/20)2126 & 2173 Rossignol Super 7 RD, 190 cm (17/1819/20)2130 & 2130 Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, 190 cm (18/1919/20)2133 & 2133 Salomon QST 118, 192 cm (17/1818/19)2161 & 2163 Faction Dictator 4.0, 186 cm (17/1818/19)2183 & 2190 Black Crows Anima, 188.4 cm (17/1819/20)2196 & 2199 Icelantic Nomad 115, 191 cm (17/1818/19)2220 & 2252 Faction Prodigy 4.0, 186 cm (17/1819/20)2212 & 2215 Armada ARV 116 JJ, 185 cm (17/1820/21)2222 & 2278 Prior CBC, 184 cm (17/1819/20)2228 & 2231 Blizzard Spur, 192 cm (17/1819/20)2230 & 2250 Black Diamond Boundary Pro 115, 185 cm (17/1819/20)2246 & 2265 Fischer Ranger 115 FR, 188 cm (17/1818/19)2267 & 2270 Whitedot Ragnarok 118, 190 cm (16/1718/19)2296 & 2309 Liberty Origin Pro, 192 cm (17/1819/20)2297 & 2317 K2 Catamaran, 184 cm (17/1819/20)2341 & 2357 Dynastar Menace Proto, 189 cm (18/1919/20)2343 & 2360 J Skis Friend, 189 cm (18/1919/20)2346 & 2351 Nordica Enforcer Free 115, 191 cm (17/1820/21)2370 & 2387 Volkl Confession, 193 cm (17/1819/20)2382 & 2395 ON3P Billy Goat, 184 cm (17/1819/20)2408 & 2421 ON3P Jeffrey 116, 186 cm (17/1819/20)2418 & 2433 ON3P Wrenegade 114, 189 cm (18/19)2429 & 2437 Kingswood SMB, 188 cm (16/1718/19)2438 & 2492 Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, 186 cm (16/1720/21)2490 & 2529 K2 Catamaran, 191 cm (17/1820/21), Some Questions / Things Were Curious about. The Blackops Gamer is the tool of choice for full gas freeride performance. Backcountry booter and big mountain approved by C.LOGAN and P.WHITE., The phrase here that sticks out for me is Solid when needed. This ski must be in your quiver. For a 118mm-wide, 2400+ gram ski, the Black Ops 118 is surprisingly versatile. The first time, both were the personal skis of the Rossi rep his daily driver and powder skis respectively. For 20/21, Rossignol renamed the Black Ops 118 the BLACKOPS Gamer, but the ski remains the same, apart from the new name and graphics. Maybe I should remount them again to -4 of recommended per the Blister review, but I think for someone my size that will not really change the fundamentals of the ski in the deepest snow. By entering your email address, you agree to receive our marketing offers in accordance with our Privacy Policy. But I think those who ski with a very neutral stance will get along well with the Black Ops 118 at the recommended line. Hey Charlie, So keep an eye out, if youre interested. +2.0, for me, is as burly, fast and stable as the most burly SG-like skis around. The Black Ops 118 is a ski that feels exceptionally stable and composed at high speeds, yet its also easy to slash and feels balanced in the air. The last ~15 cm of the tips and tails (basically just where the tip and tail spacers are) are quite soft. Hard-charging, playful skiers who find more traditional, directional skis to feel bland or boring, but who still want to be able to ski really fast through chop and variable snow. Plus, you always need somewhere to mount and maintain your skis throughout their lifetime. But on the other hand, the Black Ops 118 should feel much, much more stable at speed and hold an edge better on firm snow. So youve got a very strong platform throughout the vast majority of the ski, and then soft extremities. I havent skied the S7, but based on what others have said about it, I think the two skis would feel very different. It was only after I switched back to other skis like the Faction Prodigy 4.0 and K2 Mindbender 116C that I noticed the weight of the Black Ops 118. For reference Im 22, 62 and weigh around 160 lbs. Thanks for sharing! Actually, explored at the correct mount points, and for myself and friends, these two fatter skis, Rossi and K2, could have been different year versions or further development of the same ski, and the similarities in design, feel, usage and performance in detail are so great that just the different lengths and widths could account for most differences (both playful, fine-floating, heavy, easy, forgiving powder/crud tanks; either charger or laid back, that carve and tear up groomers also, turn rounded quick, but are a bit heavy for big bumps or tight trees at least for me/us. In all depths of fresh snow, the Black Ops 118 was very easy to throw sideways. mt. I really dont know very much about the technical aspect of skiing or skis, but picked up skiing pretty quickly and enjoy cruising through blues and the occasional black. They are the perfect balance of aggressive and playful. There are also things that stand out about the Faction CT 5.0 (152 122 140) like weight (much lighter). Of all the skis weve ever reviewed (including those not currently available), there arent many that are heavier than the Black Ops 118. I skied this board for four winters, averaging 60 days a season on it. Race-developed construction and a lively wood core blend for the power to get creative. Yep, Jonathan preferred the skis with the bindings mounted about -5.5 cm back from the true center of the ski. This season I was able to hit a lot of features I hadnt felt confident hitting in the past, and they made it seem easy. So that night I remounted the ski to -2 of recommended to give them a little more float. Ive only skied on-piste primarily in the Mid-West, but went to Colorado (Keystone) for the first time in December and the ski bug hit me hard. I just bought the Back Ops 118 and was wondering about the best mount point for me. ), Not sure you will believe me, but, if not, try, https://silvertonmountain.com/shop/rentals/k2-fat-skis/, K2 Pettitor 120 Underfoot -Sean Pettits pro model. But I have to add, you are wrong in saying that this ski has no ski to compare it to of equal weight (and ability). The ski started out simply being called the Black Ops, then they renamed it the Black Ops 118 after adding the Black Ops 98, and then for 20/21, they renamed it once again and its now called the BLACKOPS Gamer. But according to Rossignol, the construction of the ski has not changed throughout all of those name and top sheet changes. I skied 190 Wildcats for a day, and although I loved them too, for me, the Blackops are the exact ski Ive been looking for (though very similar to my day on the Wildcats). I could ski it centered and it felt balanced in the air, but I could also drive it pretty hard when skiing fast.
Mount them a bit back (although I think you need to be careful about how much, or risk screwing with the camber / flex), keep a neutral stance, and make sure the snowpack has some bottom to it, and I think you cant go wrong.
I have a problem that I thrash ski gear too hard. +3.5 if I want to drive the tips more; Tip dive returned in spades. (1) Does the Black Ops 118 feel more like a stable (variable conditions) charger, or more like a surfy, playful (pow) ski? -1 works well in general, though loses a touch of playfulness. I demoed these skis on a pow day. But since I know plenty of people that ski 115mm+ skis as their daily drivers, I think its worth noting that the Black Ops 118 is far from some niche ski that is only fun in perfect, untracked, deep snow. What Rossignol says about the Black Ops 118: The full-send mode, tool-of-choice for blasting through anything in your path. Free Shipping and Returns Bikes Excluded, Subscribe to our newsletter to get 15% off your first order. ), Specifically, the 189 (pull length c.190) Pettitor 120 is the missing, longer ski heavier folks and more chargy folks like SEVERIN above, were wanting, it really is! I never had a moment where I felt like the ski was going to either get away from me or that I was going to kick out in a turn. The Black Ops 118 is a lot of work in tight spots, but I wouldnt call it a punishing ski. Underfoot: 10 Prior CBCs on the way thanks to your awesome reviews I dont feel like I am rolling the dice at all. would pretty much be exactly how Id rate the Helldorados.
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