The Sender and Sender Ti: A New Era of Rossignol Skis
Note: This review was originally published in May 2020. The Sender and Sender Ti return unchanged for 2021-2022.
Testers: Matt, JP
For close to a decade, Rossignol’s 7-Series skis claimed some of the best-selling and most popular models in the industry. The Super 7 and Soul 7 built cult-ish followings because they were outrageously fun, especially in soft snow. Over the last few years, other ski brands have borrowed and riffed off the designs that made the series so successful.
Going into the 2020-2021 season, Rossignol turned the page. They put the 7-Series to bed and introduced a new line of all-mountain/freeride skis under the BLACKOPS moniker. The flagship model on the men’s side? The Sender.
Field Notes
The Sender, and its brother the Sender Ti, most directly replace the famed Soul 7. If you’re even part ski-nerd, you know that’s kind of a lot of pressure.
Just by looking at the skis, you immediately can tell one thing: Rossignol went for it. The Sender and Sender Ti look like a complete departure from the Soul 7. The graphics, the shape, the construction, the rocker profile—this is no mere gimmick. The new skis signal a new direction.
Most notably, the Sender and Sender Ti both contain metal. While only the name of the latter ski is explicit about this (“Ti” is shorthand for “titanal”), the non-Ti version does include a metal plate underfoot. It’s narrower than the full-width titanal beam found in the Sender Ti. The skis also feature less rocker and taper plus more directional shapes when compared to the Soul 7. Generally, the updates appear to make the skis more aggressive and more directional than the ultra-surfy, smeary (and more rockered and tapered) members of the 7-Series.
Compared to the Sender Ti, the regular Sender is also built with lighter wood (paulownia vs poplar) and air tips to keep swingweight low. Meanwhile, the Sender Ti supplements its full-width titanal beam with carbon alloy, a mix of basalt, carbon, and fiberglass. These differences seem to support Rossignol’s positioning of the two skis: The Sender, which is offered in a full size range, is the direct replacement for the Soul 7 and the more universal ski of the two; the Sender Ti aims to give expert skiers a heftier option.
Is that enough first impressions? Time to talk skiing.
Groomers
The most frequent criticism of the Soul 7 over the years lamented its perceived shortcomings on hard snow. Some skiers found that the skis’ lightweight tips and powder-happy shape didn’t translate to strength on groomers or in choppy or refrozen snow. The Soul wanted to go over rather than through.
Banking big, long arcs back to the chairlift is a blast on the Sender Ti. It holds a more reliable edge at high speeds than most other skis in this category, and it feels locked in to carved turns. It doesn’t want to wash out. When I slowed things down and wanted to shorten my turns, I definitely noticed the extra heft these skis pack. While they would rather tear up back bowls than snap off quick carves, they can be plenty nimble if you push them. They’re loaded with energy and rebound and felt similar on groomers to the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free.
The non-Ti Senders also ski groomers well. They’re a bit snappier than the Sender Ti and easier to handle in shorter turns and at slower speeds. Maching down corduroy, you can get those lightweight tips to chatter a bit, but it doesn’t make them feel unstable (thank an extended wood core). Having spent a lot of time on the Soul 7, I can say that Rossignol’s updates, even in the regular Sender, translate to extra power on hard snow. For guys that want to slide these skis around, though, they’re plenty accessible for intermediates.
Bumps and Trees
The Sender Ti has a forward mounting point for such a directional ski, and for a guy my size, the shape, flex, and mount point seemed to balance well. I never felt outgunned on the 180cm, and that’s not always the case on other directional metal skis in the category. They feel very light in the extremities, reminiscent of the Soul 7, and I was able to flick it around in tight tree shots and rocky chokes with no problem. The ski’s titanal-reinforced forebody felt strong and predictably torsional underfoot. They hooked up with authority when the snow was bulletproof and the pucker factor was high in the Steep Gullies.”
Skiing both the Sender and Sender Ti in tighter places, I was surprised by their quickness. In trees and bumps, they skied more loosely than their directional shapes would have you believe (though, again, not as loosely as the Soul 7). I’m thinking this has a lot to do with the skis’ mount points, which are further forward than you often see on more directional skis.
The Sender Ti demanded stronger skiing in bumps, but it also packed more punch. It wants to rage down the fall-line without deviating. Its extra weight (roughly 100 grams per ski) takes more out of your quads, but it also adds power. The Sender, meanwhile, would be an excellent bumps-and-trees ski for the Mary Jane regular (if you’re OK with skiing bumps on wide-ish boards). It feels strong and smooth while being more fleet of foot.
From JP: Sender Ti – “All of my questions about the Sender Ti’s maneuverability were answered in a few chalky laps in The Alleys and Steep Gullies off of Pallavacini. The Sender Ti definitely wants to be driven through the apex of the turn in firmer conditions, and has a more powerful, directional feel than the surfy and playful Soul 7. It’s not a ski for the backseat driver, but forgiving enough that it won’t lock in and launch you if you get back on your heels.
Shop for the Sender
Shop for the Sender Ti
Powder and Mixed Snow
Testing the Sender Ti at Taos, I quickly found myself negotiating the tight, steep chutes the resort is known for. In fact, my first run on the new sticks dropped us into a west-facing chute that had frozen overnight. The perfect test! The skis held strong down the less-than-ideal chunder and hardpack (or, as they say out East, frozen granular). That full-width metal and directional shape give them the chops to handle a wide variety of snow conditions, yet they never felt too bulky to throw around. From the minute I clicked in, these skis wanted to search and destroy.
A few runs later, I found myself navigating boot-deep powder over bumps through steep trees. Again, the strength of the Sender Ti allows you to ski aggressively even in tough snow. It absolutely requires more input than the Soul 7, and it doesn’t smear or pivot in tight places as effortlessly as that ski. But if you’re an aggressive skier, you might appreciate the trade-off. I did.
The Sender, like on groomers, dials things back slightly from the Sender Ti, but it still feels reliable. For most skiers, it would likely be the preference in powder; folks today tend to enjoy lighter skis for flotation. The Sender feels smooth and predictable without feeling cumbersome. I was actually surprised to find that it didn’t feel softer than the Sender Ti, and that rigidity translates to butter-smooth skiing. The performance differences in varied snow seem to come more from its lighter weight. It’s the kind of ski you could bring to any mountain in the West and be stoked to use on every day of the season.
JP: “We eventually made our way over to Montezuma Bowl, where we were greeted with raging wind on the ridgetop, depositing free refills into the south-facing bowls and gullies down below. The snow was boot-deep, super consistent, and smooth like cream cheese. The Sender Ti was slower to plane to the surface than the more heavily rockered Soul 7, but floated very well once they were up to speed. Long radius, fall-line, high speed turns are my jam, and the Sender Ti was more than game for some absolute mach-looney ‘Zuma laps. Heavily rockered and tapered skis can get squirrely for me at these kinds of speeds, but stand on the sweet spot, and the Sender Ti lives up to its name when you mash the gas pedal to the floorboards. Toward the runout, the snow was more settled, manky crud, and the forward-taper of the shovel really punched through and felt resistant to deflection.”
Downside
It’s difficult for any mid-fat ski to surpass the Soul 7 in soft snow. So if you’re familiar with that ski’s feel or if you’re someone who wants a ski that practically turns for you, the Sender and Sender Ti’s more directional profile and stronger propensity for fall-line skiing may feel like a comparative downside. Neither ski is as easy to pivot and smear as the Soul 7 or some other rockered-out freeride skis on the market. Neither is soft. While these comments are framed as downsides, it’s worth noting that aggressive freeride skiers may gravitate toward these skis, specifically the Sender Ti, because of these updates.
It’s worth noting that Rossignol pulled a nice move with these two skis. If the Sender Ti’s aggressiveness seems like overkill for you, you get the Sender. If you want more of a charger ski than the Sender, you get the Sender Ti.
Bottom Line
Rossignol replaced one legendary ski with two fantastic skis. Honestly, it was time for an update. The Sender is an incredibly versatile mid-fat all-mountain ski that can be confidently skied by intermediates and up anywhere. It immediately rises toward the top of this category alongside existing favorites like the Blizzard Rustler 10 and Nordica Enforcer 104 Free.
The Sender Ti skis like the deluxe version—if you’re someone who licks their chops when they read the differences between the two skis. And if you’re that person, you know it’s time to send it.
JP – “The Sender Ti strikes a sweet balance between forgiveness and power. They’re not quite as user-friendly as the Soul 7 was, but far from unmanageable. Athletic, aggressive skiers who like to keep their skis in the fall-line are going to be stoked on the direction Rossignol has taken with their newest flagship freeride ski.”
Check our brand previews for information on more 2021-2022 gear.
