Rossignol Experience 88 HD review 2018
PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments
The Experience 88 HD is an amazing all-rounder on the groomed runs with great turn initiation, performance, grip and rebound. It's reassuring and well-balanced, and exceptionally enjoyable. The ski is very versatile and alternates carving and skid turns, and small and long turns with ease. Accessibility is remarkable in skid turns. Once aligned, you just need to lean to enter the turn. Happy cruising, and especially enjoyable on soft snow, the Experience 88 HD can step up the pace and is responsive when you “give it all you’ve got". In freeride, it’s extremely versatile. However, the reviewers noted a certain inertia and lack of agility that hampers behavior off-piste. It’s a very good ski, more piste-oriented than the Stormrider or the Kendo. We recommend it for anyone looking for smooth rides on the groomed runs but who like to go off-piste from time to time when the conditions are right.
Review: Pros
- Behaves well overall
- Enjoys riding the piste
- User-friendly
- Smooth in short and long turns
Review: Cons
- Lacks agility off-piste
The ski review scores
| Turn initiation | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.5 |
| Stability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
| Stability/turning performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 17.5 |
| Grip | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 17.0 |
| Short turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
| Long turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 17.0 |
| Skid turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.5 |
| Handleability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.5 |
| Comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
| Snow contact | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.5 |
| Soft snow fluidity | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 17.5 |
| Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 17.0 |
| Freeride - Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
| Any ground comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.5 |
Who's it for?
Manufacturer's remarks
The EXPERIENCE 88 HD is a High Definition All Mountain front ski, featuring the new Carbon Alloy Matrix fiber, a revolutionary fiber that's a blend of diagonally woven carbon and basalt to enhance all the ski’s many features. The Carbon Alloy Matrix fiber gives the ski better grip, and more security and stability, while remaining very adaptive in its All Mountain front program. It makes the new Experience 88 HD a carving machine on the groomed trails but is also incredibly easy beside the piste. The EXPERIENCE 88 HD also has an Air Tip ski tip that facilitates flotation in soft/slushy snow. Combined with the Auto Turn Rocker (rocker in tip and tail), the ski turns intuitively on the groomers. The Auto Turn Rocker also helps to manage the ski’s speed with a lot less effort.
The LOOK Konect bindings system ensures simpler adjustment of the bindings and optimum precision.
50% piste - 50 % off-piste
NB: To get the most from our skis on the slopes, we recommend Rossignol ski shoes and LOOK bindings.
Features of the Experience 88 HD
| Brand : | Rossignol |
| Model : | Experience 88 HD |
| Year : | 2018 |
| Family : | All-Mountain front |
| Size tested : | 180 cm |
| Tip size : | 135 mm |
| Waist size : | 88 mm |
| Tail size : | 124 mm |
| Radius for the size reviewed : | Not available |
Your review
Reviewed by PROSKILAB™
in La Clusaz, France, March 2017