Rossignol is going XP

[mca80]

I remember reading elsewhere on this site that the XP 120 is no different than older BC 120, just renamed.

For what it's worth my first bc or xc skis were Rossi Evo OT 65. They are made in China. They are slow, noisy, not terribly responsive, etc etc. In a package deal with boots and bindings from a local shop in 2020 they were quite inexpensive. They get the job done, but that's about it, and I use them as rock skis now. Asnes prices in USA are up quite a bit from two years ago, like 30%. So having less expensive alternatives is nice, but I don't see how this particular ski can be put in the same category as Asnes or Fischer. Maybe the BC/XP line is of higher quality.

[mca80]

Having had the XP and the BC models both in my hands, they seem really the same to me. And still quite heavy, especially compared to a asnes, in my opinion the 100 and 120 are more towards backcountry touring skis with fishscales than xc ones like the madshus or asnes for example.
But they didn’t have the new design like on the picture, so maybe something will change…

I ski the xp12 boots since this winter and quite like them. You can find my review here in the review section.
https://telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php? ... 4&start=30

@havuja

[JohnSKepler]

Great post. When it comes to anything on social media, there are brand influencers at work to steer opinions. The opinions most often swayed are the weakest minds. People who come to social media to fill something missing in their lives. Maybe that’s a sense of belonging. It can also be a hustle for ex-spurts.

Is it the influencers or those who DON’ READ THE POST!

Both @Rodbelan and I primarily explained that comparing the Rossi skis to Voile isn’t useful. And we both said we’d skied and enjoyed the Rossi skis. They ARE cheaply made.

People generally come here to ask questions and get answers from people with experience. If you consider that ‘brand influencing’ you’re doing the same thing as people who read racism into everything. Not everything is racism. Not everything is brand influencing. Sometimes it’s just answering a question.

Here’s a little experiment to illustrate my point. Go to the Voile or Asnes or Altai or… websites You’ll find a lot of information on their skis. Go to the Rossignol website and you’ll get a lot of internal links directing you to their fashionable apparel along with numerous exhortations to “Complete your look.”

Rossi isn’t selling skis, their selling a look. That doesn’t mean their gear is bad, it just doesn’t compare well to vendors selling skis. If that’s brand influencing then snow is racist because it is white. (There are those who’ve said this.)

[rongon]

How about comparing the Rossi XP120 to the Madshus Panorama M78?
They're both cheaply made (the M78 is made in China).
They're both lightweight.
They both have fish scale bases.

I had my beat up old Annums out yesterday, in the foot-deep snow we just got here in SE NY state. Those skis definitely have their place in my quiver. I ski them in an unconventional way. I chose a shorter length for my weight (175 cm), mounted them with the red Switchbacks, and wear Crispi 3-buckle plastic telemark boots with them.

I've skied my Annums down the Wright Peak Ski Trail and in dozens of backcountry locations in the ADKs, up and down Glastenbury Mt in the Greens (20 miles round trip), wandering around the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Quebec, wandering around the Catskills when there's enough snow, etc. They work beautifully for moderately steep terrain when there's soft snow.

Would the XP120 be comparable to that for a weird setup like I use, in the weird places where I would ski them?

I also have a pair of Voile Vector BC, which I've had for about 10 years. That is a more robust, downhill-oriented ski than the Annum (as everyone knows by now). I ski them in the same places I ski the Annums. Generally, if the tour is going to be under 7 miles round trip, if conditions are icier, or if the terrain is going to have some real steepness, I take the Vector BCs. If the tour is going to be longer, the conditions are softer, and the slopes are going to be generally moderate (although steep enough to require skins and turns) then I'll take the Annums.

The question is, is the XP120 a wider, more turny version of an Annum/M78? Or is it a downhill ski that's too light (not rigid enough) for its own good, but with fish scales? (I.e., a try at a Voile Vector BC or Altai Kom type of ski, but a miss?)

[fisheater]

I don’t know why it may be more or less turney. I looked it up, it’s 90 mm underfoot with an “air core” laminated core. Similar to Annum/S-bound
If you like it you like it. We all have different perspectives. I know I would like to ski the White Peak Ski Trail, that sounds like fun.

[havuja]

It is hard to say from Rossignol marketing, it could be all off. From reading reviews, BC 120 sounds like a good ski. From all around internet I can find 10-15 reviews, of course usually short and incomplete. Nearly all of them suggest to me that the ski is/was way different from earlier BC 125. Sounds like BC 120 may have been more like Rossignol alpine touring skis, which would mean much more torsional rigidity than BC 125, perhaps more than Kom. Yes, some reviews suggested they are not at their best on ice or irregular hardpack, but which lightweight skis are? BC 120 was 1125g/ski in 176cm, if Rossi got that one right.
XP 120 MIGHT be the same ski with scales, although hopefully with better pattern than their narrower skis. Aventure Nordique lists them at 2474g / pair at 170, so not too bad the sweet spot perhaps? I think they are a try at Kom/Voile BC class, but why would we deem it a miss without anyone skiing them?

I do not know if they are good, but would like to know. How is the general quality of Rossignol AT skis? It sounds like many of them ski pretty well.
Talking about Rossignol nordic bc quality, I'll admit that my BC 65's have had their topsheets partly delaminated too fast, but they ski kind of nice in my trivial use case, and seem to have (fingers crossed, since they still are my current rock-slush-ice-midnightsunmadness-wilderness sled dog ski) stronger structure overall than the latest E99, not to get cut in half too easy if given a good beating.

Again, price is an important factor why I am interested in Rossignol skis in this class. Living in Europe, I would pay between 650(if extremely lucky to first find a pair in stock here and then also in discount, have seen that happen but not with the ski I wanted) to 1200euros(US price for Objective BC+ shipping + vat+ custom fees) for a pair of Voiles. Rossignol 150 - 500 euros. That is a very significant difference. Well, of course there is an abundance of AT skis from other brands to score on good discounts, just not any with scales.
Talking about skinny nordic bc skis, Rossignol might cost to me from 130 to 300€, as opposed to Åsnes 180 - 350 euros, which normally does not matter to me, Åsnes wins most of the time.

[rongon]

For us here in the USA,

Madshus Panorama M78 $335 (USD)
Rossignol XP120 Positrack $480
Altai Kom $430
Asnes Rabb 68 $700
Voile Endeavor BC $800

I sure hope the $700-$800 skis are made better than the $335 to $480 skis.

[wabene]

For us here in the USA,

Madshus Panorama M78 $335 (USD)
Rossignol XP120 Positrack $480
Altai Kom $430
Asnes Rabb 68 $700
Voile Endeavor BC $80

I sure hope the $700-$800 skis are made better than the $335 to $480 skis.

Looking at this the Kom is a great value. The Endeavor with the damp, tele friendly poplar core is a serious downhill ski. I got the Madshus last season because it was available locally 50% off at $165, but my eye is still on the Kom and Endeavor.

[Krummholz]

I picked up the Rossi Alpineer (light tour skis) a couple of years ago, really good sale <300. Last season was another deep powder year. Skis were a lot of fun, just needed to work out a good skin setup. This season is a whole lot of no snow, rocks and stumps hiding under a shallow base. I was out today in a thick bunch of young trees. Worked my way down to a snowmobile road. Icy crust with a dusting of snow so I couldn’t get the skimo skin setup to grab, side slipping, skis wandering. I gave up and strapped the skis to my pack and hiked up the hill. The newer XP Positrack specs have the same build as the Alpineer but with a scale section instead of the standard base, and different tail. Both are LIGHT. Expect them to suck on hard pack. Expect them to be fun in the Pow!

[fisheater]

Summitcone Vagabond is $599. It’s a paulowania and carbon core. I don’t have a lot of time on my Pariah, but they come out of the same molds, Pariah being beech/poplar core. I really like the Pariah so far.