Has anyone skied the Rossi black ops 98?

Haven't skied it but work at a shop. It's a lot more directional than the 118. The tail is a lot lower profile and the mounting point is farther back, looks fun but I don't think it should be thought of as a park ski version of the 118, not that it wouldn't rip rails and jump .

@Greg_K

It's super different vs. the Black Ops 118. The 118 is a super heavy, super stable ski that's also pretty playful and surprisingly not that demanding to ski (apart from the weight).

The 98 feels way stiffer on snow, and is definitely a "game-on" ski — you don't want to get backseat on it. It's not particularly heavy, and it is not very damp. To me, it seems best for very aggressive, yet playful skiers who want a really solid landing platform and a low swing weight in their ~100mm all-mountain freestyle skis or wider park skis. For me, it's not a ski I would ever buy cause there are lots of skis that are more stable, more playful, and much more forgiving for when you don't want to charge.

I have not tried the 118 but I actually found the 98 to be very soft. It carved ok but I could certainly overflex it easily and make it wash out. For me it felt like it would be a pretty fun jibby ski. I was expecting it to be more like the atomic bent 100, so stiffer and more all mountain but it was noticeably softer. Similar to the arv 96 I would say. Fun but a bit soft for me for anything but park but for park I would say the would be fun.

Agree with Luke that’s it’s stiffer and more demanding than a lot of other freestyle skis in that width. Have noticed some larger skiers used to traditional skis and not even going into the park have moved the mount back a bit on the BO 98 and like it for an all mountain ski.

The BO 98 is super easy to skid or smear turns and it’s not as “locked in” to carved turns like the Bent 100. Bent is softer up front but pretty solid from midway back and more traditional feeling on the rec mount.

Prefer skis that are a bit heavier and damper with less taper that hold better edges like the Menace 98 etc.

tomPietrowskiI have not tried the 118 but I actually found the 98 to be very soft. It carved ok but I could certainly overflex it easily and make it wash out. For me it felt like it would be a pretty fun jibby ski. I was expecting it to be more like the atomic bent 100, so stiffer and more all mountain but it was noticeably softer. Similar to the arv 96 I would say. Fun but a bit soft for me for anything but park but for park I would say the would be fun.

Would you say it's an evolution of the Slat? I loved that ski with the progressive flex tail.

Greg_KAgree with Luke that’s it’s stiffer and more demanding than a lot of other freestyle skis in that width. Have noticed some larger skiers used to traditional skis and not even going into the park have moved the mount back a bit on the BO 98 and like it for an all mountain ski.

The BO 98 is super easy to skid or smear turns and it’s not as “locked in” to carved turns like the Bent 100. Bent is softer up front but pretty solid from midway back and more traditional feeling on the rec mount.

Prefer skis that are a bit heavier and damper with less taper that hold better edges like the Menace 98 etc.

yeah, this lines up very well with my experience.

I will note that the 192 cm version actually felt less demanding and much better on edge vs. the 182 for me. I think my issue with the 182 is that the platform felt both short and stiff (and I had it mounted around -4.5 cm, so not a ton of ski in front of me), so I couldn't lean into it much to flex it, and therefore ended up getting bucked a lot and had trouble bending it into turns on groomers. The 192 cm felt similarly strong, but I felt like I had better leverage and could bend it easier than the 182. As a result, I actually found the 192 to be really solid on edge when I was bending it (though not secure if I wasn't pushing it), and less punishing overall. I think I might like the 192 at somewhere like Big Sky or if I just skied Crested Butte's Headwall every day — it was fun in steep, more open terrain where it's easier to push it hard and bend it, dig in its edges, while also easily pivot when needed.

freeskibum82Would you say it's an evolution of the Slat? I loved that ski with the progressive flex tail.

It’s pretty similar but Te slat is closer to the menace 98 I would say.

@patagonialuke which ski feels closest to a black ops 118 shrunk down to a ~ 100mm waist? I.e. Heavy stable, forgiving, progressive while retaining a bit of pop? The menace?

tomPietrowskiI have not tried the 118 but I actually found the 98 to be very soft. It carved ok but I could certainly overflex it easily and make it wash out. For me it felt like it would be a pretty fun jibby ski. I was expecting it to be more like the atomic bent 100, so stiffer and more all mountain but it was noticeably softer. Similar to the arv 96 I would say. Fun but a bit soft for me for anything but park but for park I would say the would be fun.

I had a similar experience to Tom, tried the Black ops 118 and thought it was a super fun ski. Hopped on the 98 thinking it would be a thinner version, skied it for 1 run then returned it, felt dead and washed the tip consistently. I felt like the ski had no pop, just pushing through the flex getting not a ton of feedback. Could have been the mount point but I wasn't a fan.

Pinkgloves@patagonialuke which ski feels closest to a black ops 118 shrunk down to a ~ 100mm waist? I.e. Heavy stable, forgiving, progressive while retaining a bit of pop? The menace?

Unfortunately, I haven't been on anything in that waist width that really reminds me of the BO 118 (been begging Rossi to make something similar that's narrower... hoping we get a BO 108 this year)

I'd say the J Skis Masterblaster is similar in terms of damping, stability (at least in the conditions you'd use a narrower ski), and pop, but it's also much more directional, doesn't quite have a true twin, and rewards a pretty forward stance.

I'd say the Menace 98 feels somewhat similar — pretty damp, pretty poppy, very forgiving, and balanced in the air (when mounted closer to center). But it's nowhere near as stable as the BO 118. That said, I haven't tried the 187 cm Menace 98 yet, and that ski is heavier (~2225 g for the 187), so that's probably my best hope right now. Will be getting on that ski right away this season.

ARV 96Ti is worth a look, but it doesn't really remind me of the BO 118, I think cause of its stiffer flex in the middle and more tapered shape. It's fairly damp, but I'd say the Menace 98 reminds me more of the BO 118 due to its more similar shape, flex pattern, and suspension.

Ok that's pretty much what i thought. Thanks though. I mean the good thing is the 118's feel ridiculously capable even in conditions where they really shouldn't be. I had them on groomed ice and slush (and some rocks) at a glacier last week and they held an edge better than they had any right to.

PinkglovesOk that's pretty much what i thought. Thanks though. I mean the good thing is the 118's feel ridiculously capable even in conditions where they really shouldn't be. I had them on groomed ice and slush (and some rocks) at a glacier last week and they held an edge better than they had any right to.

When I tested the 118 it was full hardback spring conditions and I thought it handled great. That said, I do prefer a wider footprint ski as a daily driver. But it surprised me on the rough stuff.

Yo Luke,
how does a ON3P Jeffrey/Kartel compare to the Black Ops 118? I could imagine a little looser due to the deeper rocker lines, but should also be quite damp and poppy?!
That said maybe Jeffrey 96 as a narrower counterpart?

patagonialukeUnfortunately, I haven't been on anything in that waist width that really reminds me of the BO 118 (been begging Rossi to make something similar that's narrower... hoping we get a BO 108 this year)

I'd say the J Skis Masterblaster is similar in terms of damping, stability (at least in the conditions you'd use a narrower ski), and pop, but it's also much more directional, doesn't quite have a true twin, and rewards a pretty forward stance.

I'd say the Menace 98 feels somewhat similar — pretty damp, pretty poppy, very forgiving, and balanced in the air (when mounted closer to center). But it's nowhere near as stable as the BO 118. That said, I haven't tried the 187 cm Menace 98 yet, and that ski is heavier (~2225 g for the 187), so that's probably my best hope right now. Will be getting on that ski right away this season.

ARV 96Ti is worth a look, but it doesn't really remind me of the BO 118, I think cause of its stiffer flex in the middle and more tapered shape. It's fairly damp, but I'd say the Menace 98 reminds me more of the BO 118 due to its more similar shape, flex pattern, and suspension.

TopsenYo Luke,
how does a ON3P Jeffrey/Kartel compare to the Black Ops 118? I could imagine a little looser due to the deeper rocker lines, but should also be quite damp and poppy?!
That said maybe Jeffrey 96 as a narrower counterpart?

Yeah, I haven't been able to try the Jeff / Kertel 116, but based on the specs, it seems like it'd be similarly damp and stable, a bit more pivot-y, similarly (or more) poppy, and not as good on firm snow.

So I think in terms of damping and stability, the Jeff 96 could be a good match. I just don't know how that ski performs on firmer conditions, and I doubt it'd carve as well as something like the BO 118, just because of the shape differences, but that's a total guess.