Rossignol’s Blackops Sender TI is Outside’s “2021 gear of the year”
The brand’s all-new flagship freeride ski claims the most coveted award of the year through a blend of “accessible power” and thoughtful eco-conscious construction
In the lead-up to the 2020-21 ski season, Rossignol’s all-new flagship freeride ski, the BLACKOPS Sender Ti, has been turning heads and drawing praise throughout every major ski test review, an important marker of validation that’s now culminating in the coveted “2021 Gear of the Year” award from Outside.
An instrumental leader in freeride since the birth of the category in the mid-90’s, Rossignol has been working with their athletes and development team for the past three years to bring their fresh new vision to market.
“Freeride has been an anchor point for the brand for nearly a quarter of a century,” adds Nick Castagnoli, Brand Marketing Director, Rossignol Group North America. “From the long-running Bandit series – one of the very the first dedicated freeride collections; to the S7 – an iconic design that revolutionized powder skiing forever; to more recently, the Soul 7 – another industry game-changer that brought powder skiing to the masses with its innovative and unmistakable Air Tip technology. Rossignol has proven time and again that we’re able to throw a grenade into what’s proven successful, reinvent, and push the category forward in dramatic fashion. The recognition we’ve received on the new BLACKOPS range throughout the fall from outlets like: SKI, Powder, Freeskier, Backcountry, Mountain, BLISTER, Realskiers, Pugski, and others has been overwhelming. That this is all culminating now with Outside’s 2021 Gear of the Year, absolutely solidifies that we’re moving the needle in the right direction yet again.”
Featuring innovative new technologies inspired by the brand’s race division like 2LCT (Double Line Control Technology) and Diago Fiber, the BLACKOPS Sender Ti offers powerful stability and downhill performance. That, coupled with an Extended Core profile and new Damp Tech integration, creates the perfect blend of precision and progressive freeride performance in what’s still an easy-to-ski platform that Outside coins as, “accessible power – the ability of a ski to perform with minimal user input,” adding, “No matter how fast or slow you’re moving, you stop thinking about the ski and focus on your line.”
Setting the 2021 Gear of the Year winner apart further is a focus on more sustainable, eco-conscious constructions. Rossignol’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact is a key tenet of the brand and an important pillar of the brand’s RESPECT Program, which focuses on taking concrete actions in terms of social and environmental responsibility. Standout details include:
- The use of FSC® and PEFC™ certified wood cores
- The use of recycled materials in topsheets, bases, and edges
- Factory certifications including ISO14001, the most stringent environmental standard
- Reductions in energy and water consumption, with 100% of electricity coming from renewable sources
Recognized as one of the most prestigious points of product validation in the outdoor industry, Outside’s “Gear of the Year” is awarded twice a year (summer and winter seasons) after rigorous field-testing, to the product that outshines all others in terms of performance, innovation, materials, and design.
To further celebrate this achievement, Rossignol has partnered with The Mountain Collective to offer up BLACKOPS Sender Ti skis and 20/21 Mountain Collective season passes for one lucky Grand Prize winner, as well as their favorite pow-hunting partner in the RIDEFREE with Mountain Collective sweepstakes, which opens today.
For more information on the all-new BLACKOPS range, visit your local Rossignol dealer or Rossignol.com.
ROSSIGNOL Group: The Rossignol Group, headed by Bruno Cercley, designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of winter sports equipment. The Group brands provide a continuous, year-round experience accompanying consumers in every moment of sporting effort and leisure, from elite-level athletes to amateurs, from the mountains to the city. The Group’s global headquarters is located in the French Alps near Grenoble with five different industrial sites (Sallanches, Nevers, Saint Etienne de Saint Geoirs, Artès, Montebelluna) across western Europe and a U.S. headquarters in Park City, Utah. The Group houses a strong portfolio of complementary brands: Rossignol – the iconic brand for winter sports, and ready-to-wear fashion and apparel; Dynastar - the specialist ski brand; Lange – the iconic ski boot brand; Look - the long-standing premium manufacturer of ski bindings; Time Sport - the iconic brand of cycling; Raidlight - for outdoor enthusiasts, Felt – the premium bike manufacturer; Risport - the reference for ice-skating; Kerma - specialized in ski poles and technical equipment; and Dale of Norway, an iconic Norwegian brand known for its high quality wool-based knitwear. Each has built their own unique identity and draw their inspiration from the mountains. Rossignol is majority owned by Nordic Private Equity fund Altor since 2013.