Snowboarding and skiing are like children to me: I love them both, to the point that I truly can’t pick one over the other. Every winter when the first snow hits, it’s like attempting to decide whether I should go my daughter’s dance recital or son’s basketball game, each of which happen to be taking place at exactly the same time. But usually, by the end of each winter, I’ve managed to equally split my time between both activities, neglecting neither and leaving me all the more happy for it.
If you caught my previous article, you know that I’m somewhere in the upper intermediate to lower level advanced range on my snowboard, and in the realm of skiing, I would classify myself similarly at an upper intermediate class as well. Like snowboarding, I spend the majority of my time on groomed runs, but I do enjoy a few yearly trips out west to indulge in some powder as well. As such, I decided to splurge this year on a new pair of all-mountain skis to match my new all-mountain snowboard (remember, skiing and snowboarding are like my children; therefore, I can’t upgrade one without the other), and after another intense round of research and numerous demo runs, I eventually settled on the supremely great Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon all-mountain skis.
Rossignol bills the Avenger 82 Carbons as the ideal one-ski quiver for carving and skiing powder, and having used them for the past few months, I have to say: they’ve completely lived up to their hype. They’re simply awesome on both groomed runs and powder, and they’re simply superb at instilling in you a heightened sense of confidence on virtually any terrain. In terms of what makes the Rossi Avenger 82 Carbons so great, you have to first look at their construction. Quite simply, they’re the perfect blend of classic ski construction melded with modern features and all-mountain dimensions. At their core, Avenger 82 Carbons feature a wooden construction with vertical sidewalls. The wood core plays an integral role in giving the skis a spritely feel while keeping the weight down, and the vertical sidewalls are key to giving the Avenger Carbons superglue like grip on the hardpack. From there, Rossignol wrapped the wood core with two layers of carbon and added their proprietary Vibration Absorbing System (VAS), increasing the ski’s rigidity while still offering superb dampening properties and eliminating chatter.
Another key to the greatness of the Avenger 82 Carbons are their shape – they feature a new all-mountain tip design built for better floatation in the soft snow and crud along with a rounded tip profile that extends the ski’s sidecut beyond the snow contact point, resulting in significantly improved turn initiation. In the rear, the Avenger’s square shape loads the tail for more powerful turn exits. Helping transfer power from your boot to the skis, Avenger 82 Carbons come with Rossignol’s Axium 120 integrated bindings along with their Twin Pulsion Integral² ski/binding system and Dual Action III toe piece. Without getting overly technical, the result is a binding/ski combination that allows the ski to flex naturally while absorbing vibration and shocks, but also one that efficiently directs power directly from the skier to ski with significantly reduced energy loss.
If you’re thinking there’s a ton of technology that’s gone into the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon, you’d be right, but the real question is how the Avenger 82 Carbons perform in the real world. I don’t want to sound overly complimentary, but the truth is, these things rock. It’s as simple as that. I’ve used them extensively over the past 3 months, and they absolutely tear up anything you can throw at them. Carving steep groomed runs is a blast, navigating powder is a joy thanks to their 82-mm width, and they hold their edge incredibly well on the hardpack. They’re super stable, well-balanced and confidence-inspiring on pretty much any type of terrain you can throw at them. And as advertised, thanks to their unique tip, they do a great job in the soft snow and crud. As for speed, I’m a relatively light skier, and the tail does a great job loading up power and accelerating into the next turn.
Looking back at my purchase, would I buy the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon skis again? Absolutely. They’re just a fantastic all-around ski, and not only have I had a blast using them, they’ve really made me an all-around better skier. They’re everything they’re advertised as, and then some. I love ’em.
To learn more about the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon ski ($799) or to grab a pair of your own, you can head over to the official Rossignol website for the full details.
