Thanks for all y’all do! Such great content for the public in video form. I have a pair of the 2022 senders 104 underfoot, and always wondered the difference in stiffness and playfulness between sender and the black ops 98? I oddly have never seen the black ops 98 in a demo fleet but understand they usually sellout at shops.
It's not as high-volume a ski as the Sender, so you don't usually see a ton of them around. The Sender 104Ti is not only stiffer, but also straighter and flatter in the tail than the Blackops 98, giving it more of a directional feel. This makes it smoother on groomers and in the crud, but it's not quite as playful or smeary--more business in the Sender 104 for sure.
The QST is more complete of a ski and has a more turny character. The Blackops is more of a skiers ski that requires a certain amount of input to get the most out of it. QST is incredibly easy and fun and turns on a dime--this helps out on those groomer days with friends for sure!
I wish you could demo them… Asides from attending blister review or a demo day, I’ve never seen these to demo, let alone many people who own them. More reason to visit more resorts to find a shop with these to demo😂
@@Gmonayy189 It takes a lot to demo skis.. Last season I demoed 2 pairs of skis in the same day and it took me at least an hour and half to go from 1 pair to the other pair of skis.. Granted 1 of the pairs that I skied on showed that it was good in variable conditions..
Is the black ops 98 like if you combined the unleashed 98 and the Mfree 99? I love the unleashed on groomers but looking for some more playfulness off piste. Thank you!
I think that's a pretty good way of thinking about it. I've also been spending a lot of time on the Black Crows Camox lately, and that ski is a whole lot like the Blackops 98 as well.
I like to see skis a bit narrower and a bit lighter than 98 for this application, but this one's pretty close. Check out Black Crows Captis for this application. I like the 90's for the one-ski style. Captis, Atomic Bent 90, Armada ARV 94, and Elan Playmaker 91 are a lot of fun!
Hi SE, thanks for your excellent reviews! How are these compared to Soul Rider 97? I have a pair SR 97 in 186, like them very much but looking for something new and not to far away in characteristics.
I think you'll find some good similarities here. The Nordica has a bit more pop and pep due to the carbon stringers while the Rossignol is more dense and smooth. The rocker profile is a bit lower and longer in the Rossignol, so less of a traditional park twin tip shape. Overall, though, there are still more things the same than different!
hey @skiessentials hopefully you guys see this.... if choosing between this ski or the 2024 dynastar mfree 90... more of a park curious then park focused.. 5'8" 175-80lbs, ski mostly in east coast as im based in NJ, looking for a one ski quiver
The Blackops 98 is wider and heavier, but more twin tippy. The MFree 90 is lighter and quicker, but isn't quite as turned up in the tail. Kind of depends what you're looking for, but if I may offer an alternative, check out Elan Playmaker 91 as blending these two models.
Yeah, they're stiffer and heavier. They handle speed and aggressive skiing considerably better than the Bents. If you can handle it in the rails and jumps, it'll be a stronger overall option.
There's more pop and energy in the QST, as it's more directional and has the carbon/flax stringers that do add quite a bit of snap to the ski. The Blackops is more muted in terms of rebound, but it's very quiet and smooth. There's also a big difference in turn shape, as the QST has a much shorter radius than the Rossignol, which puts more emphasis on the skier to dictate the shape and duration of the turn. QST almost does it for you.
What’s better for all mountain purposes, powder and trees specifically, the Sender 104 TI or the the Black Ops 98. I’m stuck between picking one or the other.
I'd rather ski powder and trees on the Blackops. Sender does a bit better in a carved turn, through crud, or in more of a directional standpoint. Overall, there's more fun to be had on the Blackops.
This is a nice comparison. The Rustler has more dramatic splay in both tips and tails vs. the Blackops, which is actually pretty flat. The Rustler is more flexible, even with the metal, as it allows for cleaner and rounder turns across the fall line while the Rossignol has a longer turn radius which is more direct to the hill. The Rossignol is also heavier and more stable through crud and chop but the Rustler is more mobile in tighter spaces.
Nothing in any literature I've read or anyone I've ever talked to has confirmed that there's metal in the ski. I believe it to be metal-free except for the edges.
Im confused. My understanding is the black ops 98 has always had metal, in the form of a titinal beam underfoot. This is noted in SE’s written review of the Holyshred (the same ski but with a diff name, I thought), with Rossingol also mentioning on their website the 2024 Blackops 98 (along with the special edition super blackops) as having a “lively wood core and energy boosting titanal layers”. Just hoping for a lil clarification. Big fans of y’all btw. Got started skiing right around the time that SE (Jeff) started really getting going with your online vids. You’ve been a huge part of my skiing journey, development/style-wise. So from the very bottom of my ever-ski-lovin-heart, thank you! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thanks for all y’all do! Such great content for the public in video form. I have a pair of the 2022 senders 104 underfoot, and always wondered the difference in stiffness and playfulness between sender and the black ops 98? I oddly have never seen the black ops 98 in a demo fleet but understand they usually sellout at shops.
It's not as high-volume a ski as the Sender, so you don't usually see a ton of them around. The Sender 104Ti is not only stiffer, but also straighter and flatter in the tail than the Blackops 98, giving it more of a directional feel. This makes it smoother on groomers and in the crud, but it's not quite as playful or smeary--more business in the Sender 104 for sure.
i'm so pumped to make some turns, snow soon come...
Would you recommend Black Ops 98 or QST 98? Ride lots of trees, but spend the occasional day with less experienced friends on groomers.
The QST is more complete of a ski and has a more turny character. The Blackops is more of a skiers ski that requires a certain amount of input to get the most out of it. QST is incredibly easy and fun and turns on a dime--this helps out on those groomer days with friends for sure!
I would like to try that ski too.. I do like that the turning radius is longer.. My guess that would help with being catchy and also holding an edge..
I wish you could demo them… Asides from attending blister review or a demo day, I’ve never seen these to demo, let alone many people who own them.
More reason to visit more resorts to find a shop with these to demo😂
@@Gmonayy189 It takes a lot to demo skis.. Last season I demoed 2 pairs of skis in the same day and it took me at least an hour and half to go from 1 pair to the other pair of skis.. Granted 1 of the pairs that I skied on showed that it was good in variable conditions..
Is the black ops 98 like if you combined the unleashed 98 and the Mfree 99? I love the unleashed on groomers but looking for some more playfulness off piste. Thank you!
I think that's a pretty good way of thinking about it. I've also been spending a lot of time on the Black Crows Camox lately, and that ski is a whole lot like the Blackops 98 as well.
best ski for a do it all? Groomers, off piste, not too deep pow, playful, jumps of natural features, maybe a tiny bit of park? thanks
I like to see skis a bit narrower and a bit lighter than 98 for this application, but this one's pretty close. Check out Black Crows Captis for this application. I like the 90's for the one-ski style. Captis, Atomic Bent 90, Armada ARV 94, and Elan Playmaker 91 are a lot of fun!
@@SkiEssentials thanks so much! What do you think about line chronic 94s or rossignol sender 90s?
Hi SE, thanks for your excellent reviews! How are these compared to Soul Rider 97?
I have a pair SR 97 in 186, like them very much but looking for something new and not to far away in characteristics.
I think you'll find some good similarities here. The Nordica has a bit more pop and pep due to the carbon stringers while the Rossignol is more dense and smooth. The rocker profile is a bit lower and longer in the Rossignol, so less of a traditional park twin tip shape. Overall, though, there are still more things the same than different!
hey @skiessentials hopefully you guys see this.... if choosing between this ski or the 2024 dynastar mfree 90... more of a park curious then park focused.. 5'8" 175-80lbs, ski mostly in east coast as im based in NJ, looking for a one ski quiver
The Blackops 98 is wider and heavier, but more twin tippy. The MFree 90 is lighter and quicker, but isn't quite as turned up in the tail. Kind of depends what you're looking for, but if I may offer an alternative, check out Elan Playmaker 91 as blending these two models.
Are these much stiffer than the bent 100s? Looking for a fun and fast ski for the east. Also want to touch rails and jumps sometimes too.
Yeah, they're stiffer and heavier. They handle speed and aggressive skiing considerably better than the Bents. If you can handle it in the rails and jumps, it'll be a stronger overall option.
How do these compare to the Salomon QST 98?
There's more pop and energy in the QST, as it's more directional and has the carbon/flax stringers that do add quite a bit of snap to the ski. The Blackops is more muted in terms of rebound, but it's very quiet and smooth. There's also a big difference in turn shape, as the QST has a much shorter radius than the Rossignol, which puts more emphasis on the skier to dictate the shape and duration of the turn. QST almost does it for you.
What’s better for all mountain purposes, powder and trees specifically, the Sender 104 TI or the the Black Ops 98. I’m stuck between picking one or the other.
I'd rather ski powder and trees on the Blackops. Sender does a bit better in a carved turn, through crud, or in more of a directional standpoint. Overall, there's more fun to be had on the Blackops.
Probably splitting hairs here, but Black Ops 98 vs. M-Free 99, do you have a preference for east coast trees?
If we're just talking east coast trees, I'm taking the M-Free. It's more mobile and floaty than the Blackops.
Would it b better to buy last years model, what is the difference
No difference--if you can find last years at a better price, go right for it!
Would these work for well for a tele set up?
100%. A bunch of us here at Stowe used to tele on the Dynastar Slicer 98 which is basically the same as the Blackops 98.
how would this compare to the 2024 rustler 9?
This is a nice comparison. The Rustler has more dramatic splay in both tips and tails vs. the Blackops, which is actually pretty flat. The Rustler is more flexible, even with the metal, as it allows for cleaner and rounder turns across the fall line while the Rossignol has a longer turn radius which is more direct to the hill. The Rossignol is also heavier and more stable through crud and chop but the Rustler is more mobile in tighter spaces.
There is no metal at all in the BlackOps 98?
Nothing in any literature I've read or anyone I've ever talked to has confirmed that there's metal in the ski. I believe it to be metal-free except for the edges.
Im confused. My understanding is the black ops 98 has always had metal, in the form of a titinal beam underfoot. This is noted in SE’s written review of the Holyshred (the same ski but with a diff name, I thought), with Rossingol also mentioning on their website the 2024 Blackops 98 (along with the special edition super blackops) as having a “lively wood core and energy boosting titanal layers”. Just hoping for a lil clarification.
Big fans of y’all btw. Got started skiing right around the time that SE (Jeff) started really getting going with your online vids. You’ve been a huge part of my skiing journey, development/style-wise. So from the very bottom of my ever-ski-lovin-heart, thank you! 🙏🏼🙏🏼