Arcade w 82 review

Overview

The Rossignol Arcade W 82 is the women's version of the middle system ski in Rossignol's 2026/27 Arcade line. Rossignol describes it as a ski that "redefines on-piste versatility", pairing "race technology with a freeride construction" for intermediate and advanced women. It shares the 132/82/120 mm shape of the men's Rossignol Arcade 82, but runs from 144 to 176 cm instead of 152 to 184 cm; at the four shared lengths Rossignol lists the same radius and the same weight. The women's ski uses Rossignol's Active flex, the middle of its three flex profiles, and comes on the Xpress plate.

On-snow performance

Step up from the Arcade W 80 and the biggest change is underfoot. A carbon beam and full-length rectangular sidewalls replace the cap construction, and the construction suggests a clear gain in edge grip on hard snow. The radius stays short, 12 m at 160 cm, so the natural turn is still a medium carve rather than a long, fast arc, and the 120 mm tail should hold the end of the turn well. Tip and tail rocker keeps turn entry smooth and lets the ski smear when the snow gets soft or bumpy. V-A-S damping and Rossignol's Line Control Technology aim for a calm ride, but at 1.6 kg per ski at 160 cm this is not a heavy ski, so very fast skiing on rough snow is not its home. The 82 mm waist adds a little float over the W 80 for soft snow beside the piste.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: PEFC poplar wood core.
• Reinforcement: Carbon Beam underfoot.
• Sidewall: Rectangular Full Sidewall.
• Topsheet: Premium Hardtop.
• Profile: Tip & Tail Rocker with camber underfoot.
• Sidecut: Extended Sidecut with LCT (Line Control Technology).
• Damping: V-A-S.
• Flex: Active, Rossignol's middle flex profile.
• Dimensions: 132/82/120 mm at every length.
• Radius: 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 m for 144 / 152 / 160 / 168 / 176 cm.
• Weight per ski: 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.6 / 1.7 / 1.8 kg. Rossignol's label says "kg/pair", but the figures are per ski.
• System: Xpress plate; shop sets pair it with the Xpress 11 binding.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Arcade W 82 fits the intermediate woman who has her parallel turns sorted and wants more grip and precision without a heavy or demanding ski. Compared with the Volkl Blaze 82 w, it has a much wider 120 mm tail (107 mm on the Völkl) for the same 11 m radius at 152 cm, so it should finish turns more firmly on piste, while the Völkl's freeride rocker and lighter build lean more towards soft snow. The Salomon Stance pro w 82 adds Salomon's Powerflex Ti metal laminate for more power, a better pick for a skier who already pushes hard. The Elan Wildcat 83 c uses Elan's asymmetric W.Amphibio profile with carbon, another sporty piste-first option. Within Rossignol, the Rossignol Arcade w 80 is the softer entry ski and the Rossignol Arcade w 84 adds titanal and a stiffer flex.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Carbon beam and rectangular sidewalls for clearly better grip than a cap ski.
• Short radius and tip and tail rocker for easy, controlled medium turns.
• Moderate weight, 1.4 to 1.8 kg per ski.
• Five lengths from 144 to 176 cm.

Cons

• Not heavy or stiff enough for strong skiers at high speed.
• The Xpress system binding rules out touring and other binding choices.
• The 82 mm waist is still mainly a piste width.
• Advanced women may prefer the titanal Arcade W 84.

Verdict: A well-balanced women's piste ski that adds carbon and real sidewalls to the easy Arcade recipe. Choose it as the ski to grow into after the beginner stage; choose the Arcade W 84 if you already ski fast.