The all-new Rossignol Arcade 88 hit the jackpot in this year’s frontside ski test, not only winning our Best in Test award after impressing testers across the board, but snagging the highest category scores in our carving, quickness, and playfulness criteria. It’s not often that a ski, even the year’s top-performing ski, bests its rivals in multiple skill categories.

“This is a perfect specimen of a frontside carver,” said Chad Jacob, a race coach and longtime New York-based tester, about the Rossignol Arcade 88. “It’s damp, responsive, energetic and strong.”

Testers who clicked into the Arcade 88 at this year’s Mt. Rose, Nevada, SKI Test agreed that this versatile frontside ski will speak to a wide range of skiers. Most said it’s ideal for intermediates to experts looking for a narrower all-mountain tool that excels on groomers but is also quick and dependable enough for variable terrain.

So, what gives it that enhanced versatility? Rossignol’s new Arcade series consists of two models, the 88 and the slightly narrower 84, which will ultimately replace the sub-90-millimeter waist widths from Rossignol’s men’s Experience line. Compared to the Experience, the new Arcade series is more carve-oriented and more precise. It also has a tighter turn radius with a wider waist, which lets it power through a range of conditions. “I was surprised by how much stronger this new model felt than the outgoing Experience ski,” said Jacob.

But, as with all skis, it’s what’s on the inside that counts most. This one features an extended sidecut and tip rocker, which meet a wood core reinforced with a full layer of Titanal. Thanks to tip rocker and VAS vibration absorption in the tip, turn initiation is easy, and the ski’s maneuverability makes it easy to cut turns of all shapes and sizes. As a result, testers called the Arcade approachable, even though it performs at a high level. This is a ski that’s confidence-inspiring enough to cater to a huge section of the market.

That said, all skis have their strengths. And while the Arcade 88 is a decent all-arounder, it particularly excels at carving and on-piste performance.

“It holds a wicked turn,” said Luke Larsen, co-owner of the Lifthouse Ski Shop in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The Arcade will keep the carver party rolling all the way until the last chair—and even when the trail is cut up, the Arcade will still leave trenches.” According to testers, the ski is both quick edge-to-edge in short-radius turns and capable of the high edge angles required for GS-style turns—with minimal work. Brady Newton, a six-foot-one expert tester, said it was intuitive and easy to stay on edge throughout the turn, particularly on groomed slopes.

Testers were hard-pressed to find a weakness in the Arcade 88, though it received lower scores for crud performance and forgiveness. “The energy that makes the Arcade 88 so much fun is also what you have to be careful of,” said Jon Sexauer, a five-foot-seven Colorado-based tester. “It demands a confident and technically proficient skier to maximize the ski’s strengths.”

Get in the backseat, testers warned, and the Arcade 88 will take you for a ride. Stand over the center of the ski, and you’ll get the most performance from it. Charlie Bradley, a Taos-based bootfitter, wouldn’t choose this new Rossignol model for bumps. “It lives for steep groomed runs,” he said. “It’s got backbone and isn’t for the faint of heart.”