Rossignol Sashimi

Rossignol’s Sushi has been a mainstay in powderhounds’ quivers since its launch a few years ago. We’re fans of the Sushi’s big, fat nose and wide outline—it’s a ton of fun in powder and surprisingly shreds groomers, too. This year, we got excited to see Rossignol expand their experimental Sushi line with the addition of the Sashimi. 

Sushi, Sashimi… there’s a theme going on here, yeah? Like the Sushi, the Sashimi is short, fat, and built for use in deep powder hot spots like Japan. Designed with freeride phenom Xavier De Le Rue, Rossignol claims the Sashimi sits as a cross between Xavier’s big mountain knife, the XV, and the Sushi. It makes sense: the new shape is slimmer than the Sushi and wider and more flexible than the ultra-stiff XV. For many riders, the Sashimi will be more of a daily driver than the Sushi or the XV. The XV is a rad board, but if we’re not riding steep and technical lines, there are definitely other more friendly shapes that we’d rather be riding on a powder day—the Sashimi included. 

Pros: 

As the wide, directional shape suggests, the Sashimi is well-prepared for deep conditions, and testers were most impressed by the shape’s ability to float surfy turns. The long, wide, scoopy nose is rockered, which helps the Sashimi plow through pow, while camber makes up the majority of the board and enables carving enthusiasts to put the Sashimi on rail. For those who love to nerd out on camber profiles, Rossignol’s Amptek Elite allocates 30% rocker at the nose, 60 % camber in the center of the board, and 10% rocker in the tail. 

Compared to the Sushi, the Sashimi is narrower and a little quicker edge to edge, but still encourages surf-inspired turns and laidback, stylish carves. Like the XV, the Sashimi has a “reverse directional flex” pattern, which essentially focuses stiffness at the front foot. The directional, setback shape allows for backseat riding in deeper snow—and this is where the Sashimi is at its best. However, in techy terrain or garbage, choppy snow, the stiff zone underneath the front foot helps riders drive turns, transfer energy, and make it home safe and sound.  

Cons: 

While testers found the Sashimi a fun board after a solid storm, they weren’t keen to rely on the new Rossi in subpar snow. Also, in purely deep powder days, we prefer the wider, more heavily tapered Sushi. The Sashimi can be a daily driver, but perhaps only if you are a fair-weather snowboarder or call Hokkaido home. It is also not the most energetic when it comes to ollie power. 

Tester Quotes: 

“I’m not a huge directional fan, but this board was versatile enough to accommodate my style.”

“This board floats over powder like oil over water. It also rips groomers with a purpose, but isn’t ideal in chop.” 

Key Attribute: Float

Why We’re Stoked: 

We love seeing more short and wide shapes on the market. Unless you’re spending a bunch of time in the terrain park, they’re often more fun to ride—especially when the conditions are all-time. The Sashimi is another board, like the Sushi, that deserves a spot in the quiver. Plus, Rossignol has kept both the Sushi and the Sashimi reasonably affordable, which helps make the case if you’re considering adding a short, fat, floaty deck to the quiver for deeper days. 
Also, this year Rossignol dropped a women’s version of the Sashimi, so ladies can get on the pow train, too.