Rossignol

Soul 7 HD Ski

Most everyone fancies themselves a big-time freerider these days, and while these folks are busy chasing glory, making POV edits, and telling everyone at the bar how rad they are, there are plenty more skiers who are more worried about seeking out soft stashes and secret tree lines. Rossignol's Soul 7 Ski isn't the biggest, burliest, or hard-chargingest ski out there, but it's the perfect tool for skiers who like to ski hard all over the mountain, and are more worried about having fun and skiing well than going Mach 7 and stomping 60 footers.

Rossi's 7 Series has been around for years now, starting with the game-changing S7, and the Soul 7 keeps things pretty true to the "fun-shaped" heritage of that ski. The Super 7 and Squad 7 are bigger and burlier, but the Soul 7's 106mm width and versatile Power Turn Rocker help it conquer any type of snow and all types of terrain, from deep blower to leftover crud to wind-buffed cream cheese to groomers. Power Turn's large amount of tip splay smooths out rough snow and helps you float through the deep, and camber underfoot provides plenty of stability and edge grip when you're pinching the throttle on the way back to the lift. Rossignol also incorporated its honeycomb Air Tip 2.0 technology, which lightens the tip to reduce the chatter and flap of old-school tip rocker and lowers swing weight to keep the Soul 7 nimble through tight trees and in the air.

By building the core out of lightweight Paulownia wood, Rossignol kept the Soul 7 quick and maneuverable, and reduced the weight to make it more backcountry friendly. The new Soul also has a slightly more squared-off tail, which allows easier skin attachment. Vertical sidewalls are also new on this year's Soul 7, which give the ski a bit more edging power and a more hard-charging look. And, while it's nice and light, the race-inspired Carbon Alloy Matrix in the core keeps things stiff enough to charge when you're feeling aggressive.