Rossignol Soul 7 Ski Review

Rossignol has introduced a new line of skis for the 2013/2014 winter season. The most dynamic and versatile of the group is the Rossignol Soul 7. You will hear a lot of chatter around the internet that this is Rossignol's "new S3", which is somewhat true... but the two skis are entirely different. 

The Soul 7 is designed to have reduced swing weight and less overall poundage. Rossignol does this by introducing a honeycomb technology in the tip and tail of the skis (visually these are really cool, just shine a light underneath the honey-comb areas and you'll know I'm talking about). They call this technology "Air Tip" and it provides the Soul 7 with exceptional floatation in softer snow, as well as the ability to quickly initiate tight turns. Powder Turn Rocker, sandwich sidewall construction and light-weight wood core, give the Soul 7 torsional strength and added float through pow and heavy spring conditions.

The first thing I noticed about the Soul 7 was that they were surprisingly lightweight. Every ski manufacturer is preaching lightweight/versatility about their flagship model, but the Rossi Soul 7 lives up to the weight reduction hype. The skis are almost a full pound lighter than any other 105-112 mm waisted downhill ski on the market (Like Whoa!). This ski could easily be used as a Alpine Touring option, its weight is teetering on the line of being AT specific.

I skied the Rossignol Soul 7 on a firm groomed condition day, with some softer snow stashes hidden in the trees... 

On-trail, they performed as expected. The Powder Turn Rocker (Rocker Tip/Camber Underfoot/Rocker Tail) easily initiated turns and felt sturdy when railing through hard snow. The Soul 7 likes to turn fairly quickly, so I took it to the "side country". With the reduced swing weight and rocker shape, this ski playfully plowed through the loose snow on the sides of the trail. The Rossignol Soul 7 really started to excel off-trail. While attempting to navigate tight New England trees and hard bumps, the Soul 7's provided me with quick lively turns. The "Air Tip" is the real deal when you're crushing through a soft snow wooded area. I always felt in control and skiing comfortably, regardless of whether I was pushing hard or making lazy turns.

Pros: Lightest ski in the 100-115 mm waist width category. The unique "Air Tip" design allows for incredible quickness and floatation.

Cons: Doesn't hold as well on hard snow as the S3 did (Mainly because of the removal of material throughout the ski, which makes it insanely light). The tail of the Soul 7 is also a bit stiffer and less surfy feeling than that of S3, which was my favorite characteristic of Rossi's previous all-mountain flagship. 

Bottom Line: The Rossignol Soul 7 Skis are expert level versatility meets intermediate to advanced level comfort. This opens up this model to a larger market of skiers. The Soul 7 will be enjoyed by a wide range of both advanced-intermediates to shredding experts.

Rossignol Soul 7 Ski Specs:

Sidecut - 136/106/126 mm

Radius - 17 m

Profile - Rocker / Camber / Rocker

Construction - Sandwich Sidewall, Full Wood

Offered Lengths - 162, 174, 180, 188 cm