We’ve been very impressed (and extremely surprised) by the Soul 7 HD. So for this week’s giveaway, the winner will get to pick either the Soul 7 HD or women’s Soul 7 HD W. Check out our Flash Review of the Soul 7 HD at the bottom of this post to learn more about why we’re excited about this ski, and then enter below for your chance to win.
Eligibility & How To Enter
To be eligible, like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Instagram, then sign up here to win:
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(Winners chosen at random. Must be 18 or older. This particular contest is U.S. and Canada only.)
By entering, you’ll also receive our weekly Blister newsletter, where we’ll (a) announce each week the winner of our previous Gear Giveaway, (b) provide a roundup of the news and our highest-profile reviews of the past seven days, and (c) offer sneak peeks of the products we’re currently reviewing. It’s good times for sure, so don’t miss out. Good luck!
Flash Review of the Rossignol Soul 7 HD by Sam Shaheen:
Every evening in Telluride, we would go over who was going to be getting on which skis the next day. And the night Jonathan told me I was going to start the next day on the Soul 7 HD, I was pretty bummed — I didn’t think I would like it at all. I thought it was going to be a wimpy, pivoty, ski with little energy or power.
But then I skied my first lap on it the next morning.
The first turn I made on the Soul 7 HD was dipping my feet under a rope to milk a single pow turn next to a cat track. I had done the exact same turn on the Faction Dictator 4.0 the previous day, and was therefore thrown completely off guard when the tails of the Soul 7 HD popped me off the ground on the exit of the turn — Whoa!
The Soul 7 has a ton of camber underfoot (9 mm!) and a stiff platform that produces a very energetic and fun ride. It would rocket me out of turns and put a smile on my face instantly. In my opinion, this ski is just plain fun.
After jumping, slashing, hacking, and tight carving my way down to Telluride’s Mountain Village, I decided to try to open it up a bit more on the next run. The result? The Soul 7 HD is surprisingly happy being driven, in fact, I think the Soul 7 HD prefers a driven stance to a neutral stance. (In some ways, this shouldn’t be too surprising given the -10 cm mount point on this most recent version of the Soul 7.) The more I’d drive this ski, the more energy it returned — while still feeling incredibly easy and intuitive if I wanted to get lazy.
I kept finding myself thinking that the Soul 7 would be perfect for a skier like my dad — he’s a ripping skier who likes to ski moguls, tight trees, and steeps, but he is less interested in hitting mach speeds in variable conditions.
So I really think it’s time to put to bed the notion that this is a ski for “intermediates.” You might prefer a ski that is heavier or has metal or has a stiffer tip, but I think any advanced or expert skier who likes to jump or pop or play will enjoy the ride of the Soul 7.
Comparison: Rossi Soul 7 HD v. 18/19 Salomon QST 109
In Telluride, we kept talking about the Soul 7 HD vs the 18/19 Salomon QST 106. And here’s how I would characterize the main differences:
Soul 7 is considerably more playful than the QST 106
Soul 7 feels less directional than the QST 106
Soul 7 has a slightly lower top end than the QST 106
Soul 7 has a touch less edge hold and carving confidence than the QST 106 (granted, the QST 106 rails groomers for a 106 mm waisted ski)
Soul 7 seems a bit less demanding than the QST 106
On the two days I spent on the Soul 7 HD, I was happy after each lap I was on it. It’s an easy ski that can also be pushed hard. It has a ton of energy, but it isn’t catchy or difficult to release a turn.
Bottom line, so far?
I didn’t think I would like the Soul 7 HD at all. But the truth is, I think I love this ski.
Yep, fully concur. I’ve been skiing Souls since they came out, in everything from super variable Australian conditions to Japan pow. I rate them as the best all round ski I have ever experienced, good for anything but blue ice.