2019-2020 Rossignol Soul 7 HD

Four of us have now spent a number of days on the Soul 7 HD at Telluride, and I personally have had it in a variety of conditions, from icy hardpack to light, consistent powder. And all that skiing has confirmed my initial thoughts about the Soul 7 HD that I wrote in my Flash Review: I think I love this ski.

Stance

One of the things I like the most about this ski is how well it responds to a variety of stances — the Soul 7 HD seems to have a huge sweet spot. I can happily drive the ski pretty hard, but it also seems quite content being skied from a neutral stance.

Sam Shaheen reviews the Rossignol Soul 7 HD for Blister
Sam Shaheen on the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Telluride Ski Resort, CO.

My main takeaway about skiing stance on the Soul 7 HD is that it is forgiving. If you start forward and get back seat, no problem. If you want to ski completely neutral, go for it. If you want to drive the ski through the shovels, enjoy (and the new -10 cm mount point really helps here).

I love this aspect of the ski. It’s often difficult (or nearly impossible) to ski hard without making mistakes. But on the Soul 7 HD, I can push the ski hard, driving through the front of my boots and then still have a forgiving platform to keep me from dramatically exploding in consequential terrain if I make a mistake.

Pow

In light and consistent spring pow at Telluride, the Soul 7 HD’s significant tip splay and very soft tips kept the ski floating really well for a ~105mm-wide ski. Compared to other similarly wide skis, the Soul 7 HD seems to float a bit better over the 18/19 Salomon QST 106 and Line Sick Day 104.

In what will be a theme of this review, the Soul 7 HD feels intuitive and easy. Skiing powder is no exception. The Soul 7 HD does not have much of a learning curve, and it isn’t demanding. Yet it can still be pushed pretty hard.

Sam Shaheen reviews the Rossignol Soul 7 HD for Blister
Sam Shaheen on the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Telluride Ski Resort, CO.

In powder (similar to other snow conditions) the Soul 7 HD feels much more playful than its -10 cm mount would suggest. I can easily pop, slash, and hack my way around the mountain on this ski. The tails have a ton of energy, and I can easily load them up to rocket out of a turn or pop off of natural features. Then, when I land, the huge tip splay and soft tips make the ski plane well. Sure, in deep snow you’ll sink on landings (this isn’t that wide of a ski), but it floats well for its width and feels quite predictable.

However, we don’t think the Soul 7 HD will excel in heavy, dense snow. It is a lightweight ski with lots of taper, and in heavier snow, metal laminate skis with less sidecut and taper typically do better.

Groomers

The Soul 7 HD is not a carving ski — if you want a ski to really rail groomers, look elsewhere. But with that said, the Soul 7 HD does a pretty good job on groomers, especially given how well it performs as an all-mountain freeride ski.

And as its 18 m sidecut radius would suggest, the Soul 7 HD prefers short to medium radius turns. I got the best carving performance from the ski when driving through the front of my boots — but not extremely hard. If I drove the ski too hard, I could get its very soft tips to engage and fold up. I didn’t find it to be easy to overpower the tips, but if you are a heavier skier or ex-racer, you will probably be able to overpower the tips on groomers.

That said, the Soul 7 HD holds an edge better than I thought it would. And it has a ton of energy out the turn. I found myself enjoying the groomers leading away from steeper / bumped-up terrain rather than just tolerating them. It is by no means a GS ski, but for a ski that is this easy and forgiving, it offers a really dynamic ride on soft groomers.

Variable Conditions / Chop

The Soul 7 HD is light (~2,030 g) with lots of taper and no metal. So this is not some damp chop destroyer — in fact it’s not very damp compared to other skis in this class. The more variable and chopped up the snow gets, the more input the Soul 7 HD requires to stay on track. It can get deflected and knocked around, but the soft, hugely rockered tips do a pretty good job of plowing over piles of crud (just not blowing through them).

Sam Shaheen reviews the Rossignol Soul 7 HD for Blister
Alex Mueller on the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Telluride Ski Resort, CO.

While skiing the Soul 7 HD, I didn’t feel inspired to run out cliff drops or airs into chopped-up snow below Telluride’s La Rosa. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t do it, but there are other skis that are far more suited to high-speed, firm / choppy runouts than the Soul 7 HD.

However, the best thing about the Soul 7 HD in variable conditions is that it is light and easy to steer. I can point the tips at a soft patch, gun for it, make a big, speed-burning hack, and then aim for the next soft spot. The ski is playful, energetic, and just plain fun. It does not have the highest top end, but what it lacks in high-speed stability in variable or firm conditions, it makes up for in its playful, high-energy, fun, and easy nature.

Moguls

In the 188 cm length we’re reviewing, the Soul 7 HD is not exactly a zipper line bump ski. The shovel is big and the ski is long. However, it pivots quite well, its soft tips absorb hard bumps, and it is very fun to pop over troughs and burn speed on mogul tops.

Because the Soul 7 HD is an easy ski that can also be pushed, I find it to be really fun in bumps. I can push myself to brink of falling, then easily dial it back before a crash. I.e., I feel like I can push myself hard on the Soul 7 HD because I can recover from the inevitable mistakes I’ll make.

For railing zipper line bumps, I’d take a straighter ski with less taper, but for most types of moguls I find myself skiing at the resort, the Soul 7 HD is a blast.

A Note on Length

We tested the Soul 7 HD in a 188 cm, but it feels significantly shorter than 188 cm on snow. So if you’re on the fence about sizes, don’t be afraid to size up. We think the bigger mistake would be going too short on this ski, and giving up more stability than you should for a ski that is already easy, not demanding.

Who’s It For?

Me.

Well, me and a lot of other skiers too. I think this is a ski that a lot of people will get along well with. Its combination of being easy and forgiving while also being able to be driven pretty hard — especially for people with a more dynamic / less brute-force skiing style — makes the Soul 7 HD an easy ski to recommend.

Those who like to ski moguls, tight trees, and steeps, but are less interested in hitting mach speeds in variable conditions should take note. And the more you like to play around on the mountain, making more turns rather than arcing a few big turns at huge speeds, the more you’ll get along with the Soul 7 HD.

And for those of you who’ve skied the previous iteration of the Soul 7, this version (v3) feels more dialed to us than the v2, and none of us have registered any complaints with the flex pattern or the new mount point.

Bottom Line

The Rossignol Soul 7 HD is a forgiving, easy ski. But it’s also a ski that can be pushed pretty hard in a lot of conditions. It’s quick, playful, and fun. If you are looking for high-speed stability or maximum edge hold on ice, look elsewhere. And if you typically like metal-laminate skis, then we don’t expect the Soul 7 HD to convert you. But if you’re looking for a ski that is playful, easy, relatively strong, and just plain fun, we think the Soul 7 HD deserves to be on your short list.

Deep Dive Comparisons: Rossignol Soul 7 HD

Become a Blister Member or Deep Dive subscriber and check out our Deep Dive of the Soul 7 HD to see how it stacks up against 11 other skis in the category including the Salomon QST 106, Line Sick Day 104, Head Kore 105, and ON3P Kartel 108.

NEXT: Rocker Profile Pics

29 comments on “2019-2020 Rossignol Soul 7 HD”

  1. assuming that it is supposed to be 2.2mm and not cm narrower :)

    Also, given the narrower build, don’t they end up weighing pretty much the same as the latest generation?

  2. Hi Jonathan,

    In your Deep Dive of the Enforcer 110, you compared it to the v2 (16/17) Soul 7, saying “I think you can correctly describe the Enforcer 110 as a more stable Soul 7”. Now that you’re reviewed the v3 Soul 7, how do they compare? Given that the v3 Soul 7 is a bit stiffer than the v2 Soul 7, do they now feel like more similar skis?

    Thanks,
    Jake

    • I mean, we actually say that the tip of the v3 Soul 7 is a touch softer than the previous Souls, and in terms of overall stiffness, keep in mind that lightweight + stiff does not always / often / ever (?) = more stable.

      The biggest change, I think, in the v3 Soul 7 is the mount point, which works better than the mount points on the v2, primarily because the flex pattern isn’t really all that different.

      So is the v3 now an Enforcer 110? No. Again, neither is a burly ski, but both *can* be pushed hard by advanced pilots who can / prefer a more dynamic style. But the Enforcer 110 is still heavier, more damp, and has a heavier swing weight. So I wouldn’t at all change my characterization for this v3. I don’t think it is any closer to being / becoming an Enforcer 110 – but both skis are quite accessible, the lighter, more-tip-tapered Soul 7 is (still) just even lighter and quicker. But I wouldn’t say they are now more similar.

  3. Would love for y’all to get someone who weighs over 200 but still charges to write some reviews. Lots of people in Big Sky tried the v1 Soul 7. Few liked it much as an alpine ski, other than the tourists.

    • If someone who truly charges and weighs over 200 pounds read any of our Soul 7 reviews and was somehow under the impression that we were calling this ski a charger … I’d submit that they have serious reading comprehension problems. The Soul 7 is not a charger. We never said it was. And if there really is a ~200 lb hard charger out there who was like, “I’m trying to decide between the HEAD Monster 108, Blizzard Cochise, or Soul 7 — for truly hard charging around Big Sky” — well, then yes, I guess we’ll need to underscore even further that lightweight skis with incredibly soft tips and tight sidecut radii don’t fit the bill of a true charger.

  4. So, I’m above 200lb (~215lb), I ski pretty hard, I love the Soul 7 HD. Perfect combination of fun on the groomers with enough ability to go big’ish in the sidecountry.

    Anywho, I have a different question for our resident reviewers. I only skied 7-8 days on it this season, varied terrain, and my only concern is the durability of this ski. I usually keep skis on average 5 years, but soft top layer on the 18/19 means that it looks like it might not last another week.

    Any thoughts on durability or observations in your time with the ski?

    • Hey Mike,

      We haven’t noticed any problems with durability on our pair. Granted, it is certainly a lightweight ski and the tip is extremely soft, so I wouldn’t imagine it to be as durable as much stiffer, heavier skis. But we haven’t noticed any red flags on our pair.

      Thanks,
      Sam

      • Hi guys,

        Just writing a comment to avoid anyone else falling into this. Had the Soul 7 for four weeks and in the fifth week the tip snapped off (over a 4ft jump into powder). Thought I was an anomaly, rossignol said it was my fault and then a friend of mine – who I met this season – had the same problem and also snapped his off. This is a backcountry ski, but only for someone who’s looking to take it slow and not get any air time on the ski.

  5. First of all I have to agree with Sam that this ski is just really fun in most any conditions. I’m 178 cm tall and around 75 kg (I don’t understand imperial units :D) and ski the 180. So probably could have sized up, but I actually don’t feel that I need much more ski lengthwise. Maybe I just don’t charge hard enough in variable conditions. But regarding my experience, It is obviously very good in untracked deeper snow and for jumping, but I also love carving these ski really hard.

    One thing I noticed however when I was skiing with my brother who has the QST 106 17/18 in 181, we changed skis for a few runs and both felt that the soul 7 was actually the slightly more stable of the two in tracked offpiste spring slush. I would attribute that to the slightly bigger weight and slightly more traditional mount of the soul 7. Maybe the heavier bindings on the soul 7 also had something to do with that.

    Anyway, really cool ski and good review as always.

  6. Really struggling with the length to buy. I am 180cm and 75kg. More of a finesse skier than a hard charger. Any views please?

    • Hey Arch, I think either the 180 or 188 cm length would be fine for you. The more you appreciate stability at speed and in variable conditions, I’d go with the 188 cm. The more you value quickness and maneuverability, the more I would lean towards the 180 cm. That said, I think the 188 cm ski is still very quick and maneuverable — I think it would be hard to go wrong with either length.

      • Agree with all of this. It skis fairly short, so 188 is easy as can be. I on the other hand found the 180 to not provide enough stability and braking power. I am about 20kgs heavier though.

      • Sam & Mike. Thanks for coming back so quickly. I have been skiing a fairly short (172cm) Fischer Ranger TI so a bit worried by the 188cm. However sounds like 10cm+ won’t make difference on this ski?

        • Anytime, glad to finally be able to provide some input! Anyways, unless you ski exclusively parks and jumps, I think this ski is better longer (I also use it in the park, but nothing big).

  7. I jumped on this ski last season for a couple of days, really fun in soft snow. I have a very centered stance. I’m mounting Shift bindings for this season would going plus 2 on the mount be a bad idea?

    • Hey Jim. I think if you felt like you wanted a bit more quickness from the ski when you tried it out, then going +2cm wouldn’t be a bad call. Personally, I really like this ski on the recommended line and didn’t play around with the mount when I tested it. But I tend to ski with a more forward stance — the more neutral your stance, the less you’ll notice the shorter tip you get when the mount is moved up.

  8. Hi Sam,
    Thanks for the quick reply. I realize this ski is not a big carver, and in soft snow it was great, but on groomers I felt like i was only skiing the back half of the ski. I know it skis short and most of my skis are 180 – 184 but these are 188 and feel like 170. I really don’t want to lose the float they have and feel like they will make a great side country ski.
    Any suggestions
    Thanks again

  9. I was wondering if the mark’s on the ski (just behind the yellow 188 on the topsheet) are the 0 point or the -10.15cm marking?

  10. Hi Blister team, excelent review again!!

    I’m torn between deciding this, rustler 10 or the moment deathwish as my one -ski-quiver. Which would be best?

    I mostly enjoy moguls and tree runs, steeps and hitting the occasional (but small) cliff. I also like to jump off of natural features all over the mountain. I usually spend all of my time in inbounds -off-piste terrain (rarely do I do groomers).

    I ski the most on Tahoe, Colorado and sometimes Whistler. I’m 5’7 at 156 pounds.

    Thanks!!

    • I also have a sizing question on this ski. I’m 5’7 at weight 156 pounds. I usually ski skis my size (170-176 range). I really enjoy to be nimble and agile on the bumps, but don’t want to sacrifice as much stability especially if its not that stable.

      Should I go with the 172 or 180?

      Thanks!
      Mario

  11. Thanks for this review, very helpful. Have you taken a look at the Sky 7 HD? I’m an east coast skier who occasions out west so leaning toward the narrower option between the Sky and Soul for ice/groomer performance. Is that the right way to think about the two or are they totally different ski profiles?

  12. Howdy,
    Im considering yet another pair of skiis, and would like your input. I would like to get skiis that ski the entire mountain, but does extremely well in bumps, and soft and hard crud. I usually ski bumps at Mary Jane with my buddies, and if its hardpack I use Rossi Phantom 80’s, and with new soft snow, Rossi Sickles. I have demo’d the Black ops 98, Mindbender 99, and QST 99, and found that all 3 were great but I loved the black ops 98 the most. Maybe I just like Rossignols. Should I buy the Soul 7 before it is discontinued?

    • Hey Glenn,

      If you have a more playful, dynamic style, then I think you might really like the Soul 7. It has a ton of energy and is a blast in moguls, trees, and tight spaces. However, if you want a particularly damp ski that will excel in variable snow conditions, then I would lean more towards a heavier ski.

      Best,
      Sam

  13. I mostly ski Stevens Pass in Washington and Whistler Blackcomb. I’m an intermediate to advanced skier who spends as much time as possible off-piste, fairly aggressive but I’m only 65kg and 5’8″. Is this ski for me and what length? How about the Sky 7 HD?

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