Ski: 2024-2025 Rossignol Sender Soul 102, 180 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO
Days Skied: ~15
Available Lengths: 156, 164, 172, 180, 188 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 180.1 cm
Stated Weight per Ski (180 cm): 2050 grams
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski (180 cm): 2097 & 2098 grams
Stated Dimensions: 135-102-125 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 134-102-124.5 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (180 cm): 17 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 57 mm / 27.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 7.5 mm
Core Materials: poplar + partial titanal layer + ABS stringer + rubber layers + “Air Tip” insert + fiberglass laminate
Base Material: sintered High Density Base
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -7.1 cm from center / 83 cm from tail
Boots Used: Lange Shadow LV 130, Atomic Redster CS 130
Bindings Used: Look SPX 12 GW
Intro
The Rossignol Soul 7 quickly became one of the most popular and recognizable skis in the world, following its release just over a decade ago. Its honeycombed yellow (and later, red) tips could be spotted at just about any mountain, largely because of how intuitive it was for such a wide range of all-mountain skiers. It was so popular, in fact, that “just get Soul 7’s” became a bit of a running joke in the ski world (though, as we wrote about the last version, it was by no means a beginner-only ski).
Rossignol cut the ‘7’ series of skis from their lineup in 2020, opting to replace the longstanding collection with their new line of Blackops and Sender skis. The ‘Soul’ name had since been absent from the top sheet of any Rossi ski — until the 2024-2025 season.
The new Sender Soul 102 was a bit of a surprise when we first heard about it last winter. On paper, it looked a whole lot like the outgoing Sender 104 Ti, which was a pretty strong, directional ski. But the ‘Soul’ in its name (and Rossignol’s description of it) made it seem like a more accessible and forgiving alternative to the existing Sender models, so we were curious to see whether this new ski felt more like a Sender or a Soul. After a lot of time on it last spring and this season, we’re ready to weigh in.
What Rossignol says about the Sender Soul 102
“Extend your range.
From first tracks to routine carving, the Rossignol Sender Soul 102 is a do-it-all freeride ski that's light, versatile and performs in all conditions, in bounds and out. Its effortless freeride feel is paired with medium radius bias that is equally adept at blasting through tight trees as it is carving the afternoon piste. A race-inspired wood core with our Air Tip technology give it a responsive go-anywhere personality that can charge, float, carve, and cruise as needed. Step in, explore and roll between soft snow and mixed conditions with confidence.”
Construction
There’s quite a bit going on with the Sender Soul 102’s construction. It starts with a PEFC poplar wood core, and within it, Rossignol adds their “Line Control Technology” (aka, LCT), which is an ABS stringer running through the middle of the core that’s meant to reduce edge-to-edge vibrations while carving.
The Sender Soul 102 also features the latest version of Rossignol’s now iconic “Air Tip” insert; this lightweight, translucent piece of plastic is smaller and much stiffer than the Air Tip section on the Soul 7, but it’s still meant to reduce the swing weight of the ski.
Around the binding area, the Sender Soul 102 features Rossignol’s “Titanal Beam,” which is a metal layer that reportedly spans edge to edge but does not extend much farther fore or aft from the binding area. Lastly, they round things out with some VAS rubber for vibration damping and Rossi’s “Sintered HD” base.
Shape & Rocker Profile
The shape of the Sender Soul 102 looks very similar to the Sender 106 Ti and (now discontinued) Sender 104 Ti. All these skis feature long effective edges that clearly differentiate them from the ‘7’ series of skis and their dramatically tapered tips and tails.
However, the Sender Soul 102’s rocker profile separates it from the other skis in the Sender collection. It has a deeper tail rocker line and more tail splay than the directional Sender 106 Ti, but it doesn’t feature a fully twinned tail (in contrast to the more freestyle-oriented ‘Sender Free’ models).
Compared to the whole class of ~100mm-wide all-mountain skis, the Sender Soul 102’s rocker profile isn’t anything all that wild, but this is the first hint that it’s not just a rebranded Sender 104 Ti.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Sender Soul 102:
Tips: 6.5
Shovels: 6.5-7.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 8-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-8
Tails: 7.5-6.5
This is not a super stiff ski. However, unlike the last Soul 7, the Sender Soul 102 has much smoother transitions between its softer tips and tails and stiffer midsection. The tips and shovels of the Sender Soul 102 are considerably stiffer than the same spots on the Soul 7, but the Sender Soul 102 doesn’t stiffen up quite as abruptly as you move toward the middle of the ski.
Overall, though, this ski is a bit softer than average (but not a wild outlier). Compared to the Sender 106 Ti, the Sender Soul 102 is much, much easier to flex through the back half of the ski, but the two don’t feel that different up front. The Sender Soul 102 is also notably softer overall than the Rossignol Sender Free 110.
Sidecut Radius
The 180 cm Sender Soul 102 we’ve been testing has a stated sidecut radius of 17 meters, which is just a bit on the shorter end of the spectrum.
Mount Point
At about -7 cm from true center, the Sender Soul 102’s recommended mount point occupies the gray area between very directional mount points (about -10 cm or farther back) and very centered, freestyle-oriented ones (about -4 cm or closer to center).
Weight
Our pair of the 180 cm Sender Soul 102 weighs just a few grams shy of 2100 grams per ski. That’s nothing to write home about, but it’s slightly heavier than average when looking at comparable skis in the “More Forgiving” all-mountain section in our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
For reference, below are some of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. As always, keep in mind the length and width differences to try to keep things more apples-to-apples.
1731 & 1750 Liberty Radian 100, 179 cm
1762 & 1830 DPS Kaizen 105, 179 cm
1800 & 1824 Romp Zorro 100, 183 cm
1869 & 1873 Line Sakana, 181 cm
1815 & 1824 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti, 176 cm
1816 & 1819 Head Kore 99, 184 cm
1867 & 1908 DPS Kaizen 105, 184 cm
1884 & 1894 Folsom Cash 106, 176 cm
1901 & 1902 Renoun Endurance 98, 184 cm
1925 & 1934 Black Crows Camox, 186 cm
1946 & 1962 Black Crows Atris, 184 cm
1951 & 1957 RMU Apostle 106, 184 cm
1956 & 1976 Blizzard Rustler 10, 186 cm
1967 & 1972 Dynastar M-Pro 100 Ti, 186cm
1976 & 2028 Parlor Cardinal Pro, 182 cm
1981 & 1991 Faction Dancer 2, 182 cm
1989 & 2000 Folsom Cash 106, 188 cm
1990 & 2045 Peak 104 by Bode, 184 cm
1997 & 2001 ZAG Slap 104, 188 cm
1998 & 2010 Stöckli Stormrider 102, 182 cm
2009 & 2010 Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, 186 cm (22/23–23/24)
2014 & 2038 Atomic Maverick 105 CTi, 185 cm
2019 & 2024 Salomon Stance 102, 183 cm
2026 & 2038 Armada Declivity X 102, 180 cm
2032 & 2037 Kästle Paragon 101, 182 cm
2032 & 2040 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti, 188 cm
2034 & 2060 Peak 98 by Bode, 184 cm
2050 & 2084 K2 Mindbender 106C, 183 cm
2054 & 2063 Salomon QST 98, 189 cm
2057 & 2061 Fischer Ranger 102, 183 cm
2068 & 2178 Salomon QST 106, 181 cm
2074 & 2076 Völkl M7 Mantra, 177 cm
2078 & 2138 Black Crows Justis, 183 cm
2079 & 2089 Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, 186 cm
2085 & 2120 K2 Mindbender 99Ti, 184 cm
2097 & 2098 Rossignol Sender Soul 102, 180 cm
2111 & 2144 Völkl M7 Mantra, 184 cm
2114 & 2130 4FRNT MSP 99, 181 cm
2112 & 2149 J Skis Masterblaster, 181 cm
2118 & 2194 K2 Mindbender 106C, 189 cm
2138 & 2172 Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, 187 cm (22/23–23/24)
2165 & 2186 Wagner Summit 97, 182 cm
2166 & 2237 Völkl Mantra 102, 184 cm
2199 & 2229 Nordica Enforcer 99, 185 cm
2202 & 2209 Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, 186 cm
2215 & 2231 Romp Oso 105, 188 cm
2230 & 2290 Line Optic 104, 185 cm
2273 & 2297 Nordica Enforcer 104, 185 cm
2295 & 2344 J Skis Hotshot, 183 cm
With all the specs out of the way, it’s time to discuss what all of this actually adds up to once you hit the snow.
For the 2024-2025 season, we’ve partnered with Carv to use their Carv 2 sensors and digital ski coach app to not only learn more about our own skiing technique, but also add more useful info to our ski reviews. Here, you’ll see us reference some of the data that the Carv 2 sensors record and analyze while we’re skiing. Check out our announcement to learn more about how Carv works, why we’re excited to use it as a tool for our reviews, and how to get a discount on your own Carv setup.
FULL REVIEW
Our time on the Sender Soul 102 started back at Blister Summit 2024, where our reviewers and plenty of Summit attendees got to test it and a bunch of other new-for-next-season gear (if you want to do the same, join us at Blister Summit 2025!).
Following those first runs, we skied the Sender Soul 102 in everything from bottomless, heavy pow to refrozen crap, slush, chalk, and perfect corduroy.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): I’ll start with where I most enjoy skiing the Sender Soul 102 — moguls, trees, and any other type of off-piste terrain that encourages an active, dynamic approach.
Like the Soul 7, the Sender Soul 102 is a very agile and maneuverable ski. Its swing weight feels lower than I would expect based on its actual overall weight, and despite having a much less tapered tail shape than the Soul 7, the Sender Soul 102’s tail is plenty easy to release, pivot, and slash. In contrast to the Sender 94 Ti, 104 Ti, and 106 Ti, the Sender Soul 102 also remains easy to skid around when I have my weight pretty centered over the ski, and even when I inevitably end up in the backseat.
Jonathan Ellsworth (5’10”, 180 lbs / 178 cm, 81.5 kg): I still always get mad when Luke starts ‘fat shaming’ skis. I will defend every ski manufacturer that makes a ~100mm-wide all-mountain ski in that ~2100-gram range till the day I die. That’s not to say all skis ought to weigh this much — I’m glad lots of flavors of skis exist. But in my opinion, ~2100 grams per ski is a great weight for an all-mountain, ~100mm-wide ski. So, unless you know you prefer lighter skis, don’t let Luke get you worried about the weight of this ski.
Now, with that said, I do agree with the vast majority of the rest of fat-shaming-Luke’s review here. So I’m going to let him cook, I’ll add just a few notes along the way, and then I’ll see you all in the Deep Dive where I’ll have a lot more to say about how this Sender Soul 102 compares to a number of other skis.
Luke: Now, I had my doubts that the Sender Soul 102 would actually be a much more forgiving alternative to the Sender 106 Ti. After all, Rossi originally positioned the Blackops Sender (which later became the Sender 104 Ti) as the less demanding ski in this lineup, supposedly serving as the Soul 7’s replacement when they discontinued that ski. But, till now, all of the non-Free Sender skis required a pretty precise pilot who avoided the backseat in tight terrain. The Sender Soul 102 is a much more ‘friendly’ all-mountain ski in this regard.
The Sender Soul 102 isn’t as ultra-quick or easy to slide as the Soul 7, but overall, it is a very accessible option in tight terrain.
And yet, in this sort of terrain, I still really, really like skiing as hard as I can on this ski. Its sweet spot — the portion of the ski where my body weight can be biased while still maintaining control / balance — feels very large.
Unless the snow is deep or really punchy, I don’t find myself wishing for more support from the front of the 180 cm Sender Soul 102 in terrain that warrants lots of turns (as opposed to, say, making long, high-speed arcs in an open bowl).
I also really like the flex of its back half; I can get away with the occasional sloppy, backseat turn without feeling like the ski has gained sentience and decided to take its own route through the oncoming moguls. But I’ve rarely felt like it was excessively soft, apart from some backseat landings off bigger cliffs / drops.
So, yes, I really like the Sender Soul 102 in tight, off-piste terrain. It lets me go fast and take chances, knowing that, if I misjudge a mogul gap or hit some weird snow, I’ll likely be able to recover.
But that doesn’t really matter — the primary question we aim to provide the answer to is whether you will like it. And I suspect that many (maybe the majority of?) skiers will get along well with this ski in moguls, trees, etc. It’s pretty easy to ski from a variety of stances, but if you take a dynamic, light-on-your-feet approach, it can also be pushed very hard.
Those who won’t like the Sender Soul 102 are also probably the people who would get along well with the Sender 104 Ti / 106 Ti. I.e., those who prefer a stiffer ski overall, and particularly, a strong tail that finishes turns with more precision and power.
Groomers / On-Piste
Luke: How much you’ll enjoy carving the Sender Soul 102 on piste will likely be highly dependent on the snow conditions (and your expectations for how well a 102mm-wide all-mountain ski should carve).
The Sender Soul 102 is a very nice carver on mid-winter corduroy, slightly sun-warmed slopes, and most other on-piste conditions that don’t feature large sections of icy, scraped-off snow. In these more forgiving conditions, it doesn’t take tons of speed to get on edge, feels secure through the middle of the ski when making hard GS turns, and produces a bit of energy at the exit (for what it’s worth, its rebound / pop stands out more to me in moguls than it does on piste).
According to the data from Carv, my best overall runs on this ski were on intermediate “blue” runs ranging from about 17° to 25° in angle, where my average turn radii spanned from 16 to about 21 meters.
I was able to average edge angles around 55°, and Carv says I was getting up to 70° on certain turns. But one metric from Carv that’s stood out so far is that I haven’t been able to record very high g forces on the Sender Soul 102. I would often max out just shy of 2 g’s on this ski, but on comparable all-mountain skis that are great carvers for this class, I could often average close to 3 g’s of force at the apex of each turn.
This makes sense, given how the ski feels on snow. I can get it up to high edge angles and build up a lot of g-force if I trust the snow and the slope angle isn’t all that steep (say, <20°). However, the less inherent grip the snow offers and the steeper the slope, the more evident it is that this is an all-mountain ski — and one that feels more biased toward off-piste accessibility than on-piste precision.
On firm, scraped-off groomers, I rarely feel confident enough to commit to a full, legit carve on the Sender Soul 102. Instead, I’ll conservatively skid turns until I can find some more inviting conditions. And even on grippy snow, most of the ski’s edge hold feels like it comes from the middle ~half, rather than feeling locked in from tip to tail. That’s part of why I tend to be hesitant to commit to a true carve on really firm conditions, since the shovel and forebody of the ski don’t ‘bite’ into firm snow all that much.
That said, I much prefer carving the Sender Soul 102 over the Soul 7. In non-icy snow, the Sender Soul 102’s much less tapered and less splayed-out tips provide quicker, more intuitive feedback when initiating a turn, and it finishes turns with a bit more precision and power. But if you want an all-mountain ski that’s fun to properly carve on very firm groomers, I’d point you toward the Sender 94 Ti or Sender 106 Ti.
Powder & Soft Chop
Luke: The Sender Soul 102 is quite good in soft snow — for a 102mm-wide all-mountain ski. I’d happily break it out on pow days when it’s snowed less than about 6” / 15 cm; in those conditions, it floats and turns as well or better than most skis in its class.
If I’m particularly blessed and end up in snow deeper than that, I’d much, much prefer the Rossignol Sender Free 118 / Blackops 118. Partly because that’s my favorite ski of all time, and because the ~6” mark tends to be where I really notice the benefits of a true powder ski.
Ironically, I ended up skiing some of the deepest, densest snow I’ve ever encountered at Crested Butte Mountain Resort while on the Sender Soul 102. Jonathan and I discussed this on a recent episode of our GEAR:30 podcast, but opening day this season came just after a storm that dropped roughly three feet of snow. So, instead of carving up low-angle groomers, my first laps were spent trying to maintain enough speed to keep moving in the bottomless-feeling snow that sat above a completely un-skied, faceted base.
Looking back, I think the best ski we have in Blister HQ for those (unusual) conditions would’ve been the 133mm-wide, ultra-pow-specific Armada ARG II UL. But the Sender Soul 102 did fine, given that it was very much out of its ideal conditions. I had to ski very backseat in the untracked spots and make sure to land very centered or slightly backseat after airs, but so did everyone else (even those on 110+ mm pow skis).
In more moderate pow-day conditions, the Sender Soul 102 planes nicely if you ski it with a centered stance, and it remains surprisingly loose / surfy / easy to slash, given its lack of tip and tail taper.
Now, this is one area where the original Soul 7 is the clear winner. That ski’s super soft, massively splayed-out shovels (combined with its more rearward mount point) made it a great pow ski for its width. The Soul 7’s tapered shape also made it super easy to slide, pivot, and slash, which (I suspect) is a big reason why so many skiers clicked with it.
The Sender Soul 102 doesn’t float or slash quite as easily as the Soul 7, but it’s more maneuverable in pow than the Sender 104 Ti / 106 Ti, and I think most people will prefer the Sender Soul 102 over the Soul 7 once all the fresh snow gets cut up.
In soft chop, the Sender Soul 102’s minimally tapered tips help keep it from getting deflected as much as a more tapered ski with a similar weight (e.g., the Soul 7, DPS Wailer 100, and Salomon QST 98). The Sender Soul 102 gets knocked around a whole lot more in soft chop than the stiffer, heavier, and wider Sender Free 110 and 118, but if you take a light-on-your-feet approach (similar to what I described in the Tight Terrain section), you can still ski it pretty hard in any sort of soft snow. Overall, this ski just feels most in its elements when you’re trying to make turns, rather than avoid them altogether.
Firm Chop & Crud
Luke: On one hand, the Sender Soul 102 offers nice suspension that keeps it from feeling harsh and chattery in rough, firm conditions. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel all that composed when you open up your turns and really start to hit that sort of snow with speed.
Typically, if the conditions are properly rough, I’m usually dialing back my speed and increasing the frequency of my turns, in which case I get along just fine with the Sender Soul 102. The ski’s big sweet spot and accessible maneuverability are assets in that scenario, since the ski is easy to pilot even when I’m not feeling all that confident.
But when trying to find the limits of this ski, it was clear that it wasn’t designed to excel while straight-lining through crud. Despite its very respectable suspension / ride quality, its tips still get knocked around a bit when hitting chunky, dense snow at faster paces (looking at my Carv data, I’d say I start to notice the ski feeling nervous in these conditions around 20 or 25 mph (32 to 40 mph). That scenario is also one of the few times where I probably wouldn’t mind the front and back of the ski being just a bit stiffer.
In sum: the Sender Soul 102 is a very predictable partner for skiing rough, cruddy snow in a more conservative fashion than you would in ideal conditions, but those who prioritize high-speed stability should check out a heavier, stiffer alternative (like the Sender Free 110).
Length
Luke: So far, we’ve only skied the 180 cm Sender Soul 102, and I really like it for my skiing style and the terrain I ski most (which includes a lot of steep, technical zones and plenty of groomers). For reference, I tend to get along best with all-mountain skis in this class ranging anywhere from 178 cm to 188 cm.
I am interested in trying the 188 cm Sender Soul 102, mostly to see how much quickness / maneuverability it loses and how much stability it gains, relative to the 180 cm. However, I would be perfectly happy sticking with the 180 cm, and I suspect that the shorter length maximizes the Sender Soul 102’s inherent strengths. But we’ll report back if we’re able to get some time on the 188 cm to confirm / deny that hunch.
Jonathan: Turns out, I’m also getting along well with the 180 cm Sender Soul 102. Like Luke, I’m intrigued by the 188 cm model, but it’s not obvious to me that I will end up preferring it to the 180. (This is another nice thing about skis that have some appropriate (!!) weight to them: if you happen to ski in a place with lots of tight, techy spaces, you can get away with going a little shorter without sacrificing too much stability.)
Mount Point
Luke: I got along really well with the Sender Soul 102 mounted on its recommended mount point (which is about -7 cm from true center). Mounted there, I could ski it with a forward, centered, or even slightly backseat stance and the ski still felt intuitive, so I never felt the need to stray from Rossi’s recommended line.
Jonathan: Same. I like this ski on the recommended line.
Who’s It For?
Luke: The Sender Soul 102 could be a good all-mountain option for a very wide range of skiers. It stands out most for its quickness and off-piste maneuverability, but relative to many skis that are similarly accessible, the Sender Soul 102 offers above-average suspension and is still very fun to carve on groomers that aren’t icy.
Look elsewhere if you know you love very stiff skis, are looking for maximum high-speed stability, and/or want an all-mountain ski that encourages you to carve hard on even the firmest groomers.
But everyone from beginners looking to start exploring the whole mountain to experts who enjoy a more nimble and forgiving ski could potentially click with the Sender Soul 102.
Bottom Line
The Rossignol Sender Soul 102 is a ski that does not demand perfect technique or an aggressive approach to feel intuitive, but it accomplishes that level of accessibility while also being capable of being skied quite hard, particularly in tight terrain and soft snow.
In that way, it’s actually pretty similar to the ski it was (partially) named after, the Soul 7. But for most skiers, the Sender Soul 102 is an even more versatile all-mountain option.
Our Deep Dives, Winter Buyer’s Guide, & Flash Reviews
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On that note, you can also get our thoughts on this ski and 300+ others in our 2024-2025 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide. BLISTER+ members already have access, or you can purchase the guide on its own to get the the print copy + digital version at no extra cost, or the digital-only edition.
Deep Dive: Rossignol Sender Soul 102
We compare the Rossignol Sender Soul 102 to the Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Armada Declivity X 102, Nordica Enforcer 100, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Salomon QST 98, Line Pandora 99, J Skis Masterblaster, Folsom Completo 100, Icelantic Nomad 100, DPS Wailer 100, Fischer Ranger 102, Liberty Scope 104, ZAG Slap 104, Blizzard Rustler 10, Line Optic 104, Black Crows Atris, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, & Salomon Stance 102.
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24/25 Rossignol Sender Soul 102
Update 12.16.24: We’ve logged a lot more time on Rossignol’s newest all-mountain ski, the Sender Soul 102. Check out what we’ve learned since first skiing it at Blister Summit 2024.
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2024-2025 Blister Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
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Sounds like an improvement on Soul7. I’ve never skied it, but a lots of people would be happy about that.
Is it possible to display the ski weights with single rather than double spaced lines? Much easier list comparison.