2011-2012 Rossignol Super 7, 188cm

42 comments on “2011-2012 Rossignol Super 7, 188cm”

1. Great S7/Super 7 review – First review I’ve read that matches what I found. I demoed the 195cm Super 7 for two Mammoth storm days this year and got the exact same sensation with the tail… while it was a fun ski, occasionally losing the tail from under you was freaky (iIm picturing the epic crash that could happen!). What are your recommendations to look at as alternatives for a 110-120mm powder and crud ski? Looks like the S6 should be on the list… other options? Girish, Bibby, Katana? Any advice is much appreciated! Awesome reviews and site BTW!

2. Hey Kiwi,

   All the skis you name are certainly worth a look, but we’d need more information: your size/weight, where you’re skiing, what terrain, etc….

   It’s been too long since I’ve skied the Katana, but yeah, definitely demo it. I’m a huge fan of both the Bibby and the Girish – the Bibby is certainly the more playful ski yet still remarkably stable. The Girish isn’t playful by design, it just crushes. (By the way, the Nordica Patron is also worth a look, very similar feel to the Bibby.)

   Another pow / crud ski that really impressed me this season was the PRAXIS Protest, 188cm. With another day or two on it, I’d probably be yelling at you to just go get it. Incredibly good in chop, very stable – right up there with the Bibby.

   Finally, what’s your size and weight? I’m 5’10”, 185 lbs., and while I’ve put far fewer days on the Sickle/S6 than Jason, I’m not yet ready to rave about its crud abilities. (I would, however, definitely enter it in a one ski quiver competition.)

3. Cool! 6’4″, 200lbs. Mammoth chair 22/gondola/chair 23/chair 9 – mix of steeps, trees, chutes, and open faces. Will be using on storm days and ideally 2-3 days after in the chop and crud. Solid advanced/expert skier, like to carve/ski strong but enjoy the feel of slarving some turns in the soft. Don’t do any significant air and avoid super high speed runouts (a few bad crashes in the past and not worth being off skis recovering).
   Using Mantras on hard snow and enjoy them. Have a pair of old Watea 114s and they’re too dead, lifeless and soft. The next ski will be part of a 2 ski quiver with the Mantra so willing to sacrifice some hard snow ability. Thanks again for the feedback and recommendations! Definately going to get your site out to the crew…
   Cheers. K

4. REALLY helpful info, K.

   If you’re going to (1) pair with a Mantra (2) weigh in around 200 lbs. (3) don’t ski switch (at least not much, I’ll assume) (4) want a ski that will carve but can slarve, and (5) don’t need a ski to handle mach speeds, then my rankings would go something like this: (1) 190cm Bibby Pro (2) 192cm Atomic Bent Chetler – If you have any reservations about the Bibby Pro, then I would definitely try to demo the Bent Chets if I were you (3) 190cm DPS Wailer 112RP (4) Rossi Sickle – just slightly worried that you’ll overpower it. (Jason is going to kill me for saying that, so please, for my sake, at least SAY you’ll demo it….) (5) Nordica Patron – love this ski, it’s just a touch less lively / poppy than the Bibby Pro, but I still think it’s a damn good, super fun ski.

   While I love the Nordica Girish, I would think it shares too many characteristics of the Mantra. The skis above all have varying degrees of tail rocker and will let you slarve, but won’t wash out like crazy. Mantra + any of the above should serve you really well.

   (Man this stuff is fun.)

5. Hey Kiwi,
   I agree with every ski Jonathan recommended for you. You are quite a bit bigger than me and it sounds like you spend less time playing around jumping, etc. Although I have not been able to ride the Bibby’s yet, everyone I know raves about them. Another ski that jumps to mind for someone your size and ability is the new Volkl Shiro. I know an Alta patrolman who loved them and is about your size and a very strong skier. I’m sure we’ll be testing them early next season if you can stand the wait!

   I do believe you are the size of person that would love to see Rossignol make the Sickle in a longer length. If you have the chance I still think you should give them a whirl.

   Thanks for spreading the love!

   • Hi Jon and Jason – unfortunately with the bad Mammoth snow i didnt pull the trigger on any pow/crud skis yet this year. Curious what you would recommend a year later. Last year the recs were the Bibby and 192cm Bent Chetlers for a good Mammoth pow/crud ski based on ((1) pair with a Mantra (2) weigh in around 200 lbs. (3) don’t ski switch (4) want a ski that will carve but can slarve, and (5) don’t need a ski to handle mach speeds). I did demo the Kastle BMX 108 and Elan Olympus in Whistler last week and they didnt do it for me – I definately want something more fun/less work than those.
     Any new advice would be appreciated and I’ll try to demo them when the next storms come. Thanks again for the awesome site – I check at least daily for any new reviews! Cheers!

     • Hi, Kiwi, for what you’re describing, I’d still recommend the 190 Bibby Pro. If you hadn’t made the comment that the Kastle 108 was too much work, I’d say the 191 Billy Goat, since it handles thick, dense snow even better than the Bibby, but the Bibby is definitely easier / more playful. Finally, I think the Rossignol Squad 7 could be a good fit, but if you’re skiing lots of trees, the Squads may not the best choice – might be more work than you’re looking for?

6. From throughout the internet, this is definitely the place where i would seek advice for skis. Kudos to you guys, i read your reviews regularly and i must say, i am more than impressed.

   I am 190cm tall weighting about 90kg, advanced skier. I ski mostly in Europe, in small resorts, where powder is a luxury, however i just love it, therefore with my friends we are always in search of some deep stuff. Tree skiing and medium to big airs are my favorites.
   I was looking and the S6 Sickle, the Obsethed, Line Prophet and Movement Fly Swatter.

   I basically need something wide (for pow shredding), with low turn radius (for trees) and stable for some cliff hucking.

   Grateful for your opinion as always.

   live to the Maxx!

7. Hey Lorik,

   I would say the Sickle would be PERFECT for you IF you were smaller. I think with you being over 6′ and around 200lbs you might find the actual length of the Sickle, which is 182cm, a bit on the short side. Now if you are comfortable with skiing a ski that length then I think it would be perfect for you.

   The Obsethed won’t be the best in the tight trees, but it will rule the pow where it’s more wide open. If you ride these I would recommend mounting around +2 to +3 so you have a decent amount of tail for stomping your airs.

   As for Line skis, I would hold off on the prophets, the new Influence line looks SICK and could be a PERFECT match for you. I’m hoping to get on a pair myself asap and I will have a review up as soon as that happens. One ski you could consider is the Mothership. If you’re big enough to rock the 195cm it will charge hard, float reasonably well, and even though it’s a bit heavy it has enough sidecut to fly through the trees.

   I have never ridden a ski by Movement so unfortunately I can’t help you there.

   Another ski I will throw in the mix is the Moment Bibby in the 190 length. I’m sure Jonathan will chime in on that ski for you.

   Glad you’re loving the reviews. More to come!!!

8. i have been considering the s7 or the salomon rocker 2
   i cant really decide
   usually ski tahoe, living in the bay area

   i’m about 5’7″ and 160lbs.
   i currently have a pair of Volkl AC30 that i really like – but have been getting more into the powder the past couple years – tree skiing, etc. and I want to get a powder ski that I can still use on the groomers

   thinking about the 178cm s7

9. I can’t comment about the Rocker 2’s since I haven’t had a chance to ride them yet. As for the S7 yes it would work for you as a powder ski and it still feels pretty good on the groomers. I personally preferred the similarly shaped Black Diamond Amperage over the S7, but if you are new to skiing in the powder and trees you might like the S7 a little more for now. Remember that the S7 measures a little short and also feels shorter then it is when you are skiing them. Your size tells me you would be on the bubble between the 188 and 178 so it would be your ability level that would send me one way or the other.

10. cool, thanks for the input. I think i am going to go with the rossi s7 178cm
    my ac30’s are 168’s so i think the added 10cm will be good enough. i’m hesitant to go as long as 188

    i am also going to go with the axial2 120xxl binding, as recommended by rossignol.com

11. Hey,
    I’m a tele skier abandoning tele (I want my knees to last another 20 years of skiing ) I’m 6″ 200lbs and have been skiing the BD Verdicts. I’m looking at the 2010-2011 Justice and the 2011-2012 Super7 at 188. I live in BC and ski about 55 days a year at whistler and some in the interior. So we get lots of heavy wet snow (and hope we will get mor this season) I’m an advanced/expert skier. I don’t drop cliffs (the occasional cornice but who doesn’t) I’m going to keep my verdicts for touring but am looking for a resort ski. Have you skied the Justice? I LOVE my verdicts but they have served me well and need to be retired or at least set aside for a while. So that being said can you suggest a ski that might work for me? Enought info ? Too much?

    Thanks and I really enjoyed your review.
    Andy

    • Andy, I have not skied the BD Justice but have a couple worthy friends that do. From what they have said the Justice is pretty soft, none of them would really consider it the best inbounds option out there in it’s size range. That being said, most of them love it in the backcountry. Honestly if you wanted to stick with BD I would highly recommend either the Zealot or the Amperage. If you want a more traditional shape like your Verdict go w/ the Zealot, if you want the more tapered shape of a ski like the S7 go w/ the Amperage. I personally liked the Amp over both the Super 7 and S7. With your size I think you would overwhelm the 188 Super 7 if you ski with any power at all. With how much you love the Verdict I think you might really like the Zealot inbounds, it’s more fun than BD wants you to believe!

12. Jason or Jonathan,

    I’m 5’10” and 200 lbs, looking for a great ski for Steamboat / Snowbird / Alta. Live in CO. May become a one quiver ski for me though. Advanced skier, been skiing for 30 years, just not much of a risk taker these days (read twin baby girls…) My resort ski is a Mythic Rider 178. I only ride switch to get out of trouble, and don’t land many jumps over 5 ft. Ski at average speed and I suck in the bumps (though determined to fix that this year) Any advice? Sounds like Bibby Pro or Sickle might be a good choice. (I was just about to buy a 188 Super 7 when I read this article). Thanks.

13. also… read the review on the DPS Wailer 112… thoughts? size recommendations? thanks!!

    • Steve, If you were really excited about the Super 7 I would suggest the Black Diamond Amperage. It is what I had hoped the Super 7 would have been. I also think that the Bibby Pro would be an amazing quiver of one for Alta and the Bird on all but the hardest days (all 3 of them, hah), in which case you can resort back to the Mythic Riders. I can’t say much about the Wailer 112’s since I haven’t ridden them yet. Jonathan will chime in about those I’m sure since he loved them. Of all the skis you mentioned I don’t feel like you can go wrong, except possibly with the 188 Super 7, if you were going that route, at your size I would bump it up to the 195. The Rossi’s run really short and they ski like they are even shorter. The Sickle is MY favorite ski of them all, but I am quite a bit lighter than you. I would be a little nervous w/ someone that is 200lbs skiing them on bottomless days at Alta/Bird.
      My top recommendations would be the Bibby and the Amp. See ya’ at Alta!

14. Great review Jason. Although I haven’t skied the Super 7’s, I was thinking of buying a pair until my buddy talked me into the Armada AK JJ. I was curious as to whether you had demoed the AK JJ bc/ I’d really love to hear what you have to say about them. I haven’t skied them yet, but am chomping at the bit. For the record, the K2 Obsethed was one of my favorite powder boards of last year. Thanks.

15. Do you guys over on Blister have any thoughts on the ON3P Billy Goat. Its rep over on TGR is that it is comparable to the S7 but stiffer and burlier. Which is what the Super 7 188 is designed to be. Do you have any comments on the Billy Goat?

    • Hey, Tony. Jason and I both skied the Billy Goats (186cm) this past season. And you’re right: it is definitely stiffer and burlier, so much so that it doesn’t really feel to me like an apples to apples comparison with the S7.

      The other issue is that we discovered rather late in the season (my fault) that our pair of Billy Goats’ bases weren’t flat (they were convex), which led to some squirrely behavior on groomers. This was an anomaly, but it meant that we weren’t in a position to do a full review of the Billy Goat. However, enough people are writing to us asking about the Billy Goat, I’ve decided to go ahead and post the review I wrote months ago on the Billy Goat’s deeper snow performance. So look for that soon.

16. Jason and Jonathan.. Any reason you don’t throw in the Atomic Bent Chetlers in the mix of options? Thanks!

    • Ives, I’m not sure whether Jason has skied the Bent Chets, I did two days on them last spring. I would take the 183cm BCs over the S7s in a heartbeat – it’s a really fun ski. But for me, the tips and tails of the Bent Chetlers were still too soft for harder, chopped up conditions. But a super fun, playful ski, very good on groomers, given its width. Both the S7 and the BC are best skied from a more upright, centered stance (though you can drive both on groomers), and the BCs don’t suffer from the (now well documented) tail instability of the S7.

      The 192 Bent Chetler is at the top of my interest list. I’ve heard only good things about it from people who skied it, and I can’t wait to test and review it.

17. Can’t tell you guys how nice it is to have this kind of feedback and info on planks. 6’2″ 215, having similar experiences with the 188 and 195 super 7. I’ve got a new pair of Cochises itching to go downhill, however, since it doesn’t snow in Utah any longer I’m online chomping. LOVED YOUR reviews on the JJ/AK and the Rossi’s. Was considering demoing the JJ/AK and also have immediate access to the Blizzard Bodacious. Love nimble ski’s and other than my Scott P4 191 the only powder ski I’ve been on is the Super 7. Waddya think?

18. One other thing, and possibly more of a factor than your skiing style is the snow you have in Utah. I have put at least 8 days in on the Super 7s and can’t say I have felt many of the sensations you have described. But I ski at Mt Baker in the Pacific Northwest where we always have more dense snow than what you guys ski on down there which in turn allows us to often ski steeper slopes as well. I have to say the only thing that took getting used to for me was the fact that I had to learn to trust the rocker and stay centered over the skis. The other is the fact that I also had new boots and had to adjust the fwd lean. For up here at least I love these skis on steeps and have you opened them up on narrow chutes and powder bowls without hesitation. But we do not have Utah powder, which may account for the difference in feel.

    • I did find the Super 7 and S7 to perform much better in dense fresh snow as well. I still would prefer many other skis as soon as conditions become chopped up and still stand behind the Sickle being a much better ski overall. There IS a new Rossi ski on the way, keep your eyes glued to Blister!

19. Great review! I just thought I would drop my two-cents… I recently bought a pair of Armada JJ’s (185cm) and decided to return them for a more all mountain pow/crud ski. After demoeing several sets, I have decided to exchange the Armada’s for the Super 7’s. I am 6’2 // 190lbs and I think these skis have the perfect balance of speed, playfulness and float. I’m used to a heavy charger ski and I felt extremely comfortable at high speeds in the pow and the chop. I also hit steep woods and found the Rosignol’s very nimble. I wanted to try the Armada TST’s but they only had 174cm… I love the ARV’s but I wonder if the TST’s will be to light. Have you tested the Armada’s? Thanks in advance!

    • If you think the Super 7’s are good, you are going to be blown away by the new Squad’s! As for Armada, I do believe the TST is on our list of skis to review before the season is out.

20. Jason,

    Your reviews are incredibly helpful. Like many I’m trying to make the decision around a new set of boards and struggling, especially since I haven’t had the benefit of demo’ing many of the great options out there. I’m between 6’3″ / 6’4″ and weigh 200lbs…agressive advanced / expert that splits time between the PNW (Seattle area and Whistler) and Mammoth. I’m heading up to AK in a few weeks and looking to bring a new set up.

    I’ve demo’d the Obsethed (189) and Super7 (195), going to try to Bentchetler and whatever else I can this weekend. I’m looking for a 115-125mm underfoot ski that is has a good rocker profile (not too much) so it’s fun and nimble for a bigger ski but can charge pretty hard and handle well at high speed in variable. I know that may be asking for too much but looking for the best compromise. I thought the Obsethed had a little too much rocker but still had fun on it and I could definitely make it work. The Super7 was fun and I agree / slightly disagree with your points. Both were mounted with terrible demo bindings (I released on each simply GS’ing groomers)…so while I surprisingly had better luck skiing hard in the variable, I didn’t really push them too hard given my lack of confidence.

    I’m hoping to make a purchase this week and would love to get your thoughts…obviously looking for a ski that is around 190 or longer. Bummer the Squad7 isn’t out yet, that one looks interesting.

    • It definitely stinks the Squad isn’t out yet, I think you might really like it! Consider the Moment Bibby Pro, Blizzard Bodacious, Atomic Atlas, On3p Billy Goat. Also, I know the 192 Black Diamond Zealot may be a little skinny, but could fit the bill. Unfortunately, I haven’t been on many of those skis so I can’t say too much, but I do know many people that are very happy with each of them. I’ll try to get more beta for you asap.

21. not sure of your research on mounting line, but all your complaints are consistent with mounting WAY too far forward. for such a knowledgeable guy, that seems like a dumb blunder, and to review it as a powder crud ski with that mount position is pretty irresponsible. try -2 and see what you think.

    • The first bit of helpful information in determining my mounting location can be found in this statement of the review, “I also decide that I’m done with owning multiple skis. I want to keep it simple. I want a ski that maybe isn’t perfect for anything but is good to great at everything. And given everything I’d seen and heard, the Rossignol S7 and Super 7 immediately come to mind. I had been excited to try the S7 ever since watching Sage tear it up on them while forerunning a FWT comp at Snowbird a couple years ago.”

      With that in mind, and also as I state in the review, I did my research by talking to a Rossignol athlete to find where he and other team skiers were riding them, and where Sage had rode them (before leaving Rossi). All were at least as far forward as me. Sage and others were actually quite a bit further forward. I also plodded through a million pages of TGR threads, and yes I noticed many people ski pow with these at -2, but I wasn’t only skiing pow. As my only ski, I planned on skiing it in all conditions and terrain, and even as a dedicated pow ski I like to trick off everything I can, so +1 was the compromise for performance and balance. You can find this info in the review as well, “I chose +1 to keep the ski floating in pow but also to keep the swing weight as balanced as possible for that playful, jibby feeling I love.”

      I have since skied these at other mount locations and my overall opinion has not changed. It’s not that I couldn’t ski them or do what I want with them, it’s that there are many other options out there that hands-down outperform this ski. The S7 has a target market it works exceptionally well for. Now Rossignol has the Squad 7 to fill the shoes the Super 7 couldn’t.

22. In the comment above, you mentioned trying a few other mount locations on the 188 super 7. Also that Sage and some other team skiers mounted them significantly further forward than +1.

    Would you mind elaborating a bit more on your experiences at the other mount points? Did you go further than +1? What is up with the +5 line? I appreciate a mellow swing weight but the +5 line seems really far forward and I am surprised the factory would recommend such an awkward spot. Is +5 supposed to be the center of the ski length or of the contact points or the sidecut or what?

    I have searched pretty extensively and what I am finding is that most skiers who buy this ski are looking for a directional charger (or a more affordable dps, or couldn’t wait for the squad), so I see a lot of -2, -3 rec’s. I like to go fast in shitty conditions but I have a specific ski for that. I also still have my center mounted, symmetrical pow boards for jibby, playful, slow skiing.

    For me, the Super 7 is supposed to be something that is ok at being playful and ok at going fast, etc, etc. Not always, but typically if a ski doesn’t please me right away, I tend to adapt and find ways to like it.

    I guess I am fishing for someone to tell me that is is ok to mount them at +2 or +2.5.

    Me:
    Some young guy
    5’8 on a good day
    150 lbs on a fat day
    PNW (Exclusively Crystal, so a little of everything)
    Expert I guess, 80-100 days

23. I as well have demo’d the female s7’s and was looking to purchase for this year. However after reading the comments about the review I thought i should ask for better recommendations. What would you suggest for me as a 5’4” female, between 115-120lbs who is looking for the similar specs as the s7 168’s with camber, rockered tip and tail, and at least 115 underfoot (good for both deep pow and crud)? I also ski in the Pacific northwest and will be doing all backcountry as i can’t afford the resort pass. I would also label myself as an intermediate. Thanks for your help.

    • Hi, Jamie – I think the DPS Wailer 112RP, 168cm, could be an excellent choice for what you’re describing. It’s 3mm narrower than what you say you’re looking for, but…it’s only 3mm. Check out my review of the Wailer 112RP.

24. Thanks Jonathan, I’ve done some research and these look to be great. To clarify, you would still recommend the Wailers for me even though I am a female (as they seem to be a male ski). Or what about the Yvette as those seem to be the female version? And thanks for this piece of the website offering answers to our questions- so helpful and I definitely will be recommending this site to others!

    • Thanks, Jamie – we’re always extremely grateful when people help us spread the word. As for the 112RP / Yvette, they are the exact same ski, just different paint jobs, and I know a number of women (including our telemark reviewer, Kate Hourihan) who love this ski – whether yellow or blue.

25. I forgot to ask as well, as I could not find your review for it if you have one, what are your thoughts on the Voile Charger BC, 170, for myself as a small female?

    • Unfortunately, we haven’t reviewed any Voiles yet. Hopefully that will change sooner than later.

26. Hey,
    I’ve been reading up on your reviews for various skis for a while now and there great. Giving me a pretty good sense of what each skis pros/cons are. Ive got an old pair of S6 Jibs, back before they had rocker, but experience tip dive sometimes and am looking for a rocker pow ski to use on the more ‘snowy’ days. Im 6feet and around the 230 pound mark (so bigger guy). Ski places such as louise and fernie but also do ski kicking horse and revelstoke quite often, so basically AB/BC. Looking for a ski that can, of course, handle some great pow in addition to stay stable on chopped up pow and crud (when its not the freshest day out). I’ve been checking out a couple skis for a while. Always had my eyes on the s7/super 7, and now the squad 7… but also have been considering the bibby, bentchetler, patron, jj, and armada’s new norwalk. Just wondering if you guys have any suggestions or anything to say to help me out!

27. Reading through this review I realized the only thing I felt I had experienced in common was the lack of a backseat. I think a big part of it is probably due to me being a lightweight skier (5’11”, 160lbs). For me the ski is fantastic, and although I can’t straightline a mogul field I can tear through crud at high speed like nobody’s business. Skiing in UT, mostly in PC. They’re fantastic for tree skiing, quick and snappy, and for me if I stay in the front seat the whole time they don’t bounce around as you described. I suppose for bigger guys the Super’s just not enough ski, but for me it certainly is.

    Cheers!

28. Jason,

    Thorough review, but I’m not sure I agree with your conclusions.

    I realize this ski will not be back next year but I figured I would throw my two cents in for posterity.

    I rode the 188 Super 7 in everything from 15″ of Wasatch fresh to days old crud, in trees, steeps bumps and groomers and found the Super 7 to be the single most versatile ski I ever rode.

    I’m a technically proficient skier, 5’10” 210lbs. Though unlike you, I like to keep my skis on the snow. So perhaps that’s a clue as to why our conclusions may have varied. Also, I had mine mounted right at the “0” line, but again, I don’t jump much, so a directional set-up is just fine for me.

    I didn’t experience any of the balance problems you mentioned in your review. I tend to drive the tips of my skis hard so the wheelie issue you experienced is truly a non issue for me. But if I did get a little bit back of center on them I didn’t feel it was a huge problem to return forward.

    If I had to guess, I would say that some of the issues you experienced were a result of mounting position.

    What I like about this ski is that it floats very well for me in the powder and absolutely slays trees. These things pivot quickly.

    While there might be better options in bottomless powder or for straight-lining chutes or run outs, for those of us who don’t do that sort of thing (or don’t do it anymore) the Super 7’s work rather well even in 188cm, even if you’re on the heavier side.

29. Great reviews of Super 7/Squad 7 Jason – really useful, balanced and constructive. I can see a pair of Squads for season after next for an every day Chamonix ski when my 186 cm Gotamas eventually give out. In the meantime, backcountry.com have got the Super 7s going dirt cheap and I may indulge in a ski specifically for the trees. I was in KH last year and had a day on 188 cm S7s (fun but too soft) and Super 7 188cm (more like it) while my Gotamas were getting an edge patch.

    The 188 cm Super 7 seemed to ski really short (like 174cm?) to me and absolutely zero effort, which was great for lightning quick turns in the trees and a lot of fun in the bumps – these things ski themselves, you just think “turn”! I’m wondering if I should go up to the 195 cm though? Interesting you say that the Rossis tend to run short – do you mean they tend to be shorter than other manufacturers for a given length in the way that K2s tend to run long? I’m looking at a picture of me on them and they also look crazy short to the extent I’m wondering if they gave me the 178 cm and I didn’t notice!

    I’m guessing the 195 cm would ski like a 180 cm, which would probably work for me in the trees. 180 lb, 5’8″, advanced skier, fairly aggressive, skis stay on the ground though! Can’t seem to get my head around buying a 195 cm ski!

    Of all the skis you mentioned I don’t feel like you can go wrong, except possibly with the 188 Super 7, if you were going that route, at your size I would bump it up to the 195. The Rossi’s run really short and they ski like they are even shorter