If Rossi’s E100 woke up on Bizarro world, it’s alter-ego would be the Sky 7 HD. While the E 100 forebody shows up for carving duty at the top of the turn, the Sky 7 tip is always AWOL. The E 100 feels as solid as a vault, the Sky 7 as loose as spring break.

Soft and compliant, the Sky 7 HD is easy to re-direct without much prompting, an advantage on a ski this wide. One reason it’s so easy to maneuver is the way its baseline and sidecut conspire to reduce the running surface on a 180cm ski to 119cm. Even in knee-deep snow, this short a platform feels as agile as a ski board, the super-short ski fad that was once featured on the X Games.

Forgiving with a capital “F,” the Sky 7 HD gets just enough energy out of its Powder Turn baseline to help propel the skier into the next turn. For predominantly off-trail skiers who want to the accent to fall on ease, the Sky 7 HD is a sensible choice.