Rossi’s Super 7 HD is one of those skis with nothing wrong with it that they keep on improving anyway. This time Rossi revamped its Air Tip so its surface is an extension of the same topsheet that covers the rest of the ski. The new Air Tip 2.0 is not only better integrated, it’s also thinner, which seems to help it roll to the edge with the willingness of a svelter ski. On edge at the top of the turn, the attitude of the Super 7 HD is all business, but at the bottom it throws a party, releasing the energy coiled in its fiberglass and carbon core.

The classic load-and-recoil reactions of the Super 7 HD are what impart the sensation of riding a porpoise through waves. Its propulsive rise and fall sets off a rhythm as regular as a metronome, and all the skier has to do is stay centered and not interfere with the flow. The Super 7 HD is so good at skiing powder, it really doesn’t need a pilot, just a willing passenger.