Rossignol recognized some years ago that their off-piste unisex skis came out of the mold ready for the women’s market. What hadn’t Rossi already done to the Soul 7 (or Savory 7, as renamed for womankind) to make it female-friendly? The tip and tail were fashioned from Koroyd in see-through patterns reminiscent of stained glass, so swing weight was already low as basso profondo. Every shred of metal not named “edge” was omitted a priori.

So when the Soul 7 evolved into the Soul 7 HD, gender equality demanded the same of its women’s counterpart. “HD” indicates the addition of Carbon Alloy Matrix that augments the ski’s resistance to deformation. The enhancement makes the Soul 7 HD W feel grippier on hard snow and more resistant to the endless buffeting skiers endure in worked-over crud. While the higher performance ceiling of the Soul 7 HD W (compared to the Savory) ought to appeal to experts, it shouldn’t deter lower skill skiers from making it their designated powder ski.