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Cage Match Comparison 2017 Line Sir Francis Bacon vs 2017 Rossignol Soul 7 HD

Philpug

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The One Oh Something segment can be defined by three skis, two of which are compared here: the Line Sir Francis Bacon and the Rossignol Soul 7.

Rossi SOul7 vs Line SFB.png

The Bacon has an incredibly loyal following and might be the most repurchased model not only in this category but in any. When Rossignol launched the Soul 7 a few years back, it took the industry by storm. I am sure Rossi thought it would be popular but didn't in its wildest dreams predict this much of a sales phenomenon.

Since it was introduced, the Bacon has been the reference for a playful ski in this and almost any category. Fun and surfy, it can turn any run into a natural terrain park. Line and Mr. Pollard have done very little to change the SFB over the years, and why should they? It has been a huge success, gaining more and more loyal followers every year; some would call that a movement.

Mark IV, 4S, X-Scream, Soul 7. What do these skis have in common? Well, they are four of the best sellers of all time. For 2017, Rossignol didn’t mess with success, didn't fix what wasn't broken, keeping the Soul 7's great shape. It did address its limitations, aka the construction: the only real knock against the ski was that the tip was a little flappy and the ski got a bit nervous at speed. Well, not anymore: the new Soul 7 HD is a better Soul 7.
  • Why choose the Sir Francis Bacon? This one is for the artist, the skier who sees the whole mountain, not just the trail, as the canvas.
  • Why choose the Soul 7 HD? I don’t think a One Oh Something should be a one-ski quiver, but if you must go this big, this is the one.
  • Other skis in class: Armada Invictus 108, DPS Wailer 106 Foundation, J Skis The Metal, K2 Marksman, K2 Pinnacle 105.
 

Monique

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DB Cooper

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Could you elaborate a little bit more on the differences please? I am currently on the fence between these two skis to add to my quiver. My daily driver at the moment is an E100 190 cm and I live in Utah. I'm looking for more of an off piste ski to take into trees and bumps and have a much better soft snow performance. I recently demoed the bacon and loved it but didn't get to test it in deeper stuff. I wanted to see how it would perform on soft groomers and moguls and it did surprisingly well carving on soft groomers. I did have to put it on edge to get it to carve but when I did it performed beautifully. I'm sure it will do very good when the conditions get a little bit deeper. I've skied the Mordecai on a 12" powder day and I assume the bacon will do just fine.

The big complaint I've heard about the soul, especially for a guy my size (6'3", 225 pounds) is that it gets lots of tip tap on the groomed stuff. I'm not looking for the ski to be primarily a front side carver but I do like feeling comfortable on the way home. I also haven't skied the soul 7 but since my current ski is a Rossi and since everyone says the ski is so easy to ski I don't think I have any qualms about purchasing the soul 7 (or even a sky 7, if you have thoughts on that one) without demoing at first.

Can you please draw some more distinctions between the bacon and soul? What about the previous bacon with a 108 waist?

Thank you
 

DB Cooper

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I should add that I am debating between a 2 and 3 ski quiver:
-E100
-soul 7/sfb (for powder and days following storm and off-piste adventures)

Or

-E100
-sky 7 (post storm/off piste)
-Mordecai or other, dedicated powder ski
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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DB, are your size you need a ski that will hold you up, the skis are talking about here are not up to holding up your big frame. I will invite @Drahtguy Kevin and @DoryBreaux to offer some suggestions to your question.
 

Drahtguy Kevin

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The Soul 7 is not for you. You want a ski with some spine. Unfortunately, the Nordica El Capo is no longer. Current skis that may suit you are the Volkl 100Eight, the new Nordica Enforcer 110, or Line Supernatural 108.
 

DoryBreaux

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100eight. You might also consider the Armada Tracer 108 coming out later this year. I skied it yesterday and it has backbone without being boring.
 

Monique

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Question: Do you think the JJ 2.0 is similar to the Bacon? Husband skied the Bacons for several years; since he got the JJ 2.0s, he hasn't looked back. But they both seem to suit him.
 

DB Cooper

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My concern about some of the skis you mentioned are their larger turn radius. I'm looking for something nimble to help get around trees and bumps, not some big mountain charger.

The Soul 7 is not for you. You want a ski with some spine. Unfortunately, the Nordica El Capo is no longer. Current skis that may suit you are the Volkl 100Eight, the new Nordica Enforcer 110, or Line Supernatural 108.
 

Drahtguy Kevin

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Turn radius doesn't tell the whole story. A ski that you can easily flatten to smear, slide and pivot when needed will feel much tighter than what is printed on the top sheet.
 

DB Cooper

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Thanks. One more question regarding length. A shorter ski will be more maneuverable, but how short can I go? Some skis in this category max out at 185 or 186. I trust this isn't too short?

Turn radius doesn't tell the whole story. A ski that you can easily flatten to smear, slide and pivot when needed will feel much tighter than what is printed on the top sheet.
 

markojp

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Same goes for length.., some skis, 186 would be great. Others, too short for a guy your size.

Two ski quiver? E-100 and this years (16-17) Bodacious. 186 should be fine. Third ski? Add a non- FIS cheater GS ski. IMHO of course.
 

DB Cooper

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I've wanted to try the SN 108 all season but can't find a demo pair anywhere in the Wasatch front. Crazy! I assume the SN 108 in a 186 length will be OK? And will it have the nimbleness I am looking for?

Same goes for length.., some skis, 186 would be great. Others, too short for a guy your size.

Two ski quiver? E-100 and this years (16-17) Bodacious. 186 should be fine. Third ski? Add a non- FIS cheater GS ski. IMHO of course.
 

markojp

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Depends on you... it should though. Nimble at 6'4" 225 is different than nimble for most. Nimble for most is folding the ski for you. ogsmile
 

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