Gear 360: Rossignol Atelier S Ride Free Jacket

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Rossignol Atelier S Ride Free Jacket, MSRP: $750 [[BUY NOW]]

SKI Gear 360 Review

It’s the details that count, and Rossignol went for it in designing this shell with precision. The seamless construction is laser-cut to an athletic fit that still leaves room for layering underneath. The ultrasonically-sealed hood is adjustable and helmet-compatible, while the high, micro-perforated collar covers your mouth while still letting your breath flow in and out to minimize goggle fogging. But it’s the ultra-stretch Sympatex membrane in the fabric that makes this piece standout both on the comfort front and for its high breathability rating with a moisture vapor transmission rate of over 20,000 g/m²/24h, which is on the highest end of the spectrum for garments.

We sent this jacket to our tester in SW Alaska who works in a ski shop and has already been out skiing over a dozen days this season. On first impression with the shell, he noted the over-the-glove thumb loops that kept the cuff in place and the snow out. “It was really nice to not have to futz with getting the cuff over my glove gauntlet,” he says. “I was surprised by how much I liked that. I find myself grabbing this shell over my other jackets because of those loops.”

Beyond that nice little feature, the breathability of the Sympatex is what stood out for our Alaska tester. On a recent ski tour around Fresno Peak just south of Turnagain Pass, our tester encountered inverted conditions, with a temperature of 2°F in the parking lot and a balmy 17°F at the top. He kept the Atelier S on for the entire lap. “It breathed remarkably well,” he says. “Normally, I never skin in a shell, but this one felt great.”

He also made quick use of all the pockets. “I was really digging those two large Napoleon pockets on either side of the chest,” he says. “They were just about big enough to store my rolled-up skins and keep them from freezing.” But the side hand warmer pockets have a big-toothed zipper that was noticeably rough on the wrist skin in cold temperatures.

Our tester also managed to max out the waterproofness of this shell in a recent 50-year storm with a record-breaking, house-flooding typhoon that saw 10 inches of rain in one day. He walked around Girdwood in the deluge and the shell held up great for about an hour, after which it turned into a “wet bag”. “It’s probably not designed to hold up to that kind of northern rainforest onslaught,” he says.

His other ding was that the big rubber Rossignol logo on the sleeve and fixed powder skirt made it hard to pack this jacket down much smaller than a cantaloupe.

Our tester hopes to get a lot more use out of this jacket, but when he’s done with it, he’ll be glad to know that the material is eco-friendly and recyclable with laminates made from used textile materials acquired through a circular, “closed loop” supply chain.

Rossignol Atelier S Ride Free Jacket, MSRP: $750 [[BUY NOW]]