i've never skied/seen in person arv's til this season's test fest, so they are the 06-07 model. i don't know if they changed something, but i didn't thing the arv was that soft. i skied the msp and then traded that for the arv, and i noticed they were softer than the msp, but not a whole lot softer. i'd compare the flex to the seth vicious. i think the ski has a great all mountain type flex... stiff enough to be supportive, yet soft enough to be forgiving and fun at slower speeds.