The 2020 Salomon QST 92 has been overhauled for this year with the goal of making the ski lighter and quicker yet more stable and with better edge control. By tweaking the shape, they’ve given it a more turny personality, thanks to a bit more pronounced tip and tail taper. They’ve also managed to make it lighter and more appealing to the upper-intermediate to lower-expert level skiers. The blend of poplar wood, a Titanal power platform, carbon fiber, basalt, and flax seem like a lot of materials, and it is, but it works. Different materials create different effects, and Salomon does a great job putting them all together in a manner that makes sense on the snow. Additionally, they’ve added cork to the tips and tails to lighten and reduce vibrations. It’s a complex combination, but so are sports cars. Skiers can rest assured that all that research and design actually pays off in the end result. Our testers were thrilled at the upgrades, and all noted that the skis were quite stable for how light and quick they are, a specific nod to Salomon’s intended changes.
Chuck Waskuch ripped a few runs on the 177 and found it to be the perfect length. He’s a Salomon fan and commented on how the QST 92 has that “classic Salomon feel of a quality product in a light and stable package.” As a former Q98 owner, Chuck knows a thing or two about this type of ski. His overall impression of 4 out of 5 is fantastic, and is indicative of Salomon’s progress in this all-mountain category, and specifically with the QST line as a whole. He also scored 4’s for edge hold, forgiveness, quickness, and stability. These are all categories that Salomon was intent on improving upon, so it’s nice to see testers picking up on that effort. Chuck goes on to say the QST 92 is “solid and stable and can plow through stuff. They have a great blend of light and stable qualities, and while they’re not the quickest, they still react well to skier input.”
Noah Labow also skied the 177, and although he found it to be a good size, he also found it to feel a bit short. Sounds like he’s in between lengths. It happens. Regardless, Noah had strongly favorable opinions about the 2020 Salomon QST 92, as he’s been a fan of this ski in the past as well. He scored it all 4’s straight down the line. When testers resort to this practice, it generally means that they were not only impressed with the ski overall, but also that it is highly versatile. When scores are all over the board, the skis tend to excel in one area, but falter in another. The consistent scores generally show a well-rounded ski. Noah agrees: “This was a really fun ski. It preferred soft or cut-up snow to hard pack and ice. Also, the new shape preferred shorter quick turns, and that was at the expense of high-speed performance.” So we see there is a trade-off, as so often is the case with all-mountain skis, but it did not dissuade Noah from having an overall pleasant experience on the QST 92.
Mike Thomas is a bigger guy, so it’s not surprising that the 177 was too short for him, especially given the lighter-weight nature of the ski. As such, a score of 5 out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability is not surprising. He also gave 5’s for versatility and overall impression, so even though he could have used the 185, he’s still a big fan of the new QST 92. “Fun, fun, fun! What a great ski. Solid but easy…tough to combine but Salomon nailed it with these skis.” Great point by Mike that the QST 92 has those opposing qualities of stoutness and poise at the same time.
We like it when a ski crosses over a bunch of pre-conceived notions of what an all-mountain ski should be, and the 2020 Salomon QST 92 is a barrier-buster for sure.
