2021 Salomon Stance 90

The lightest, quickest, and thinnest ski in the all-new Stance line from Salomon, the Stance 90 is the most front-side oriented ski of the group. Aimed squarely at advanced and expert skiers who are looking to rail turns on the groomers but also have some versatility for off-piste adventures, the Stance 90 brings a new level of stability and strength to the Salomon line. Built with a poplar wood core and two sheets of metal, these skis are getting in touch with their inner Kendo/Brahma. Built to compete with these more traditional models, the spin on the Stance are the two cutout windows in the forebody and tail of the ski. By removing some metal from the second sheet, they make the ski more playful and accessible for skiers who looking for a less-planky feel from their ski. That all-mountain/front-side crowd is getting pretty stacked these days, and Salomon has certainly put forth a good effort in getting their foot in the door with the Stance 90.

Josh Wolfgang skied the 182 and gave his top scores of 4's out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, and playfulness. We expect that quickness score will be consistently high, as the build and the shape lend to those faster turn transitions. Josh notes that the Stance 90 is a "fun ski. They found a nice balance between the stability/drive-ability and playfulness. This ski wants you to flex into a turn and rail a few slalom/GS turns but then pop out and play on the side of the trail." In comparison to the wider 96 and 102 of the Stance line, Josh states that the 90 is a bit less stable at speed and not as great at handling the crud as the 96, but does allow for quicker turns." Definitely, it's a different ski for a different skier than the 96 user. Bob St.Pierre was also on the 182 but would have preferred the 188. His top marks, like Josh's, were 4's for quickness and maneuverability, but Bob also found them to be quite stable. Versatility and overall impression also earned 4's, showing the well-rounded nature of these 90's. In terms of the build and how it matches up with him as a skier, "this is a very appropriate build for my size-just jives well with me. I have loved the 90, 96, and 102. Very quick from edge to edge and loves being in a carved turn, but can be broken and released from the turn when desired. Makes incredibly clean and round turns and can be pushed pretty hard."

Jeff Neagle found the 182 to be on the long side, so his high scores of 5 out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold aren't too shocking. Versatility and overall impression each earned 4's, so it's safe to say that although the sizing wasn't quite right, the ski itself worked well for Jeff. "The Stance 90 rips. In my opinion, it feels a lot like the Volkl Kendo. Plenty of stability and vibration damping and requires a fairly skilled skier to make the most of it. Get it up to speed and on edge and the Stance 90 is a blast. I do think it's on the heavy/stiff side for an intermediate skier or someone who doesn't ski aggressively. I do think it has a touch more forgiveness than some skis in the dual-metal range around 90 mm, but just a touch. Skiers will likely appreciate that as it doesn't beat you up as much as some skis, but still has plenty of power and edge grip."

New skis are always fun, and it's interesting to see what they can do and are capable of. It's also exciting to hear how our testers react to something new to the market. It sounds like the Stance line as a whole will do quite well, and for those more front-side oriented skiers looking for a bit of versatility, the 90 should stick out among the group.