2022 Salomon QST 106

The Salomon QST 106 is back for another season with just a refreshed topsheet graphic (and colorful base!). While Salomon revamped the widest QST (the Blank) and the 99 (now the 98), the 92 and 106 stay the same to best complement the new models. Interestingly, the 106 now has slightly less rocker than the narrower 98, especially notable in the tail shape. With its 106 mm waist width and All-Terrain rocker profile, it’s highly versatile among the freeride category. Salomon uses a lightweight poplar wood core that’s supported by C/FX and Cork Damplifier. C/FX has been earning our praise since its inception. By combining flax with carbon fiber, Salomon has created a material that provides energy and responsiveness as well as vibration damping and a smooth feel. Although it might not have as pronounced rocker as the Blank and QST 98, there’s still a significant amount, especially in the tip. It’s a nice shape for a freeride ski as you get the benefits of both edge grip when conditions are on the firm side and playfulness and float when the snow is soft and fluffy.

Jeff Neagle skied the 181 cm length in the QST 106, which he thought skied true to size and was a good choice for him personally. Jeff awarded the QST 106 some impressive scores, including 5 out of 5 for versatility and overall impression. We saw a lot of 4 out of 5 scores from Jeff, which is indicative of a well-rounded ski. Flotation, stability, quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, and torsional stiffness/edge grip all earned the 4 out of 5 score. “QST 106 is a lot of fun to ski. To me, it feels like a perfect daily driver for a western skier. You get enough width for softer snow conditions and even some powder days, but it has a long enough effective edge and enough stability for skiing aggressively through choppy snow, wind-buffed conditions, etc. Salomon achieved an impressive blend of playfulness and power in the QST 106 and I think a lot of skiers would enjoy that.” Brad Schauerman also skied the 181 cm length, which he succinctly described as “perfect.” Lots of 4 out of 5 scores from Brad as well. Flotation, stability, forgiveness, versatility, and overall impression all earned that mark. “These skis are pretty fun. Enjoyed the newer version much more than the 1st generation of QSTs. These make a good all mountain ski that is good in all different conditions, although definitely more fun in loose snow than in the hard pack. Kind of a user-friendly point and shoot sort of ski.” For freeride ski, the QST 106 is undeniably quite versatile for different snow conditions.

Jeff Siegel went for the 189 cm length, which he did mention felt a little big for him. That also seems reflected in his scores and feedback, with more emphasis on stability and edge grip than playfulness and forgiveness. Jeff’s highest score was for flotation at 5 out of 5, which makes sense given the big length he skied. Stability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression were right behind at 4 out of 5, with quickness/maneuverability, playfulness, and forgiveness all dropping to 2, 2, and 3 out of 5 scores respectively. “The QST 106 feels super stable and super fat. I’m not sure why, but it felt much wider than 106mm, maybe because of the tip and tail profiles. Like the 98, the 106 also wanted to ride on top of everything. I found I couldn’t just force it into quick turns. It requires patience and a smooth touch and then it will come around quickly. Skiers who prize a quiet, planky feel combined with oodles of float will really like the 106.” The QST 106 does have a very wide tip shape, which helps a lot with flotation. Jeff’s feedback is really interesting beyond that. Most of our testers found the QST 106 to be reasonably easy to handle. It’s not as quick as the 98 and not as smeary as the Blank, but most didn’t have any trouble getting it to swing around quickly. Based on the feedback of all our testers, be careful what length you choose and don’t feel like you need to size up. The effective edge of the QST 106 isn’t particularly short for its stated length as can happen with some freeride skis. Stick to moderate lengths and you’ll get more maneuverability.

The QST 106 keeps impressing our testers with its versatility in the freeride category. Some skis in this width range feel terrible on firm snow, but that’s not the case with the QST 106. It feels smooth and supple thanks to the C/FX and its shape provides an excellent blend of stability, edge grip, and maneuverability. We’ve seen plenty of skiers slap an alpine touring binding on it like the Shift and use it as a crossover resort/AT ski. It’s not the lightest, and likely more skiers will just put an alpine binding on it, but that’s another nod to its versatility.