2022 Salomon QST Lumen 99

The QST Lumen 99 from Salomon is back for 2022 with just an updated topsheet graphic. This ski blurs the line between all-mountain and freeride with its 99 mm waist width and All-Terrain rocker profile. Over the years, the QST line has made a name for itself thanks to the mix of playfulness, stability, and good soft snow performance. The 99 is perhaps the most versatile out of the whole line as it handles both firm groomers and some pretty deep snow conditions without major issues. Salomon uses a lightweight poplar wood core with their now-classic C/FX material. Carbon is woven together with flax to combine energy and responsiveness with a damper, smoother feel. To increase vibration damping, Salomon also utilizes their Cork Damplifier in the tip of the ski. Cork is a very unique material in how it absorbs vibrations, and by placing it in the tip of the ski, Salomon has drastically reduced both tip deflection and the amount of vibrations that ultimately reach your feet. While it’s not the lightest ski on the market, the 1740 g weight is respectable, and some skiers even choose to mount the QST Lumen 99 with a binding like the Salomon Shift to double as a resort/AT ski.

Annie MacDonald skied the 174 cm length in the QST Lumen 99, the longest available length for the women’s graphic. As a reminder, Salomon builds their “men’s” and “women’s” skis the same, so if you’re in need of a longer length, you can usually just move over to the other graphic. Interestingly, on the “men’s” side, the ski has changed to the QST 98, but as of writing this Ski Test, you can still pick up a QST 99 in a longer length in the 2021 graphic. Back to the Test… Annie loved the 174 cm length for herself and awarded the QST Lumen 99 some impressive scores. We got 5 out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression. Flotation, playfulness, forgiveness, and versatility were right behind at 4 out of 5. “Love this ski! Light and stable. Good edge hold and light enough that it floats great in powder. Very versatile all-mountain ski that would be good for all conditions and touring. Good one-ski-quiver. Thumbs up!” The elusive one-ski-quiver is a hard thing to attain, but we couldn’t agree more with Annie. If you’re going to have one ski to do everything, the QST Lumen 99 is a fantastic choice.

Nifer Hoehn went for the 167 cm length, which she described as “just right.” Nifer’s highest score was for flotation at 5 out of 5, but we saw a lot of solid 4 out of 5 scores including stability, versatility, and overall impression. “These are stable and handled the heavy, warm snow well. Not as playful or energetic as some of the other all mountain options I tested, but they are easy to initiate, and are steady throughout the turn. They float well on variable conditions, and are a good all mountain option.” The QST Lumen 99 does have a stout, stable feel. There are certainly lighter and softer flexing skis on the market, but we think this ski strikes a very nice balance between playfulness and stability. As Nifer accurately points out, they’re easy to turn, just not as quick as some. Kristi Brown went for the longer 174 cm length, which seems reflected in her scores. Her highest marks were for stability and flotation at 4 out of 5. She also commented how the shape helped in softer snow conditions. “The Lumen’s wider shovel loved sloshing through the slush. It would excel in powder and crud too.”

In our opinion, the highlighting feature of the QST Lumen 99 is its versatility. Its shape works really well in softer snow conditions, while the construction gives it plenty of stability without being too heavy. The result is a ski that you can confidently take anywhere on the mountain knowing that it will perform admirably. It can carve turns well, but it can also smear and slash and play. Not to be superficial, but we also think it looks really, really good for 2022. The ice-blue glossy topsheet finish looks gorgeous in fresh snow!