2026 Salomon QST 106

The Salomon QST 106 is a well-balanced, predictable, and confidence-inspiring ski that is capable of taking your powder skiing to the next level and beyond. This ski has such an intuitive feel and is so incredibly easy to turn, you’ll almost forget that it’s actually quite heavy and strong. The way this ski connects to your mind and makes each turn feel like it was gifted to you by the ski gods is quite unique in the ski world. This is what happens when construction, shape, and profile come together seamlessly.

Built with a full poplar core, basalt stringers embedded in fiberglass, and a new cork damplifier layup, these skis have a fantastic mix of energy, smoothness, and silence. The new cork is more horseshoe-shaped in the tips and tails, allowing the basalt stringers to extend all the way from the tip to the tail, bringing the energy and pep to the central chord of the ski. There’s now a thicker sidewall overall in this ski, making it a bit stiffer than the outgoing model while losing a bit of weight. Salomon lists the 181 cm length at 2000 grams and amazingly, it can feel both heavier and lighter than that. Tester Bryce Zicarelli notes that she “was initially intimated by the length (typically I ride 163-167 range) but I was pleasantly surprised, it does ski a little short due to the rocker profile. Turned out to be a super stable ski and charges.”

The shape of the 106 is a bit more dramatic than we’ve seen in the past. This leads to smoother powder performance and more predictable carving turns. While nobody’s out here shopping for 106’s in terms of their carving and on-trail acumen, it’s tough to ignore the fact that this is a very fun carving ski. Like the narrower 100’s and 94’s, the 106’s just seem to steer better than other skis in this range. The taper and rocker combine to create a very intuitive nature both on-trail and off. Since there’s some heft and power here, they can get up on a high edge angle with relative ease. Tester Matt Stromecki states that “The 106 is just meant for East Coast powder days. Surfy, pivoty, and smooth in the trees but string enough to charge through the more variable chopped up snow on trail once it's been all tracked out. The rocker profile and taper shape combined with an intuitive flex pattern just make it the perfect recipe for soft snow freeride fun.” The 106’s measurements of 139/106/126 in the 181 cm length generate a 19.5-meter turn radius. This ski has always been happy to run long, and that continues into the new 2026 QST 106.

The weight and width of this ski will keep it out of the intermediate range—it works best on the feet of advanced and expert skiers, and we haven’t really found a performance limit to this ski quite yet. Due to the rocker, you can size up if you’re in the middle—some of the QST’s we like in shorter lengths, but not the 106—this ski likes to be longer. With two graphic choices and a smooth feel from tip to tail, the Salomon QST 106 is a winning ski in the mid-100's freeride realm.