2027 Salomon QST 106

For 2027, the Salomon QST 106 gets one new graphic but the ski’s shape, profile, and construction all return unchanged. The Salomon QST 106 is a well-balanced, predictable, and confidence-inspiring ski that is capable of taking your powder and freeride 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. We have had nothing but good times on the QST 106 over the past few seasons.

Salomon does unique things with the layering of their ski construction. Built with a full poplar core, basalt stringers embedded in fiberglass, and a cork damplifier layup, these skis have a fantastic mix of energy, smoothness, and silence. The 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 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 Marcus Shakun states: “What a stable smooth ride. It just wants to be glued to the snow. It has a nice damp shovel that helps guide you into every turn but helps build that playful pop you get out of every turn. It also doesn’t always require you to be driving the ski. I found I could let it ride through whatever was in its path and it would guide me through without demanding too much effort. It also would allow you to dictate what you wanted to do...Lock it into a turn or slide it out to scrub speed or be playful. This is by far the most versatile QST 106 and just easy to ski.”

We really love the blend of flotation and steering in this ski. The shape of the 106 is a bit more dramatic than others in this range. 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. 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. Tester Matt Stromecki notes that it is “One of my favorite skis of all time! I have always had a QST 106 in my personal quiver and with this new version being even better, I am happy to be an owner of this one. It's so utilitarian for freeride skiing in VT as well as all over the world. The powder performance is unbelievable due to its surfiness and maneuverability, but there is enough backbone to keep them stable when conditions degrade or the speeds become high. This is an incredible VT powder day tree ski.”

This is a very universal freeride ski. 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 (one new and one old) and a smooth feel from tip to tail, the Salomon QST 106 is a winning ski in the mid-100's freeride realm. We’d happily ski this on any type of softer day.