2027 Salomon Stance W Pro 82

The 2027 Salomon Stance W 82 Pro is a carryover ski featuring the same shape, construction, profile, and graphics as last year. This ski is fairly on-piste oriented and has a fantastic carving performance. The edge grip is ample, and the power is all there. It’s a great place to be for an all-mountain ski with a narrower format. Since it’s part of the wider Stance group, it does have more all-mountain DNA to it than some more front side-oriented skis, and that helps it carve out a specific niche in terms of application and style. There’s a dense and stable nature that keeps it fully intact in variable snow conditions and terrain while also providing plenty of edge grip and power for groomers and firmer snow. As a result of the stiffness, it’s a great choice for advanced and expert skiers who spend most of their time in an on-piste format. At the same time, you don’t want to rule out adventurous skiing.

Salomon uses a fairly traditional construction in this ski, but they put a lot into it. Built with a full poplar wood core, Salomon is not shy about the thickness and stiffness. They let it run and create a strong and sturdy ski as a result. While we don’t get the suppleness of two full sheets of metal, we do get Salomon’s Powerflex Ti laminate. This is a full width, but not full-length, layer that is cut through the middle. This keeps a strong central spine and good edge grip to go along with proper torsional stiffness. The quickness certainly comes through, more so because of the width than the build. Tester Cindy Morin states: “I really liked this frontside ski. It carved well and was extremely stable. It excelled at all turn sizes. It was forgiving and held the turn. I think it would be fine for low angle trees and moguls too!”

This ski certainly splits the difference between on and off-piste. At 82 mm underfoot, this is a narrow shape for all-mountain skiing, at least by today’s standards. There aren’t many out there that come flat, with no system binding that can hold up to this mix of performance both on-piste and off. The ski uses measurements of 124/82/106 mm in the 169 to generate a 14-meter turn radius. This is on the short side given the more traditional shape and profile of the ski. There’s not a whole lot of rocker here available to help shorten the effective edge, it still feels very smooth and centered. It does seem to like that shorter arc and more moderate speed though, as tester Havilah Stewart notes: “This ski provides a fun experience in variables conditions and responds well to different ski styles, turn shapes, and quick redirection. It skids a little on ice and I could feel some chatter, which is perhaps the tradeoff for a playful, zippy ski.”

With a strong build and a versatile shape, this Stance W 82 Pro has a lot going for it. At the same time, the quickness and the responsiveness allow it to be a lot of fun in bumps and trees as long as there’s not a lot of deeper snow. They can handle crud, chop, and adverse conditions relatively easily, as long as you’re a reasonably accomplished and comfortable skier. The agility is the main point here, though, as skiers can get from one turn to the next with relative ease.