2022 SALOMON QST 98 SKI REVIEW

A little over a month ago, we released our review of the new Salomon QST Blank skis. In that review, we mentioned there’s another new QST ski for 2022, and although we love skiing the Blank, this ski is more appropriate for most skiers, the new QST 98. To me, the QST line has always been about versatility and adaptability with a relatively playful, fun-loving feel. I’ve always been impressed with the way they handle a wide variety of snow conditions. They feel playful and maneuverable when you’re feeling that way or when skiing technical terrain, yet they have always had a smooth, stable feel. This QST 98 replaces the QST 99 and carries forward the theme of versatility, but actually has some similarities to the Blank in its shape and overall performance.

Let’s start with construction, as Salomon is one of those companies who uses relatively unique materials. I’ll never forget the first time someone at Salomon told me there was flax in their new skis. I was admittedly pretty skeptical, but the stuff works. Salomon starts the QST 98 with a full poplar wood core. That poplar core is supported by a center strip of their C/FX material. C/FX is a woven blend of carbon and flax, designed to provide the energy, responsiveness, and stability of carbon, but in a smoother, damper feel thanks to the inclusion of flax. At this point, its performance has been proven over and over again in different iterations of the QST skis. The new QST 98 also gets Cork Damplifier in the tips and tails, which was introduced to the QST skis a few years ago and does a great job further reducing any unwanted vibrations through the ski. One of the new elements for 2022 is Double Sidewall Technology. A high density piece of ABS is placed underfoot and is combined with a full length sideway to give the ski more grip on firm snow and a stronger, more stable feel overall. I always think about balance when it comes to the QST skis. Balanced performance, balanced characteristics, and I think that comes through on this ski as well and is evident in its weight: 1860 g in the 176 cm length. Not crazy light, but certainly not heavy.

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Then there’s the shape. The new QST 98 has noticeably more rocker and early taper both in the tips and tails than the QST 99 it replaces. This is where the similarities with the QST Blank really shine through. Put them next to each other and you can tell they were designed by the same team of engineers and use a lot of the same concepts. Probably the most important thing here is the increased amount of tail rocker. That’s where we feel the biggest difference between the 99 and 98 and even just with a quick glance, it’s obvious they’re different skis. The new skis have a slightly shorter turn radius as well, although it’s not tremendously different. 17 m in the 183 cm length rather than 19.4 in the previous 181 cm length. So, those are the differences, now what about performance?

It’s hard for me not to look at a shape like this and think, “that’s going to be really twitchy and probably unstable.” I’ll be the first to admit that I had that in the back of my mind when I first skied them, and it was obvious to me when I reviewed video footage from our first test days. The thing is, they’re not twitchy, and among skis that use this much rocker and early taper, they’re one of the smoothest skis I’ve skied. Let’s start by talking about groomers. The QST 99 always had a nice feel on groomers. Not too demanding, but still relatively strong. This QST 98 is even easier to ski and more forgiving than the QST 99, but is impressive strong on a groomer still. The increased amount of taper does change the effective edge, which we’ll talk about more when it comes time to choose your length, so the ski doesn’t feel like it’s pulling you into a carve as much as the 99 did. That said, once in a turn, the Double Sidewall makes up for the shortened effective edge and gives you a pretty strong feel. It’s smooth and has excellent vibration damping just like the ski it replaces, just a slightly different feel when linking carves.

What’s really beneficial about this new shape is how easily it lets you not carve. The edge release out of the tail of the QST 98 is incredibly easy, and again, never feels twitchy. Some skis that use a lot of rocker/taper almost feel too active. It’s like they’re never particularly happy carving or skidding, they always want to be doing something else. The QST 98, on the other hand, allows for incredibly smooth, easy, controlled skids and smeared turns that are so, so easy to do. I see a lot of skiers on the mountain that would benefit from this performance. I see a lot of skiers fighting the edge grip of stiffer skis with more camber. I see a lot of skiers washing out on super-soft skis with a ton of rocker. The QST 98 has a nice balance of both. It’ll carve when you want to, but it’s perfectly happy never carving a single turn.

And that brings us to off-piste performance. I think it’s safe to say this is the area where Salomon really wanted to give the ski more capabilities, and they sure did succeed. The QST 98 is so much fun in soft snow, in trees… really anywhere on the mountain you want to take it. That same willingness to release the tail edge carries over into technical terrain and makes you feel like you’re the best skier on the mountain. You’ll be maneuvering through terrain that used to challenge you with ease! Ok, it won’t actually make you objectively a better skier, but it really is the type of ski that increases confidence in tight, technical terrain. Easy release, light enough to swing around, but then a solid, confident feel under your foot if you happen to encounter some firm, icy conditions in the sidecountry or backcountry.

I also think this is a really good ski in powder. In fact, I’d go ahead and say it out performs pretty much anything in the ~100 waist width range in deep snow. The tips and tails are nice and wide (132 mm tip), and with all that rocker you get a ton of float. It also has the same extra little rise in the very end of the tip as the QST Blank, so when the ski does sink below the snow surface, it pops right back up very quickly. We had a group of skiers testing both the Blank and the 98 on a pretty deep day in the Stowe backcountry, and to be honest, the 98 was holding its own alongside the much-wider Blank. Definitely more float out of the Blank, but the 98 was impressive. Sometimes, when things get that deep, a ski in this width can feel a little catchy or get bogged down a little, but that was never the case on the 98.

Bob St.Pierre has been spending a lot of time on the QST 98 too, so I asked him to chime in with a paragraph giving us his opinion: It's been interesting seeing the evolution of the QST series as a whole over the years, and the 2022 QST 98 adds an interesting chapter to the book. I like how they've gotten more stable over the years, and as a result, I feel like they got to be more liberal this year with the taper shape and rocker profile. Further separating themselves from the Stance 96 and 102, the QST 98 certainly paves its own way, and the playfulness of the ski for this year takes it to the next level in terms of all-mountain usefulness. It's a way better floater than most other 98's out there on the hill, but it still carves a wicked turn. I'm a huge fan of the 18-meter radius in the 189 cm length, allowing for a longer edge contact with the snow for us larger skiers. It's not the lightest ski out there, but when that heft is combined with the twin rocker profile and the dramatic taper shape, the fun-loving nature of the ski is truly revealed. It's incredibly satisfying to use the full sidecut and shape of these skis on the groomers, and they feel effortless and intuitive in the off-piste areas, making this next iteration of the QST series skis one of the most versatile and playful skis I've been on in quite some time--an excellent upgrade from Salomon without a doubt.

Thanks Bob! Overall, I think Salomon nailed it on the redesign of the QST 98. I love the way it skis (there’s even enough tail rocker to ski switch! Thanks Salomon!). I also love how it fits into the other skis Salomon offers. I think the QST 98 is a better complement to the Stance 96 than the QST 99 was. It differentiates more from that ski, which I think makes a lot of sense. I also really like how the whole QST line feels now. The 92 and 106 stay the same, and those skis have less rocker in the tail. I think about it kind of like and east coast/west coast situation. An eastern skier is most likely choosing between the QST 92 or 98. The 92 is giving you more precision and more feedback out of the flatter tail, while the 98 is more playful and smeary. A western skier can kind of do the same thing with the QST 106 and Blank. If you like charging through choppy snow, perhaps the flatter tail of the 106 is better for your skiing style. If you’re more of a slash/smear/butter type of skier, you’ll almost undoubtedly prefer the Blank. I like having some differences within a line of skis, and that’s not something we often get from ski manufacturers. It’s usually just “here’s a ski, oh and it comes in different widths.” From Salomon, in the 2022 QST line, each ski feels like it has its own unique personality and thus its own unique application, and I think that’s really cool.

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Written by Jeff Neagle on 03/18/21