2023 SALOMON QST LUMEN 98 SKI REVIEW

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Hey skiers, Emily Crofton here. I’m a new writer for Chairlift Chat! I’ve been working behind the scenes with the team at SkiEssentials.com writing product descriptions and I’m excited to switch my focus to bringing a female perspective to the Chairlift Chat ski reviews. Seeing as the majority of our reviews are focused on men’s skis, one of my primary goals is to expand the scope of Chairlift Chat to include more women’s ski reviews. Bringing my background and credentials into the mix, I have gained significant experience through my former position as Big Mountain Freeride Coach for the Squaw Valley Freestyle Team and current role as one of the head coaches for the Mad River Glen Freeride Team. As a freeride-focused athlete, I’m drawn to skis that have a moderate waist width, rocker/camber profile, generous sidecut, and dynamic power and versatility. I’ve found these characteristics to give me the best balance of playfulness and power for the way I approach the mountain.

To kick things off for my first review, I wanted to start with the new Salomon QST line as I’ve been skiing on the Stella 106s for a few years now. Personally, I’m quick to recommend any model from Salomon’s QST line as it continues to impress me with its ever-improving versatility, responsiveness, and the overall playfulness uniquely embodied by each model. After falling in love with the Stellas during my time out west, I had the opportunity to test the 2017 Lumen 99s my first winter living on the east coast. My takeaways as far as the overall construction and adaptability of the skis were similar, despite the difference in waist width, each delivering a high-end, versatile, all-mountain performance. With the 2023 Lumen 98 replacing the former Lumen 99, I was eager to test the updated model at my home mountain, Mad River Glen.

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Focusing on the construction first and foremost, the QST line speaks to Salomon’s unique approach to building skis through the use of unconventional materials. Through the use of a blend of C/FX material added to the full poplar wood core, the highly responsive foundation is supported by central strips of carbon and flax woven together. In turn, this takes the light weight qualities of a wood core, which delivers dynamic energy and pop, and combines it with rigidity of carbon and flax for a smooth and stable ride. Taking this all into consideration, I was curious to see what this ski would feel like on a variety of surfaces.

What I immediately noticed was the ease at which I could playfully maneuver the ski while also feeling stable and confident when going at high speed. While most skis that are constructed with a full wood core are poppy and lively, the inclusion of C/FX in the ski really stabilized and balanced the overall construction. Upon chopped up crud or variable conditions, you could really feel the effectiveness of the flax, eliminating any unwanted vibrations of the ski. Taking it one step further, the cork damplifier utilized in the tips and tails further absorbed and dampened any chatter making for a smooth, intuitive feel. I have to say though, what really stole the show in terms of the construction of the 98 was the Double Sidewall Technology. Though this feature was included in the former Lumen as well, it really made a name for itself in tandem with the early taper, which I’ll get into later.

Now, when I first laid eyes on the Lumen 98s, I was immediately impressed by the shape and profile. Most notably, the early taper and dramatic tip and tail rocker really stood out to me, especially for a ski with a 131mm shovel and 98mm waist to be able to have a 15m turn radius. Seeing as I was on a 168 cm length ski, which is shorter than my preferred 172 length, I was especially curious about how the performance would be affected in terms of the shorter effective edge. Add in the rocker/camber/rocker profile, I was hesitant to really drive this ski and confidently bring it up to speed. Sometimes when a ski features a substantial rocker/camber profile, it can feel unreliable and a little too soft for my liking. That said, I was overly impressed by the stability and edge grip, allowing me to lay into my carves and ski aggressively. As I purposely attempted to overpower the skis, I was pleasantly surprised to notice a perfect blend of rigidity underfoot and effortless maneuverability.

One of my major takeaways from this ski was the increased amount of taper. On top of the dramatic rocker, the early taper noticeably changes the effective edge, making the ski feel a bit shorter. While I’m used to skiing longer lengths, I quickly picked up on how the Lumen 98 liked to be skied. With a 15 m radius, which is quite a bit shorter than what I’m used to, the ability to transfer powerful energy from edge to edge was undemanding. One thing I’ve noticed about all of the QST skis I’ve been on, including the 99 and 106’s that I’ve owned and loved for years, is how intuitive and predictable they are to ski, giving you a newfound confidence every time you hit the slopes.

Now, let’s talk about what the conditions were like on the day that I tested these skis, because in this case, the test conditions definitely influenced my opinions. I’ll start by saying that my previous experience testing skis has been limited to mostly hard pack and groomers. While these conditions play a major role in identifying a particular ski’s strengths and weaknesses, skiing bumps, trees and off-piste terrain really helps to give a more well-rounded review. My day on the Lumen 98s followed a 16” storm that filled Mad River Glen in nicely, with packed powder and leftover goods to take advantage of. While the terrain at Mad River can be variable, thanks to the all-natural/limited grooming approach, it can be a true testament to a ski’s performance. That said, I had a blast skiing the entire mountain on these skis. Starting with the few and far between “groomer” runs that I set out on first, I noticed right away that the Lumen 98s skied a little short due to the early taper and rockered tip/tail combination. Upon hitting a few natural features and getting some air time, I felt that I could have had more ski under me. For a hard charging, directional skier who prefers a bit more power and stability, I would suggest a longer length for these skis. However, laying into my carves and transferring from edge to edge felt comfortable and effortless. When I amped up my speed, I felt that the ski could handle it and never felt chattery or loose, thanks to the double sidewall technology. This feature really ties it all together with this ski, as it gives it the strength and stability you need despite the shortened effective edge.

Moving onto off-piste performance was where I could really decipher the difference between the 98 and the 99. Whereas the 99s feature a more directional ski profile, the 98s have significantly deeper rocker lines, especially in the tail. I noticed this on my second run, which consisted of moguls and some tight, technical trees. In these types of conditions, I felt that this ski really shined, hugely in part to the shorter turn radius. I was so surprised by how swiftly and technically I could pop from edge to edge to maneuver these skis with style and grace. Coming in at 1740 g per ski in the 168 cm length, they’re light enough to maneuver playfully, but they remain sturdy and reliable underfoot. The eagerness to release from the tail edge really assisted my ability to ski more aggressive terrain while also maintaining overall smoothness in the performance. While I wasn’t lucky enough to ski on these in fresh powder, I feel confident that they would handle it well because of the 98 mm underfoot, 131mm wide shovel, and plentiful rocker that will have you floating effortlessly, in and out of deep snow.

My time spent skiing around on the QST Lumen 98s greatly exceeded my expectations. I was reluctant to ski a ski with such dramatic taper in combination with the rocker/camber profile and at a shorter length than I am used to. After skiing around the entire mountain and in various types of conditions, these skis handled themselves fantastically. I’m extremely impressed with Salomon’s approach to the 2023 QST line, as they carried forth many of the attributes from the former models yet with some upgrades to the overall shape and profile. Now that I spend the majority of my season on the east coast, I’m finding a pull towards the middle of the road waist width, and for a 98 mm ski, it is an extremely nimble ski off-piste. The Lumen 98’s are effortless to ski and carve, energetic if you’re looking to push it, and smeary/playful without sacrificing stability. For an all-mountain freeride ski that can handle various types of terrain and conditions, the Salomon QST Lumen 98 is an excellent choice.

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Written by Emily Crofton on 05/05/22