Built for women who ski mostly on groomers, the Salomon S/Max N°4 XT brings the redesigned XT comfort-and-confidence formula to a women's-tuned package. A poplar wood core, semi-sandwich sidewalls, and a 76 mm waist make for a light, easy-handling ski that gets on edge without much input. The shorter length range and tuned flex give intermediate skiers a forgiving platform for working on their carving technique.

Why we like it:

The shorter sizing and softer overall feel are what make this ski work for its intended audience. It carves cleanly without demanding the kind of leverage that makes some frontside skis feel like work.

Who it's for:

Intermediate women skiers spending most of their time on resort groomers, especially those building confidence in carved turns and looking for a ski that rewards progress without intimidating them.

Highlights:

The build keeps things manageable on purpose. A poplar woodcore brings the right balance of liveliness and stability for an intermediate-friendly ski, and the semi-sandwich sidewall construction adds more stability than a cap design while staying easier to flex than a full sandwich. The 76 mm waist tracks confidently across firm groomers without feeling locked in, and a wide steel edge holds up to repeated tunings season after season. A 13 m turn radius at the 159 makes for snappy short-to-medium turns, with shorter length options that keep the ski quick on your feet. The Easytrak system with the M10 GW binding rounds out the setup, keeping things simple while letting the ski flex the way it was designed to.

Things to consider:

The S/Max N°4 XT is a dedicated frontside ski. The narrower waist and minimal rocker mean it isn't going to perform off-piste, and stronger or more aggressive skiers may want to step up to the S/Max N°6 XT for a damper, more composed feel.

Fit & sizing considerations:

Stick with your usual frontside length. Drop a size if you want quicker turns or a more forgiving feel; bump up a length if stability at speed is the priority.