Review: Salomon QST X

In a nutshell

• Length Skied: 184 cm
• Stated Weight: 1900 g
• Stated Dimensions: 140-116-127 mm
• Stated Sidecut: 25 m

The Salomon QST X is available now.

Intro

For the past few seasons and product cycles, Salomon has stuck to marching to the beat of their own drum, producing skis that largely eschew timely trends with some out-of-the-box thinking. When everyone else was going all-in on light backcountry skis, the French brand dropped the QST Echo, a relatively heavy and super-damp touring shred machine. Before that, we saw the QST Blank, a heavy-duty freeride ski that was accessible to everyone from FWT pros to your average Joe. Salomon just dropped their latest creation - the QST X, and I’ve spent a few weeks in the Tetons testing the new backcountry freeride weapon.

At first glance it might look like a QST Blank on a diet, much like how the Echo is a light version of the QST 106. I quickly learned, however, that it was something completely new. Where the existing QST Blank, thanks to the cork “damplifier” in the core, was meant for high-speed skiing through everything from deep backcountry pow to chopped up resort crud, the new QST X is really meant for foot-powered access to the goods, and is actually a much better powder ski. It’s a 116 mm-underfoot freeride powder machine, with enough heft to charge on but not enough to feel too heavy to tour all day on.

Despite the lackluster start to the season out west, the new skis arrived when winter finally properly turned at the end of February. Serendipity. I was able to take the skis on some walks and lift-access backcountry riding around the Teton Range and get into some playful and technical terrain covered in incredibly deep, fluffy snow.

Length and Mount Point

I tested the QST X in the 184 length, and given the very pronounced rocker, it actually felt pretty short. That was not a bad thing - these are so nimble and slashy, yet somehow SO stable thanks to the stiff tails that the shorter size didn’t really bother me.

I did hop aboard the 192 length, which felt much less nimble, but still fun - perhaps an appropriate ski for certain conditions but it kind of defeats the purpose of the ski in my opinion.

Recommended mount point is fairly centered, and after messing around with some different positions, I settled on +1.5 from rec as my favorite - this really helps take advantage of the playful nature of the ski without feeling like you’re too over the nose.

Where does the QST X shine?

Here’s what I learned: the QST X is the ski I’d want for human-powered hero pow skiing. The very pronounced rocker profile, long (25m) turning radius, and relatively soft flex remind me of skis like the 4FRNT Renegade, or even the old QST 118, both some of my all-time favorite soft-snow skis.

The QST X’s versatility is astounding, but I found it excels in catering to playful skiers looking to ski fast through technical terrain. Think subalpine pillows, trees, and chutes - you know, the kind of terrain most of us actually spend the winter riding in the backcountry. It can still charge and straightline stuff, but it’s way more fun to throw sideways, slash and smear down the steeps.

At 1900 g for the 184 cm ski, it’s no featherweight, but it’s light enough in my book to warrant taking out on a long day. The long turn radius means plenty of edge contact despite the pronounced rocker lines, making skinning pretty comfortable for a fat ski. I tested a pair with Salomon’s new SHIFT 2 binding, but I could see a lightweight tech binding also being a good choice if you’re purely going to use this for foot-powered missions in places like Roger’s Pass, Revelstoke, or even in the Tahoe backcountry.

Some of my favorite runs were in Granite Canyon - very technical lift access backcountry skiing out the gates of Jackson Hole. The agility of the ski really shines in the steep trees typically found at the top of runs, and the stiff, stable tails are a huge bonus for stomping airs and rocketing across the aprons. Did I feel like Stan Rey? Maybe. Was it stupidly fun? Yes.

Where does the QST X make some compromises?

It’s not as much of a high speed charger as the QST Blank, and definitely gets more tossed around skiing chopped up resort snow. In other words, I wouldn’t use this purely as an inbounds ski. It’s also a bit big for high-alpine missions, but I could see it being a great choice if conditions line up (read: stable deep snow) to ski a couloir or even technical freeride terrain on a high peak.

What would a perfect day on the QST X look like?

I think there are two types of perfect days for riding the QST X. The first involves going on a long walk to ski a technical big-mountain line at high speed in deep pow. The stability and confidence inspiring nature of the ski lends itself perfectly to that. The other is just smashing laps on mini-golf terrain with the homies - it’s so playful and fun, and makes skiing deep pow REALLY easy.