Salomon's QST line goes from strength to strength and is almost a brand within a brand at this point. With strong competition in the freeride category this season, the QST 106 needed to perform. And it did.
A light poplar wood core and the addition of cork in the tip and tail, make for a fun, floaty and classically Salomon type of ski. The cork keeps the swing weight down and helps hugely with dampening (according to Salomon it is "16 times better" with regard to dampening!)
It's difficult to avoid direct comparisons with the Black Ops Sender Ti from Rossignol, not least as we skied them back-to-back, and particularly as the former has scored so highly. The QST 106 is as different to the Rossi as can be, but is just as awesome!
Superbly poppy, and full of life and fun, the QST 106 is like a bundle of potential energy, coiled and ready. It is borderline prone to deflection in choppy snow, which might put some people off (particularly very aggressive and/or heavy skiers, and straightlining crust chargers) but it is nimble and flighty enough to turn a deflection into something more graceful.
Great fun and the soft, light tip makes for incredible turn initiation on hard pack for a 106mm ski, adding superb versatility which you wouldn't normally see in a ski so wide (and therefore value too). And the graphics - in a muted green - are nice as well!
