2023 Salomon Stance 84

We need more skis like the Salomon Stance 84 out there on the hills today. Skiers get too caught up in wider skis these days, and while they work well for the most part, they don’t quite align with what most skiers do most of the time, and that’s skiing mid-range turns on mid-range terrain, mainly groomed. While the overall character and personality of the ski remain quite rooted in the wider Stance skis, the build is a bit different. Still built with a poplar wood core, the Stance 84 gets a single sheet of titanal and a carbon laminate in the forebody and in the tail. This creates a solid grip underfoot and high energy in the initiation and completion phases of the turn. They’re not quite as stiff as the 90/96/102 versions of the ski, but that’s not really the point with the 84. In the 177 cm length, these skis generate a 16-meter turn radius to go along with a weight of 1640 grams per ski, so they’re on the light and responsive side for sure. While they’re capable of making higher-speed and longer-radius turns, they’re more comfortable in the mid-range.

On the 177, Matt McGinnis noted it was just the right size for him, and scored it 5’s out of 5 for versatility and forgiveness, with 4’s going for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. “Put succinctly, the Salomon Stance 84 is whatever you want it to be (within reason of course). With its middle of the road flex, early taper, and 16m radius (maybe fact check that), the Stance 84 is pretty happy doing whatever you want it to do. On firm groomers, it’s happy to lay down long, arcing carves. When things get soft, it’s wider shovel can charge over piles of corn, and when you’re feeling peppy, the shorter length radius lets you happily bounce from edge to edge. Overall, this is a ski that I would recommend to anyone worried about buying a ski they hate. The thing about the Stance 84 is that it’s impossible to hate, it’s too easygoing to cause any anger. On the flip side, it’s not exactly a specialty ski by any means. It’s not the fastest ski, or most stable, or most lively, etc etc. But, it does just about everything pretty darn well. I like the Stance 84. It’s just a good, solid ski that just about anyone can get on and have fun, from beginner to upper intermediate level skiers.” David Hatoff calls the 177 “A great utility ski, this ski will work for so many different skier levels. Ideal for the intermediate skier, it will grow with you performance wise and is very easy to ski. Light, quick edge to edge and forgiving.” The adaptability of the ski certainly stands out for these testers.

On the 185, Bob St.Pierre got a couple of opportunities to ski the Stance 84, including a morning at Alta this April. Bob scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability, with 4’s for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and playfulness. He gave it a 3 for stability and a 2 for flotation. “Another overlooked mid-80's ski! Great for a whole lot of skiers. Quick, agile, and an awesome carver, the Stance 84 is more flexible than the 90, but a higher-end ski than the 80. I'd say most skiers who spend most of their time on groomers are not looking at a ski like this, but certainly should. It's an awesome tip-to-tail carver that loves to be on edge. Fantastic in bumps, and if there's not a lot of snow in the trees, it would do great there as well. We'll keep trying to get skis like this more press, as I feel a lot of skiers are just plain missing out. When I got on them in Alta, I was surprised at how well they handled the off-piste, more so than how impressed I was with them on the groomers. I actually skied them in wide-open bowls with a bunch of days-old snow, and while I’d certainly rather be on the QST 106 or Stance 102, the 84 did just fine. It felt soft in the mankier snow, but the chalky stuff was awesome. There’s a speed limit, but it’s still pretty high—you just have to know where it is and adjust accordingly. Most skiers who end up on this ski will not find it.”

All of our testers loved this ski, from younger more freeride-oriented skiers to more seasoned veterans who love to carve. The Stance 84 does a whole lot of things really well and performs at a very high level. The mid-80's is a great place to be for a ton of skiers, since the vast majority of resort-oriented people stay mainly on the groomers.