2023 Salomon Stance 96

As the mid-width ski in the Stance lineup (not counting the 80 or 84), the Salomon Stance 96 can certainly be considered the flagship model. We talk a lot about the mid-90's being the sweet spot for do-it-all skis, and the Stance 96 is no different. This shape of ski, combined with the construction, should be able to carve, float, play, and rip all over the mountain in any type of conditions or terrain. Built with a poplar wood core, two sheets of metal, and Carbon/Flax stringers in the forebody and tail, these are burly skis that are smooth, strong, and stable. But the story does not end there—they’re also agile, quick, and predictable so that skiers of the advanced and expert levels can really get into them and make them do what’s asked instead of just going along for the ride. The 182 comes in at 2010 grams per ski and produces a 20-meter turn radius, setting them apart from the floatier and turnier QST series of skis from Salomon.

Bob St.Pierre skied the 182 this season, but has skied the 188 in the past, noting that he “prefers the 188, but the 182 is a lot of fun, too!” Since there’s no change in the ski other than graphics for 2023, it’s okay to use past experience to discuss present and future results. Bob scored the ski a top mark of 5 out of 5 for stability, with 4’s for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, maneuverability, and flotation. Bob states that “I've always really liked this ski, even in the 182. It's intuitive, confidence-inspiring, and very stable. You have to remember that the tail is pretty strong, though, because sometimes you're having a lot of fun out there and kind of forget that there's a lot of metal to the ski. On one or more occasions, this thing reared back and kicked my butt, but that was a good reminder that this ski differentiates itself from the QST line in that way. Great woody feel to it, a lot more complete of a ski than the M6.” Another powerful skier, Steve McKenzie found that the 182 “skied shorter in a good way.” Sometimes with the shorter length, the smaller radius makes the ski do some things that the 188 would not. Steve gave it 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, playfulness, and stability, and 4’s for versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, maneuverability, and flotation. Steve was “Loving the playfulness of the nose and tail cutout core. Plenty of grab and push for laying out turns with enough control for getting between nosedive head wall moguls and popping over the tops. Top ski of the day so far!” High praise right there from Steve!

Ryan Daniel was on the 188, noting that “yes very nice” in reference to that length. He gave it 5’s for overall impression, stability, playfulness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, and flotation with 4’s for versatility quickness, and maneuverability. This is a very high spread of scores from Ryan, indicating his favorable experience on the Stance 96. Ryan comments: “I love this ski. Great combo of length and radius. Felt long when doing short swish turns. On edge it felt on point. Hands cold.” My guess is that he could have talked longer on it, and as a side note, I got to film Ryan skiing down on the Stance 96, and he looked every bit of awesome on this thing. Also on the 188, Mike Anglin states that the “Salomon Stance 96 is a solid performer in a very large field of players. Doesn't have a jaw dropping wow factor, but it also doesn't have any weaknesses. Really does everything really well. Loved skiing the longer size, which had incredible stability during longer GS turns in very soft snow. Was versatile enough to perform some slower speed turns, and a multitude of different turn shapes. It eats up all terrain that is thrown at it. The intermediate to expert skier will have a great time on these Stance 96.”

Now in its third season coming up, the Salomon Stance 96 is starting to carve out a reputation for being an amazing all-mountain ski that rips turns and eats crud. These are highly versatile, but also high-performance, and that’s kind of a race combination these days. With a solid blend of attributes, these well-rounded skis are best-suited for advanced and expert skiers as they have a tremendously high-performance ceiling and gear.