2026 Salomon QST Collection Introduction and First Impressions

Today is an exciting day because we finally get to share news about the new 2026 Salomon QST collection! Not only do we get to share news, there are actually two new skis you can buy right now, the new QST 100 and QST Blank. In recent years, QST skis have emerged as highly versatile options that blend the world of all-mountain and freeride. We’ve been on the 106, Blank, and X in locations like Alta, Utah, and the 92 and 98 have been fantastic performers here at our home mountain, Stowe, VT. Speaking of Alta, we first got word of the next generation of QST on our trip last spring. Over lunch with Senior Product Manager for Alpine Skis & Boots, Quentin Boutry, we saw sneak peaks of four new skis: the QST 94, QST 100, QST 106, and QST Blank. QST Echo 106 gets new graphics, QST X is back unchanged, but the 94, 100, 106, and Blank are all totally new.

Fast forward to this past December and I (Jeff) had the wonderful opportunity to travel to France and Switzerland to get a closer look at these new skis. Our first couple days were spent in Annecy, France touring the Salomon Annecy Design Center. This place is absolutely massive. I honestly had no idea how expansive their headquarters would be. Think about all the different stuff Salomon makes, and not just in the world of snow sports. It’s all developed under one roof. They were building a whole new shoe testing facility while we were there, complete with just about every type of surface you could ever walk or run on.

We also spent a lot of time, of course, in the ski development center. It’s basically a ski factory, although its purpose is more for development and testing than it is for producing big quantities of skis. Still, I was quite impressed by the scale of just the area devoted to skis. They can do a lot, and having been to quite a few ski factories and other development centers, there were some machines and equipment I had never seen before.

Speaking specifically to QST skis, we didn’t actually get to build a pair ourselves (although we did see some new test skis coming out of the press), we got to go through the steps of what goes into QST skis and a look at all the materials. To start, all the QST skis use the same construction (at least for 94, 100, 106, and Blank – Echo and X are a different story). This gives them a very consistent feel across the board and allows Salomon to differentiate performance and purpose just with shape and core thickness. It’s a very well thought out build that results in an awesome feel on snow. It starts with a full poplar wood core, which is of course a relatively common wood type for skis for several reasons. It’s lively, it’s stable, and it even has good vibration damping properties. Then Salomon uses a full length integration of fiberglass and basalt stringers. It might sound simple, but seeing this material up close is impressive. The weaving and integration of the different fibers is done in a specific manner to maximize performance on snow. It’s simple, but also not simple at all. Then there’s a new Cork Damplifier (always one of my favorite construction terms). This new implementation of cork actually is a combination of cork and TPU. It’s pretty wild holding it in your hand. It feels more like rubber than cork when you’re holding it. This was something Quentin was very focused on in our discussions and is hugely important to performance. With as much rocker as QST skis have, they need to quiet chatter, and this new Cork Damplifier is VERY impressive in how much it smooths out the ski.

The next leg of our trip brought us up to Arolla, Switzerland where we were greeted by more Salomon staff and basically the entire Salomon Freeski Team. We spent the next two days skiing, filming, taking photos, talking about skis, looking at skis, and overall it was a great experience with a fantastic group of people. I did get the opportunity to ski all four of the new skis in Switzerland. We didn’t quite have ideal snow conditions, and most of our days were spent on-piste, but we also did a bit of exploring and it was still excellent testing for all the new skis. Also, being able to bounce questions and ideas off Salomon athletes like Josh Daiek, Cody Townsend, Alexi Godbout, and plenty of others was a valuable opportunity. I always enjoy learning first-hand what the athletes ask for in their skis, where they found limitations in previous versions, and where they found opportunities to improve upon what they had been skiing on.

Back here in Stowe, we’ve had quite a lot of days on QST. In early January, we had a big group at Stowe on a very snowy day (more like the conditions we would’ve wished for in Arolla). We were able to ski all the new skis, except the Blank, on that day. Since then, we’ve been focusing our time mostly on the QST 100, one of the early release skis, both because of its availability and due to its appropriateness for here in Stowe. It’s quite possible we’ve skied them more than anyone else in the industry, aside from Salomon. It’s also quite possible we’ve skied them more than a lot of people that work for Salomon too. Regardless, we’ve really gotten to know them well and are excited to share our initial thoughts about the collection.

2026 Salomon QST 94 Skis

The new QST 94 replaces the QST 92. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous when I first heard about it as the QST 92 has become such an approachable ski for a huge range of skiers. It’s one of our go-to recommendations and one of those skis that falls into the category of “don’t know what skis to get? Just get a QST 92.” I knew Salomon wanted to strengthen the ski a little bit and make it a better option for aggressive strong skiers, but I was concerned it would take away some of its ease of use. Luckily, I didn’t need to be concerned at all! The new 94 is just as easy to ski and just as intuitive. If you’re skiing a flatter edge angle, it pivots and maneuvers just as easily as the 92 does. The higher you get it up on edge, however, the more power you can access. The tail has a more square shape now, so the higher your edge angle, the more of the tail you’re keeping on snow. You can really push off it too and create some pretty wild, super quick turns. I knew Bob would like it, as he’s incredibly quick on his feet and often wishes his skis would be quicker. I was right, he loves it. My wife loves it too, a former D1 ski racer. The things her and Bob make it do far surpass the capabilities of the 92, yet importantly, if you’re not like them and you just want something easy, it’s still a fantastic choice.

2026 Salomon QST 100 Skis

The new QST 100 replaces the QST 98. I personally have always loved the QST 98, and I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking “hey that’s basically a twin tip!” The new 100 still isn’t necessarily intended to be a twin tip in the traditional sense, but it has longer tail rocker now and does harness more of what I would call freestyle influence. They also reduced the amount of taper in the tips and tails. That change in shape combined with the changes to construction results in a ski that feels much stronger at speed and when in a carving turn. In fact, in my opinion, no ski shaped like this has any business carving as well as the QST 100 does. There are still plenty of skis that surpass it, but given its playfulness and maneuverability in ungroomed conditions, it’s quite impressive. I’m really looking forward to skiing it more this season. We have a total of four pairs in our office right now covering three different lengths and I’m happy to report that I’ll be getting a personal pair as well. You’ll see a lot more content this season from us on the QST 100 as we spend more time on it in different snow conditions, put it on the feet of more skiers, and really put it through the paces.

2026 Salomon QST 106 Skis

The QST 106 changes the least out of these four skis. If anything, it’s the change to construction that you feel more than anything else. The most recent version of the QST 106 has always impressed me in how stable it feels at speed for a freeride-focused ski. That remains true for the new 106 and, if anything, it’s enhanced. The tip feels quieter now thanks to the new Cork Damplifier, giving you more consistent contact with the snow, which translates to better control and overall a more robust feeling. The tail is also slightly more supportive than it’s been in the past, so if you’re dropping cliffs and skiing fast, it’ll perform a bit better than the previous generation. Matt Stomecki has been having a blast on it so far and it really matches his personality and style. He skis fast and aggressively, but he has a playful style, does a lot of slashes and taps and is always creative. He’s been a QST 106 skier for a long time now, and he has completely fallen in love with the new version.

2026 Salomon S/LAB QST Blank Skis

Then there’s the QST Blank. I’ll always remember my first time skiing it and wondering how a 112 mm ski could be so quick and so responsive. That’s still true for the new QST Blank, but it is a bit different now. With the existence of the QST X, an absolutely phenomenal ski, it allows Salomon to differentiate the two a little more than before. The Blank picks up 2 m in its radius, going from 17 m to 19 m in the 186 cm length. The tail is also more square than the previous version, in fact it’s a very similar tail shape to the new QST 94 and has similar results. The ski feels stronger throughout and is more composed when taking a direct, down-the-fall-line approach. You’re going to see it do really well on the Freeride World Tour this season and it’s definitely a bit more of a hard-charger than the previous QST Blank. That said, it still has enough user-friendliness that it could be a daily driver for someone who lives in an area that gets a lot of snow. We’ve always thought it performs amazing at Alta, and it will absolutely continue to do so. It just opens up the performance to skiers who like to go big and ski fast.

Overall, Salomon has taken an already-successful line of skis and has just made them better across the board. I don’t envy Quentin’s position. If I was responsible for reworking the QST Collection, I would be pretty stressed out. They’re great skis, and I would’ve been worried I would mess them up somehow. Luckily, Quentin knows more about designing and building skis than I do, and somehow, I honestly can’t think of anything that’s worse about them than the current QST skis. Only enhancements.

Shop the New 2026 Salomon QST Skis:

2026 Salomon QST 100 Skis

2026 Salomon S/LAB QST Blank Skis