Salomon QST X 2025 Review

Salomon has been forging their path and disregarding industry trends, for some time now. They more or less bailed on freestyle in the traditional sense only to re-enter the market this season with Depart, a whole new team focused on what comes after our interest in the biggest spin or craziest stunt wanes. They dropped the QST Echo, a fairly burly touring ski right when other brands were trying to shave off every milligram, and released the QST Blank right when brands were trying to make everything more playful... and then there's the QST X. We'd say the industry trend is to make your [powder] skis as user and resort friendly as possible. That is not what Salomon has done.

Groomers & Resort Skiing:
It's been a while since we've skied a ski that is properly not a suitable resort ski at all, but the QST X is quite close to being there. Of course, you could take it to the resort on an epic day where groomers only exist as a brief sojourn between blower powder runs. But beyond that, you're going to have a bad time. They have enough edge to get you down to the lift but on hard snow, the reality is there is so little effective edge that all the ski wants to do is spin around in circles. And that is, in some ways, a great thing. Almost everything you do to make a ski better on hard snow detracts from its performance in 3D snow. Salomon has decided they don't care, and have truly gone all out to make a ski for powder above all else.

Skier: Alex Stange. P: Carter Edwards

Powder & Mixed Conditions:
"Put simply, when skiing directionally in knee to waist-deep snow, I think this is the best ski I have ever skied." - Twig

The QST X is pretty fat, it's 116mm underfoot and plenty girthy in the tip too, but it's far from the fattest ski out there. But with the extreme rocker and taper, it loves to pivot and slash at the tiniest twitch of the feet. We've never skied something that goes sideways so easily in powder. Remarkably for all that pivoty, in deep snow, you can also drive these skis pretty hard. They are relatively medium flexing and have a long radius so they are also willing to track fairly true down the fall line.

"I won’t lie I love this ski I bought a pair the second they came out, it floats like a rubber duck in the bathtub in the deep pow and is so easy to pivot that even for a 116 it’s easy to dance through trees and moguls, with such a big rocker profile you can get away with the longer length making it better for hard-charging."- Lucas Boudreau

Skier: Alex Stange. P: Carter Edwards

It’s not as much of a high-speed charger as the QST Blank and gets more tossed around skiing chopped-up resort snow halfway through a powder day. It doesn't power through mixed layers of snow as well either but for a ski this light, it does a good job. 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). For Japan or big fluffy storms, these would be a dream, but they hold up pointed down some more serious lines too.

Park & Jibbing:
Park? Nope. But for skiing playfully in deep snow, they have decent pop and they are so loose they forgive landing a little off while spinning. These actually have a fairly centered mount point too, so the swingweight isn't bad. However there is a caveat. A couple of testers remarked that these skis feel really weird skiing switch, so despite plenty of tail rise, we can't recommend these as a '180s into pow' kinda ski.

Skier: Lucas Boudreau. P: Carter Edwards

Who's it for?
Be real with yourself. Do you get to ski enough powder to justify these skis? If so, you should absolutely buy them right away. Going to Japan? Drop that cash. The Salomon’s QST X is a shockingly nimble, floaty, and fun powder freeride ski that breaks the mold. With a very surfy shape, a 116mm waist, and a very damp ride, it’s an excellent choice for deep days where cliff hucks, pillows, and maching through tight trees are on the menu.

It's also a fantastic option for a touring ski for those days when the conditions are on point. Pared with a midweight binding, like a SHIFT2, it's light enough to get you pretty deep into the backcountry and it's just going to make your day so much better when you get to the top of that dream pow field or pillow line.

A must-have for all powder enthusiasts seeking their next adrenaline-fueled outings, Salomon’s QST X skis are made for bold runs in deep snow. With a wide 116 mm underfoot and big rocker profile, these light skis are made for surfing, drifting, and floating through endless fresh powder while remaining reliable in diverse terrains and conditions.