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Review: Salomon QST 98 Skis · 2023

Published on 07/19/2023 · 3 min readCurated Ski Experts share their experience with using the 2023 Salomon QST 98 Skis. Note that experts are not sponsored by any brands; these are their honest opinions.
Leo Cocchiara, Ski Expert
Zach Sarantakes, Apparel Expert
By Curated Experts Leo Cocchiara and Zach Sarantakes
10 photos
Photo by Leo Cocchiara & Zach Sarantakes

The Curated Take

4.3/5

The Salomon QST 98 Skis are excellent for advanced skiers seeking an all-terrain, all-conditions solution. They offer superior floatation for powder runs, stable high-speed performance thanks to a carbon and flax woven core, and easy turn initiation due to a progressive rocker. The skis are also playful and durable, with enhanced edge durability from a titanal insert. These skis excel at carving, albeit not in the same league as dedicated carving skis, making them a versatile choice for those wanting a single, all-rounder pair of skis.

Ideal for
  • Offers very impressive flotation and stands at the top of the pack for the 100 underfoot category
  • Gives a really nice balance of playfulness, carving ability, and stability at speed
  • Great flex
  • Feels really nice and stable in rough terrain
  • Ideal one-ski quiver for intermediates up to experts in the West
Not ideal for
  • Not a ski for beginners
  • Not designed for the terrain park outside of a few basic jumps
  • Not ideal for primarily icy conditions
  • Doesn't feel at home on groomers
Flotation
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
This ski technically falls in the category of all-mountain/freeride, but the generous floatation on it makes me question if I even need a powder ski. The generous tip and tail...Read more
Carving
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
This is not a carving ski. Carving skis are designed to get up on extreme angles and transition edge to edge quickly. By nature, they are not very versatile outside...Read more
High Speed Stability
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
Forgive me for touting my own horn but I rip! I am fast, and I like to straight line down wide-open faces whenever I have the chance. This ski has...Read more
Playfulness
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
The QST 98 has rounder and wider tips and tails than most skis in its class. This makes it really easy to get a little loose and surfy in the...Read more
Durability
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
I've had the joy of skiing the QSTs every year since they first debuted, and the durability has taken a big step forward this year. Previous generations had a weak...Read more
Turn Ease
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
The progressive, meaning gradually rising, tip rocker makes both long sweeping turns and short snappy turns very easy to initiate. The generous tail rocker offers the same benefits for the...Read more
Versatility
Leo Cocchiara, Curated Expert
Nowadays, everyone is looking for one pair of skis that they can use in any terrain and snow conditions, both on and off the resort. The Salomon QST 98 assures...Read more

Expert Reviews of the Salomon QST 98 Skis

Zach Sarantakes This ski is great for advanced and almost reckless skiers. People who like to go fast, stop on a dime, turn hard, tackle moguls, and catch a little air off them too. I hit the same run over and over where I start with a jump, hit 40mph, stop hard, and send it down a field of huge moguls. The skis are super responsive and stable in every condition.
 The Salomon QST 98 is a great pick for the high intermediate, advanced, or expert skier looking for a one-ski quiver to give them a jack-of-all-trades performance on the resort and is even light enough that it's a decent choice for mounting a hybrid touring binding. I've skied many generations of the QST 98 since it debuted on the market, and the current model has really encapsulated all of the best improvements over time. The core materials and the topsheet are the most durable they've ever been. They've become even easier to initiate turns on without sacrificing stability at top speed, and it's top of their class for floatation in the 100 underfoot category. The only thing the QST isn't really a fan of is hitting rails in the park or spending most of its time on ice-covered slopes. A beginner will find this too challenging to wield. Still, it's a great investment for the progressing intermediate pushing into advanced.

Product Specs

Age GroupAdult
GenderUnisex
Includes bindingsNo
Model year2023
Ski typeAll Mountain
Skill levelIntermediate, Advanced

Review Ratings

Flotation

5/5
 gave 5 of 5 stars. This ski technically falls in the category of all-mountain/freeride, but the generous floatation on it makes me question if I even need a powder ski. The generous tip and tail rocker comes through for me when it gets deep. I've taken this model out on a waist-deep day powder day in the back bowls of Vail and had the time of my life on them!

Carving

4/5
 gave 4 of 5 stars. This is not a carving ski. Carving skis are designed to get up on extreme angles and transition edge to edge quickly. By nature, they are not very versatile outside of carving. When we're talking about the one-ski quivers to handle every kind of terrain and snow condition, we have to take the word "carving" with a grain of salt. It doesn't outperform some skis in this range, like the Bonafide or the Mindbender 99Ti, but it lays down a solid carve when I want to get them on edge and link crisp turns.

High Speed Stability

4/5
 gave 4 of 5 stars. Forgive me for touting my own horn but I rip! I am fast, and I like to straight line down wide-open faces whenever I have the chance. This ski has proven to be as stable as I need it to be when I let it run. Don't expect it to feel like a ski with two sheets of metal, though. Salomon uses two technologies to keep the QST stable and smooth no matter where you take it, without adding weight. The first is C/FX which is carbon and flax woven together, running through the core to give impressive energy without feeling squirrely. The second technology is the cork damplifier, which is exactly what its name implies—a cork layer that absorbs vibration and increases dampening while being light.

Playfulness

4/5
 gave 4 of 5 stars. The QST 98 has rounder and wider tips and tails than most skis in its class. This makes it really easy to get a little loose and surfy in the tips and tails when I'm in a playful mood. I think it's best described as a multidirectional ski that can charge forward, smear sideways, and ski switch. The personality is happy to adapt to one's mood.

Durability

4/5
 gave 4 of 5 stars. I've had the joy of skiing the QSTs every year since they first debuted, and the durability has taken a big step forward this year. Previous generations had a weak spot along the edge under that binding, prone to cracking with hard use. They solved that this year by putting in a titanal insert running edge to edge under the bindings. The last time I saw the issue was before it was added.

Turn Ease

4/5
 gave 4 of 5 stars. The progressive, meaning gradually rising, tip rocker makes both long sweeping turns and short snappy turns very easy to initiate. The generous tail rocker offers the same benefits for the release. I can stay locked into a long turn when I want to and break out into a quick change of direction when I need to. I never feel like I have to force it either way.

Versatility

5/5
 gave 5 of 5 stars. Nowadays, everyone is looking for one pair of skis that they can use in any terrain and snow conditions, both on and off the resort. The Salomon QST 98 assures us that having it all in one package is possible. Pair these up with a set of Salomon shift bindings, and there are no bounds to what one can do with them.

FAQs

What was your favorite moment with this gear?

I will never forget a day in Vail when it snowed so much that the roads leading to the resort, both East and West, were closed, meaning the mountain was practically empty. It was just endless powder filling in the back bowls, with no lift lines and a pack of whooping locals cheering me on with every turn. The Salomon QST 98s delivered a fantastic ride. Easily one of the top 10 powder days in my life.

Why did you choose this product?

I think the Salomon QST 98 has one of the best personalities for an all-mountain one-ski quiver in the whole industry. It hits a perfect sweet spot for making the most of everything one could possibly want to do on the mountain.

What is the value for the money versus other options?

It's a brand everyone knows and respects, a model that has won many awards, and its performance lives up to the hype. It's a ski one could put just about anyone on and know they will have a good time.

What do you love about this product?

There's a lot to love about the QST 98, mainly that it can do everything one can dream of outside the terrain park incredibly well. It's refreshing not to think, "What skis will be the most fun today?" Instead, say, "Let's see where my skis can take me today."

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Leo Cocchiara
Ski Expert
Zach Sarantakes
Apparel Expert
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