Curated Skiing Experts Ian Hamilton and Luke Hinz got their hands on the 2024 Salomon Stance 80 this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the Salomon Stance 80 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Salomon claim about this ski? [Ian] The Stance 80 is marketed as a beginner to intermediate all mountain carving ski. It’s pretty light and not super wide.

[Luke] Salomon markets the Stance 80 as a beginner ski. One really important thing about these skis is they are a system ski, so they come with their own bindings. On top of that, the bindings are rated for both traditional alpine soles as well as GripWalk soles - which pretty much covers the whole range of boots out there.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Ian] I think Salomon did a good job. It's pretty light and just has a wood core, so it is pretty forgiving. I think they did a good job in balancing performance and also forgiveness. I had a good time on the ski!

[Luke] What I like about the Salomon Stance 80 is that it's one of the few beginner skis on the market that actually has a little bit of metal laminate in it. A lot of people argue that beginners should stay away from metal in their skis because it can be a bit more demanding. But in this case, it doesn't overly stiffen the ski, and, if anything, I feel like it gives it much better edge grip. Also, I think it increases the durability of the ski. This is a really well-built ski, and it’s something that's going to stand up for years to come.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Luke] These skis have pretty much no rocker in them- it's pretty much camber throughout. They give you really good control on groomers and ice, especially with that metal laminate which gives it more torsional stiffness. Because of that metal laminate in the ski, the ski is a touch heavier than you would see with most beginner skis.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Luke] The ski is not overly stiff or demanding. It has a little bit softer tip for ease of initiating turns, which felt really nice. I did like how these skis carved a lot. I come from a racing background, and I could just tip these skis on edge and get them to arc really short, tight radius turns.

What is the edge hold like? [Ian] I felt that it had great edge hold. I had really fun turns on the groomers, it held an edge really well, and was really quick side to side. It was soft enough to be forgiving and not punish me if my form wasn't perfect.

[Luke] I was really impressed with how these skis carved, and they held a nice edge. I could really work them through the turn, but again, not overly demanding.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Ian] It was stiff enough to be able to ski fast, which I really like.

[Luke] It's not going to be great at crazy high speeds, but it'll get you to the point where you're ready for that type of ski.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing? [Luke] One thing of note is this is strictly a directional ski. It really doesn't have a twin tip. This is not really built to be a freestyle ski. I wouldn't recommend the ski for being in the park, skiing switch, or anything of that nature.

Freeride

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Ian] It did okay in the trees. It was pretty easy to maneuver and the turn initiation was nice.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Ian] As far as terrain goes, it's pretty skinny - only 80 millimeters underfoot, so it is going to be mostly a hardpack ski. It'll do okay in a little bit of fresh snow.

[Luke] The ski is definitely oriented more for on piste skiing.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Luke] It doesn’t handle as well going off piste. The 80 millimeter waist is just very narrow and doesn’t give you a ton of float. This ski is definitely more for building your skills on groomed runs and on piste.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Ian] For a beginner to intermediate ski, it does very well as far as supporting you as you progress. It’ll work great for you as a beginner all the way until you're progressing out of being an intermediate.

[Luke] The Salomon Stance 80 is a great option for larger skiers who are just starting out or just stepping out of rentals and need a slightly stiffer, heavier ski that will stand up as they're building their skills. There's no doubt in my mind that this ski would definitely help a lot of skiers advance and push harder when you feel like you're ready. The edge grip, stronger torsional stiffness than most beginner skis, and full camber throughout gives the ski really good control without being overly demanding.

This is easily a ski that you could go up to the upper intermediate level with, so this is a great ski for the value that would last you pretty much as long as you want to ski on it.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Ian] If you're a heavier skier or more aggressive skier, this is not a ski for you. It's a little bit soft and doesn't have great support at super high speeds. But, if you're just cruising the groomers and working on your technique, I think this is a really good option.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Stance 80 is the right ski for you, chat with Ian, Luke, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.