In the world of skiing, the Salomon QST 92 Skis and the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are two top contenders for the 2024 season. Both skis are designed for intermediate to advanced skiers and offer a versatile, playful, and responsive ride. The Salomon QST 92 Skis are praised for their all-mountain capabilities, easy turning, and excellent grip on hard snow. On the other hand, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are known for their stability at high speeds, nimbleness, and excellent performance on icy slopes. While both skis have their strengths, the choice between the two ultimately depends on your skiing style and preferences.

Salomon QST 92 Skis · 2024 summary

The Salomon QST 92 Skis are a versatile all-mountain ski that is perfect for intermediate to advanced skiers. With a 92mm waist and a freeride rocker profile, these skis can handle all types of terrain and provide a fun and responsive ride. The QST 92s have a strong platform underfoot for maximum grip on hard snow and a partial twin tip for added maneuverability.

Salomon claims that the QST 92 is an accessible all-mountain ski, and experts agree. It doesn't have any metal in it, making it super maneuverable and pivoty when you want it to be. This would be a great ski for an intermediate to advanced skier. It's not a super hard charger, but it turns very easily. It's a lot of fun on groomers and is happy to be taken off trail once in a while.

The ski's profile includes a good amount of rocker in the tip, which provides float, a turned-up tail for maneuverability when skiing backward, and nice camber underfoot for a responsive edge-to-edge turning motion. The ski is also praised for its carving abilities, with experts noting that it holds an edge really nicely on blue groomers.

The Salomon QST 92 Skis are not a park ski, but they are playful enough to take on a few laps through the park, hitting some tabletops. However, they are not as poppy as a true park ski and are a little heavier than most true park skis.

In terms of freeriding, the ski is not a great powder ski, but it would be fun in trees and on more rolling terrain. It's also a forgiving and accessible ski to improve in the moguls.

Overall, the Salomon QST 92 Skis are a versatile, fun, and playful ski that can handle all types of terrain and provide a smooth ride.

Line Blade Optic 96 Skis · 2024 summary

The Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are a playful all-mountain ski that is perfect for advanced intermediate to expert skiers. With a 96mm waist and a freeride shape, these skis are perfect for all-mountain exploration and can handle variable snow and tight terrain with ease. The Blade Optic 96s have a strong platform underfoot for maximum grip on hard snow and a partial twin tip for added maneuverability.

Line claims that the Blade Optic 96 is a freeride ski that takes its cues from the Line Vision and the Line Blade. It's got the shape, the rocker camber profile of the vision, and it has the metal, as line puts it, the gas pedal metal from the line blade.

The ski's profile includes a good amount of rocker in the tip, which provides float, a turned-up tail for maneuverability when skiing backward, and nice camber underfoot for a responsive edge-to-edge turning motion. The ski is also praised for its carving abilities, with experts noting that it holds an edge really nicely on blue groomers.

The Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are not a park ski, but they are playful enough to take on a few laps through the park, hitting some tabletops. However, they are not as poppy as a true park ski and are a little heavier than most true park skis.

In terms of freeriding, the ski is not a great powder ski, but it would be fun in trees and on more rolling terrain. It's also a forgiving and accessible ski to improve in the moguls.

Overall, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are a versatile, fun, and playful ski that can handle all types of terrain and provide a smooth ride.

Similarities

Both the Salomon QST 92 Skis and the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are designed for intermediate to advanced skiers and offer a versatile, playful, and responsive ride. They both have a freeride shape and a strong platform underfoot for maximum grip on hard snow. Both skis also have a partial twin tip for added maneuverability and are praised for their carving abilities. They are both not park skis but are playful enough to take on a few laps through the park. In terms of freeriding, both skis are not great powder skis, but they would be fun in trees and on more rolling terrain. They are also both forgiving and accessible skis to improve in the moguls.

Differences and Who They're Good For

While both skis are designed for intermediate to advanced skiers, the Salomon QST 92 Skis are more suited for skiers who like cruising groomers and are not looking to go at very high speeds on extremely firm Eastern snow. This ski would be a solid choice for skiers who spend 80% of their time on groomers and like to dip into the trees once in a while.

On the other hand, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are more suited for skiers who might have been park skiers in the past, have a lot of experience on twin-tip skis, but find themselves skiing not ideal conditions and going really fast on steep groomed and sometimes icy slopes. This ski would be a fun ski on firm days and would be a blast on those firm days because it still could be taken in the trees, hit jumps, skied switch, buttered, nose presses, all of that.

In terms of differences, the Salomon QST 92 Skis have a 92mm waist while the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis have a 96mm waist. The Salomon QST 92 Skis are also lighter than the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis, making them more maneuverable and easier to control.

Analysis on Who’s the Winner

When it comes to versatility, both skis perform well in a variety of conditions and terrains. However, the Salomon QST 92 Skis have a slight edge due to their lighter weight and easier maneuverability.

In terms of playfulness, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis take the win. Their twin-tip design and freeride shape make them a fun and enjoyable ski for any adventure.

For carving abilities, both skis hold an edge really nicely on blue groomers. However, the Salomon QST 92 Skis are praised for their easy turning and excellent grip on hard snow, giving them the upper hand in this category.

Lastly, for freeriding, neither ski is a great powder ski, but they both would be fun in trees and on more rolling terrain. However, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are more suited for skiers who might have been park skiers in the past and find themselves skiing not ideal conditions and going really fast on steep groomed and sometimes icy slopes.

Overall, both skis have their strengths and are excellent choices for intermediate to advanced skiers. The choice between the two ultimately depends on your skiing style and preferences.

Conclusions

In conclusion, both the Salomon QST 92 Skis and the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are excellent choices for intermediate to advanced skiers. They both offer a versatile, playful, and responsive ride and can handle all types of terrain. The Salomon QST 92 Skis are more suited for skiers who like cruising groomers and are not looking to go at very high speeds on extremely firm Eastern snow. On the other hand, the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis are more suited for skiers who might have been park skiers in the past and find themselves skiing not ideal conditions and going really fast on steep groomed and sometimes icy slopes.

Both skis have their strengths and are excellent choices for intermediate to advanced skiers. The choice between the two ultimately depends on your skiing style and preferences. So whether you're a groomer cruiser or a former park skier looking for a versatile all-mountain ski, both the Salomon QST 92 Skis and the Line Blade Optic 96 Skis have got you covered. Happy skiing!