Review: Salomon Stance 102 Skis · 2024
By Ski Expert
Henry Kvietok
5 photos
The Curated Take
4.9/5
The Salomon Stance 102 Skis are best suited for strong, athletic intermediate to expert skiers who prefer aggressive skiing styles and spend a lot of time off-piste. These skis offer a high-performance ceiling with damp and stable characteristics at high speeds. They excel in off-piste conditions and can lay down long, clean arcs on groomers. While not as playful at slower speeds, they are versatile and durable, suitable for various terrain and snow conditions. However, they are most lively and perform best at faster speeds, making them ideal for skiers seeking stability and performance.
Ideal for
- Accessible, yet high performance ceiling for the more aggressive/hard-charging skiers
- Damp and stable at speeds
- Excellent for off-piste skiing
Not ideal for
- Feels most alive at faster speeds
Turn Ease
This is by no means a beginner ski with a short radius that is easy to turn. Rather, it has a fairly long radius (24m in the 190 length I...Read more
Playfulness
The Stance 102 from Salomon is their more directional, hard charger ski. If skiers are looking for something lighter-weight and more flexible, I'd consider their QST lineup, which has more...Read more
Durability
I cannot make long-term durability claims about these skis, but my initial impressions show no issues. The skis feel sturdy, well-made, and built to last many days. Also, I have...Read more
High Speed Stability
The Salomon Stance 102 is the ski to go for if skiers aren't sure what the conditions will be like—groomers, chop, or some fresh snow—and they like to charge hard....Read more
Carving
I initially thought that a charger ski like this one would be hard to carve, but I could bend it quite well and lay down some nice arcs. The ski...Read more
Versatility
At 102 underfoot, this ski falls in what I would call the "Goldilocks zone" for waist width in a wider all-mountain ski. It has enough rocker and width to have...Read more
Flotation
At 102 underfoot, there are obviously a slew of choices that are wider, more rockered, and have more float in powder. However, Stance is more than capable of most powder...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Henry Kvietok
About the ski gear
- Model: Salomon Stance 102 Skis · 2024
Test conditions
- When I tested these: January 2024
- Where I’ve used them: Brighton, UT
- How many times I've used it: 2
Expert Reviews of the Salomon Stance 102 Skis
Henry Kvietok I tested out the 2024 Salomon Stance 102 at Brighton in Utah. We encountered various conditions, including some leftover powder, moguls, ice spots, groomers, and chop. Overall, the ski surprised me a bit as I was expecting a demanding ski. Instead, it felt rather intuitive and accessible. Prior model year versions of this ski have the reputation of being only for strong expert skiers, but I appreciate the changes Salomon made to the 2024 model.
At 102 underfoot, it is definitely home off-piste, but it can still lay down a long, clean arc on groomers as well. The skis feel burly and can charge through variable snow, but they don't feel overly heavy. In fact, they come in just over 2,000g per ski at the 183 length, which puts them solidly in the middle of the pack. They are obviously still for the more directional skier who prefers stability over playfulness (but that's where the Salomon QST lineup makes sense!).
If someone does not ski off-piste much, I would definitely consider a narrower Stance model, such as the 96 or 90 version. But if someone is in the strong/athletic intermediate category up to expert level, skis a lot off-piste, and prefers a more powerful versus playful ski, I can certainly recommend these skis for them.
Product Specs
| Model year | 2024 |
| Waist width (mm) | 102 |
Review Ratings
Turn Ease
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. This is by no means a beginner ski with a short radius that is easy to turn. Rather, it has a fairly long radius (24m in the 190 length I tested) and a burlier weight (4,260g per pair). However, it felt relatively easy to turn. It has a pretty accessible flex and the bit of rocker in the tip/tail made turning it quite doable. That said, it feels most "alive" at faster speeds.
Playfulness
4/5
Henry Kvietok gave 4 of 5 stars. The Stance 102 from Salomon is their more directional, hard charger ski. If skiers are looking for something lighter-weight and more flexible, I'd consider their QST lineup, which has more of a freeride feel to it. The Stance 102 is built with double titanal plates that make it feel quite powerful and not as playful.
Durability
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. I cannot make long-term durability claims about these skis, but my initial impressions show no issues. The skis feel sturdy, well-made, and built to last many days. Also, I have not had any of my own customers report durability issues with these skis so far.
High Speed Stability
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. The Salomon Stance 102 is the ski to go for if skiers aren't sure what the conditions will be like—groomers, chop, or some fresh snow—and they like to charge hard. These burly skis hold an edge at all speeds and in all conditions. I experienced zero chatter.
Carving
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. I initially thought that a charger ski like this one would be hard to carve, but I could bend it quite well and lay down some nice arcs. The ski is stable where I needed it to be underfoot, and the front rocker allowed it to fall pretty easily into a carve.
Versatility
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. At 102 underfoot, this ski falls in what I would call the "Goldilocks zone" for waist width in a wider all-mountain ski. It has enough rocker and width to have fun in powder while still being fairly agile to get on edge and carve. It is a very versatile option for skiers who spend most of their time off-piste.
Flotation
5/5
Henry Kvietok gave 5 of 5 stars. At 102 underfoot, there are obviously a slew of choices that are wider, more rockered, and have more float in powder. However, Stance is more than capable of most powder days of a foot or less. Also, skiers who prefer to blast through snow versus wiggle and float on top will love these skis.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Henry Kvietok I love how they felt simultaneously burly and tough through chop, but they weren't overly heavy or demanding.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Henry Kvietok My favorite moment with the Stance 102s was ripping high-speed carves through variable snow conditions at Brighton. Even at fast speeds, they felt so planted and stable.
Why did you choose this product?
Henry Kvietok I chose this product because I wanted to try out Salomon's more directional, stiffer, and less playful skis (compared to something like the QST 98).
Share article:
