As long as each tweak an athlete wanted to make didn’t affect the overall performance of the ski too much, Salomon built it into the Blank. So let’s dive into the result of this process. 

Salomon QST Blank Construction

First up is the construction. A Poplar wood core and standard fibreglass laminate is sandwiched together and beefed up with Salmon’s “C/FX” fiber. To the layman, these C/FX fibres are essentially carbon and flax stringers that add stiffness towards the tips and tails while not adding too much weight onto the ski.

Salomon’s “Cork Damplifier” inserts have been added in both the tip and tail, which are supposed to dampen out any unwanted vibrations. Salomon have long been using this system to good effect, notably in the QST 98 and 108 – two skis that we’ve extensively tested – so we’re glad to see it brought into the QST Blank.

Wrapping up the construction is Salomon’s beefy double sidewall technology, which features an extra layer of ABS pressed over the traditional sidewall in an effort to boost the durability and improve the stiffness of the skis a touch.

Salomon QST Blank Shaping

Now onto shaping; this is where the skis begin to get (and look) interesting. First up is the amount of tip and tail tapering. Salomon has moved the tapering deep into the ski, compared to the older QST 118, which featured a touch less tapering.

This, in turn, has all led to a slightly tighter radius (15 – 18 metres, depending  on the length you go for) compared to the QST 118. So, when combined with the tapering, the QST blank promises to be quite loose and turny when you need them to be, which is also a characteristic we’ve found similar to  the QST 118 after testing those skis.

A final note on the shaping is the quite aggressively upturned nose. It’s actually pretty similar to older, more traditional skis. I assume it’s been done to give the skis that bit more float by avoiding the shovels of the skis to take a dive in the deep stuff.

Who Is The Salomon QST Blank For?

In leaning on their athlete team, Salomon has managed to create a ski that’s genuinely (and quite surprisingly, for a 112mm waisted ski) happy across the entire mountain. From early morning powder stashes, to late afternoon resort ripping, the QST Blank can handle the lot with surprising poise.

Mount these with a hybrid touring / alpine binding, such as the burly CAST Freetour Upgrade, or the Duke PT 16, and you’ve got yourself a rowdy setup that’ll open heaps of terrain across the entire mountain.

What The Salomon QST Blank’s Good At

Powder: 9/10
Hardpack: 7/10
Playfulness: 9/10

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