Salomon

Q-98 Ski

Like a good beer, a sexy bow tie, or some sweet cutoffs, the Salomon Q-98 Ski goes with everything. It's an ideal compliment to fresh powder, frontside groomers, backcountry expeditions, and day-old chunder, courtesy of its middling 98mm waist and shredtastic Utility Rocker, which blends edgy traditional camber with floaty, smooth tip and tail rocker to give you the ability to rally down hardpack and jump into the trees when a fresh stash catches your eye. As you roll the ski over, it'll progressively engage a longer edge, giving you more control and power as your turns become more aggressive and backing off when you're feeling surfier. The Q-98's Semi-Sandwich construction keeps the tips light and lively and the swing weight low, and is complemented by a honeycomb tip that reduces flop while smoothly riding over uneven terrain.

The semi-sandwich construction also directs more power to your underfoot edges, working with the rocker profile to give you even more grip as you drive the ski harder. Salomon's engineering crew also designed the Q-98 with Hook-Free Taper, which involved a five-point sidecut that moves the widest point of the ski towards the middle for super-smooth turn initiation and the ability to get loose and smeary in deeper snow when you venture off-piste or into the backcountry. All of this is of course predicated on the light and lively wood core, which provides a smooth flex and poppy feel for riders who like to get into a little bit of everything.