Salomon

Q-Lab Ski

The Salomon Q-Lab Ski is a little bit of a Frankenmonster, but we mean that in the best way possible. It was built using much of the same technology that Salomon uses in its high-performance Lab series of race skis, but it's been tweaked for freeride domination, with a more versatile flex, different sidecut and rocker profiles, and a lightweight construction that make it the weapon of choice for Salomon's big-mountain crushing and pow-slaying freeride team. The whole shebang is built on the alternating horizontally laminated ash and poplar S-Core, which provides plenty of stiffness and pop for the most aggressive skiers on the hill. It's also laid up with two layers of titanium for a damp, powerful feel that will step to scary lines without hesitation.

The Q-Lab's sandwich layup, along with the burly sidewalls, will let you charge like an SOB, but it's a do-it-all ski at heart, so don't be surprised by its versatility. Whether you're pointing it down big lines or slashing through powder, the Q's Utility Rocker (camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail) gives you edge hold when you need it and float when you don't, and teams up with the Hook-Free Taper sidecut to make turn initiation easier than catching the lift back up for another lap. The tips and tails are tapered, too, which makes it easier to throw down loose, surfy turns in powder or dump speed when you realize that thing in front of you is actually a cliff. Salomon threw in a honeycomb design in the tip, too, which cuts down on swing weight and reduces the tip flap that can make rockered skis feel like they're one bump away from sending you ragdolling down the hill. In other words, you can open things up with confidence, no matter how gnarly the conditions are.