THE PEOPLE'S SKI TEST - SALOMON QST BLANK

SALOMON QST BLANK
Category: Freeride
Lengths: 178, 186, 194
Dimensions: 138/112/127
Radius: 17m
MSRP: $849
More info: salomon.com

“If I were to describe the Salomon QST Blank in a word, it would be versatile. I enjoyed how easy, forgiving, predictable and intuitive it was in all types of terrain and conditions. The wider waist gave it the float to navigate through the soft chop, while the damp construction limited tip deflection when encountering said chop at higher speeds. The stable feel also helped keep chatter down on groomers, and the sidecut helped link up tighter turns if desired. It required a bit more input to respond and pop off side hits or last-second airs from mogul-to- mogul, but at the same time, it didn’t buck me off my feet unexpectedly. From steep chutes to tight trees to wide-open groomers, the Blank can do it all. And if you’re lucky enough to live where conditions stay relatively soft, this ski could be all you need.” –Gord Kerslake

Reviewer’s Rating: On Piste: 8/10 • Off Piste: 9/10
Average Rating: On Piste: 7/10 • Off Piste: 8.5/10

REVIEWER BIO:

Gord Kerslake
Age: 36 / Height: 6’1” / Weight: 175 lbs / Occupation: Tree Faller & Wildland Firefighter
Known locally as Gorgeous Gord, Mr. Kerslake has been voted the second handsomest man in Revelstoke three years running. A rugged lumberjack and hero for hire, he’s also a classic Ontario transplant—and a retired ski patroller and former freeski coach at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, though he’s called Revelstoke home for some number of years now. He spends the majority of his time looking for bottomless pow in the backcountry, but still loves banging hard on groomers at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. His go-to weapon of choice is a STIHL MS 880, but when it comes to in-bounds skiing he likes it stiff, with traditional camber, about 115 millimetres in the waist, 190 centimetres of length, and low, subtle tip rocker. For powder, he prefers a flat profile with full rocker.