Salomon’s R&D department must be constantly fiddling with fibers, for every few years they re-arrange carbon, flax and basalt into different combinations that somehow out-perform the previous generation.  For 2023, Salomon applied the same, end-to-end layer of C/FX’s latest incarnation that debuted last year in the QST 98 to the QST Stella 106.  The 2022 Stella already had a Titanal mounting plate in its mid-section, a critical component in that its stabilizing influence extends beyond its borders. The fact that the skier has trouble defining the metal/non-metal border is a testament to just how substantial a weave of fabric can be, for the presence, or more accurately, the absence of Titanal is usually instantly detectable. In the Stella, the full-length C/FX factor is more dominant than the metal element, delivering a balanced flex stem to stern with a bite underfoot that won’t wilt in the face of boilerplate.

Reinforcing edge grip on the 2023 Stella is a “double sidewall” comprised of injected ABS strips just over the sidewalls in the middle of the ski that focuses pressure where it counts and when it’s needed. (The idea of getting more direct pressure applied precisely to the edge is the central concept behind the monocoque design that launched the Salomon ski into immediate importance when it debuted in 1989. The QST’s happen to all have square sidewalls – somewhat debunking the monocoque myth – which is one reason the Stella has been so good for so long.

Any Big Mountain ski is going to offer plenty of flotation for lighter weight women; the differentiator is how well it handles its business when the freshies are shot.  Off-trail skiing involves cat tracks, traverses, wind-scoured faces and flat-out crappy conditions where flotation isn’t going to help.  In these fairly common situations, you also don’t want a ski that draws attention to how humongous it is, slow to find an edge and swimmy as Katie Ledecky.

Not to worry, the Stella has you covered. The same imperturbability it displays in tracked-up crud fields carries over to just about any condition you can encounter. While I would never advise a petite woman to adopt a 106 as her hardpack ski of choice, the Stella is so secure on edge, even on a slick surface it doesn’t ski fat.  While its fall-line orientation favors the skilled skier, in its shorter lengths it can serve as a woman’s first second pair of skis.