Even though Salomon gave the QST Stella 106 a significant boost in edging power last season, the French brand again raised its performance ceiling for 19/20. It reconfigured its construction by switching the roles played by basalt and flax, so basalt is now entwined with carbon in a bundle of braids while the flax flies solo in its own mat underfoot. This switcheroo creates a ski that’s at once lighter and stronger on edge than ever. To give it even more on-trail stability, Salomon trimmed its tail flare and tightened up the Stella’s turn radius (from 20m to 17m @ 167cm).

Lynn Douglass of the Squaw Valley Ski School found the new Stella to be a “nimble ski in soft bumps. Found it playful in the off-piste. Short-radius turns took some work, but that’s a product of the width. Easy to schmear them.” Lighter weight gals might find the latest Stella to be on the stiffer side, so if you’re deliberating between two lengths, default to the shorter size. Because its tips and tails aren’t loosey-goosey like a lot of Big Mountain models, you don’t need to add length to recover control. Ladies who are both larger than average with strength to match should note that the 19/20 Stella is more supportive than most lightweight designs and should be able to keep up with an aggressive skier’s moves.