Salomon’s Technical skis must feel like Rodney Dangerfield: they can’t get no respect, no respect at all, I tell ya. The S/Max Blast is a new ski, and still hardly anyone in our test panel took them for a spin. This is but one measure of how the QST series has become the focus of the Salomon collection, blotting out any awareness of the rest of the line. The S/Max Blast is the epitome of what Technical skis are meant to be: race room technology with a softer flex (bendable by mortals) and more open-minded shapes.

The new S/Max Blast is a potent mix of traits, calm in long radius turns despite a slalom-centric sidecut (15m @ 165cm) that prefers a fast-twitch short turn. Its edge grip is first rate and its reflexes are as nimble as cobra’s. Energetic and quick without being nervous and sedate without being dull, the S/Max Blast has all the makings of a star. Now if only we could get a posse of testers to put it through its paces, we could present it where it belongs, among our Recommended models.