2025 Salomon Stance 90

To understand where the Salomon Stance 90 fits in the All-Mountain East pantheon of Recommended models, it’s helpful to first understand its role within Salomon’s line, where it is cagily categorized as All-Mountain Frontside, a mash-up of two adjacent Realskiers categories. The blended genre succinctly captures the intent of the Stance series, to create what are essentially Frontside skis with wanderlust, always interested in what lies off-trail yet easily persuaded to lay down a neatly carved turn on corduroy. Within the cross-brand context of the All-Mountain East genre, the Stance 90 stands apart from the crowd in several respects. While its twin Titanal laminates put it toe-to-toe with the eminent Power players in the genre, it responds to a light rein, emphasizing ease over brute force. While it’s positioned as having a Frontside bias, unlike other carving-centric AME skis - such as the Fischer The Curv GT 85, for example - it isn’t built on a Frontside chassis, but an all-mountain, double-rockered foundation. When the Stance series was launched in the 20/21 season, Salomon’s mainstay collection in the All-Mountain genres was QST, which focused on off-trail conditions. In the marketplace, QST had to go head-to-head with models from Blizzard, Nordica, Völkl and Stöckli, who loaded their best all-terrain skis with two sheets of Titanal. While the flagship QST 106 earned a following in the Big Mountain genre, the rest of the QST series didn’t fare as well against the richer constructions of the competition. Stance provided Salomon with its own, double-Ti-laminated series, leveling the playing field. Just because it isn’t as burly as the Power skis in the All-Mountain East category, doesn’t mean a less aggro expert won’t appreciate the Stance 90. As ski test veteran and active ski coach Jim Schaffner summarized its capabilities, “It’s a good all-around ski, there for you without being flashy. The 102 is probably the best execution of this re-design, but all are good, aiming at a proficient, all-terrain skier.”