Every so often a ski maker screws up and makes a ski that’s considerably better than it needs to be. Salomon removed half the Titanal from its pricier (and wider) Stances to extend the Stance family down to the $499 price point, intending to drop the performance level to fit the target skier’s performance expectations.
Instead, it exceeded them. The Ti-C Frame Single Ti construction delivers a connected, carved turn that won’t wilt on crisp, early morning corduroy even when driven with an open throttle. It’s unlikely that many experts will slum it in the bargain basement where the Stance W 84 dwells, but they’d be gob-smacked it they did. For the intermediate who is its most likely operator, the Stance W 84 provides a performance ceiling that will most likely never be taxed.
The Stance family is an off-trail clan with a lot of on-trail traits, so its infiltration of the Frontside category isn’t as odd as some others of this ilk. The Stance W 84 seems made to order for groomed conditions, with a design that encourages flow from turn to turn. It may be more ski than the average skier needs, but that extra headroom should only help to build confidence as the Stance W 84’s pilot improves.
