Salomon QST Lumen 99

Our take One of the industry’s most beloved skis gets a facelift this year, making it better-suited for the backcountry. First, Salomon added cork to the tips and made the Lumen’s shape less tapered, giving the ski better vibration absorption and float. Second, it now has slightly less sidecut. “They’re easy to pivot,” says a tester who took the Lumen 99s on a Pacific Northwest volcano tour. “I had no problems on morning boilerplate or afternoon mashed potatoes.”

The details The poplar wood core has carbon and basalt laminates for lighter-weight stability than metal, and the Lumen, while not ultralight, won’t hamper you in the skin track. Best use: Pair it with a resort-touring crossover binding (like the Salomon S/Lab Shift) and use it in- and out-of-bounds. (Note: The men’s QST 99 has the same improvements this year, but we didn’t test it.)

Trail cred “I don’t have a ton of mass to throw around, so I actually prefer touring skis like the Lumen 99s,” one 5’3” tester says. “I felt solid plowing through mixed conditions and holding an edge when sidehilling.”

6 lbs. 14 oz. (174); four lengths