21/22 Gear Rumors

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Originally Posted by gregL

You know how many Camrys they sell a year? (actually the Blank skis better than the Camry drives)

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That's my point - I'm not saying it's a bad thing.

I don't doubt that I would like the Blank in a 186, but it sounds like a Camry; remarkably average, but great at what it does and likeable. Blister put up a long review with a lot of copy on the page and prosaic observations about it's general-ness.

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Originally Posted by Sessiøn

Because it comes in a length (that's not the actual length) for people that still think they need that length (but really don't). Then they wish the next length down came in a different length, even though they are opining for the longest length. Typical TGR Retarfuckery.

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Like the Q-Lab


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Originally Posted by 123ski

I’d hate to be a solly athlete right now. Not a single good ski in the lineup. How can any of them ski a legit AK line with their widest option at 112 and a turn radius that tight?


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Salomon’s stable of “mature” influencers will all be served adequately by the Blank. I’ll give you it doesn’t seem like a FWT calibre ski, but that’s obviously not where they’re putting their marketing $. Scroll down to Our Team.

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/freeride-touring

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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

Like the Q-Lab


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Blank is going to crush sales. I had a set of mint 190 Q Labs with matching green P18s that I basically had to give away. The fringes tug on the masses, yet the masses buy skis that fit their yum.

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Originally Posted by kootenayskier

They’re producing a versatile soft snow ski, that they can manufacture in large numbers at a low price, that lots of skiers are going to buy and love, while leaving the specialty niches (chargers, super deep, tricksters, shit snow) for the smaller companies. Seems like a great strategy for making huge corporate profits. They’ll sell 10 times as many of these as they did QST118s (which I thought were a mediocre ski). The Blank could be a daily driver for 50% of the skiers at my local, while only a few obsessives (like myself) will justify a quiver of wider skis.

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I’m not saying it’s a bad strategy - my question had more to do with why on earth anyone on here is even talking about this ski


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Originally Posted by kootenayskier

Salomon’s stable of “mature” influencers will all be served adequately by the Blank. I’ll give you it doesn’t seem like a FWT calibre ski, but that’s obviously not where they’re putting their marketing $. Scroll down to Our Team.

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/freeride-touring

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How will all the park skiers on that list fair now that there isn’t a twin tip in the lineup?


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Originally Posted by 123ski

I’d hate to be a solly athlete right now. Not a single good ski in the lineup. How can any of them ski a legit AK line with their widest option at 112 and a turn radius that tight?


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You're joking... right?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKmZTCnp...=18v1xuqfoi0vz

Jamie Pierre skied AK on fucking pocket rockets.

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Originally Posted by gregL

LIke nobody wanted the Soul 7 . . .

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This...I don’t think I want a QST blank, but I bet a lot of people will. The turn radius is a little confusing to me, but maybe the magic is found in the skiing.

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Originally Posted by iriponsnow

Blank is going to crush sales. I had a set of mint 190 Q Labs with matching green P18s that I basically had to give away. The fringes tug on the masses, yet the masses buy skis that fit their yum.

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Man, the QLab is such a great ski that hardly anyone skied. I have a pair I will likely never sell just because they aren't worth anything.

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Originally Posted by 123ski

I’d hate to be a solly athlete right now. Not a single good ski in the lineup. How can any of them ski a legit AK line with their widest option at 112 and a turn radius that tight?


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Yeah, sure. I mean its got to really suck for solly athletes like alkasquawlik who are really being held back by their gear. Not like they could possibly attempt anything cool and legit way beyond the ability of mere mortals and keyboard warriors.[emoji57]

I heard Salomon is doing a run of 118s for athletes for next winter. The Blank is going to sell really well, but isn’t the ski for athletes small use case. Cody put up a post on his IG that illustrates this pretty well. He said something to the effect of: ‘I’ve been skiing the 118 more and am skiing more aggressively in the fall line’. I’m clearly paraphrasing here, but I remember him attributing this to the turn radius.


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Originally Posted by TCK

I heard Salomon is doing a run of 118s for athletes for next winter. The Blank is going to sell really well, but isn’t the ski for athletes small use case. Cody put up a post on his IG that illustrates this pretty well. He said something to the effect of: ‘I’ve been skiing the 118 more and am skiing more aggressively in the fall line’. I’m clearly paraphrasing here, but I remember him attributing this to the turn radius.


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I bet Cody will ski an pro athlete-specific QST118 with a Blank top sheet.


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Salomon would be shooting themselves in the foot if they had Cody on skis they don't sell to the public

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Originally Posted by Bandit Man

I bet Cody will ski an pro athlete-specific QST118 with a Blank top sheet.

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This. I don't think we need to worry about the athletes getting access to the equipment they want or need.

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Originally Posted by Benneke10

Salomon would be shooting themselves in the foot if they had Cody on skis they don't sell to the public

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As if pros skied the same skis their brand sell lol

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The dimensions and rocker profile of the QST 112 reminds me of the old Voile Charger with a burlier layup. Sounds fun to me.

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Originally Posted by kootenayskier

They’re producing a versatile soft snow ski, that they can manufacture in large numbers at a low price, that lots of skiers are going to buy and love, while leaving the specialty niches (chargers, super deep, tricksters, shit snow) for the smaller companies. Seems like a great strategy for making huge corporate profits. They’ll sell 10 times as many of these as they did QST118s (which I thought were a mediocre ski). The Blank could be a daily driver for 50% of the skiers at my local, while only a few obsessives (like myself) will justify a quiver of wider skis.

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You're very right actually. I guess I wasn't thinking about it from that perspective.

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Originally Posted by 123ski

I’d hate to be a solly athlete right now. Not a single good ski in the lineup. How can any of them ski a legit AK line with their widest option at 112 and a turn radius that tight?

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I was more thinking of it from this perspective. Then again Cody could probably ski 2x4s better than I could ski the blank so I'm sure they will make do.

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Originally Posted by alpinevibes

I read the whole Blister review and with Jonathon and Luke rehashing every aspect of the ski with very bland, average takes, they could’ve edited the whole thing down to “Solly releases the Toyota Camry of 110+ skis.”


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FWIW, I'm not sure where the "Camry" analogy comes up from our review + our Deep Dive? I'd personally take the Blank over most ~112mm-wide skis currently on the market. The Blank has some guts and some weight to it, and if people buy it thinking they're getting a Wailer 112RP or a Rossi S7, they'll be mistaken. Anyway, I certainly don't care at all what ski you buy, but wanted to clarify that the 3 of us who've skied this so far don't think that the Blank is some milk toast ski.

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Originally Posted by iriponsnow

Blank is going to crush sales. I had a set of mint 190 Q Labs with matching green P18s that I basically had to give away. The fringes tug on the masses, yet the masses buy skis that fit their yum.

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I meant that the QLab was labeled 190 and was really like 185ish. My 188 Invictus were noticeably longer. A “longer” ski sells better to some people.

I liked the Qlab but it really seemed like a fat carver.

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Originally Posted by JFE24

FWIW, I'm not sure where the "Camry" analogy comes up from our review + our Deep Dive? I'd personally take the Blank over most ~112mm-wide skis currently on the market. The Blank has some guts and some weight to it, and if people buy it thinking they're getting a Wailer 112RP or a Rossi S7, they'll be mistaken. Anyway, I certainly don't care at all what ski you buy, but wanted to clarify that the 3 of us who've skied this so far don't think that the Blank is some milk toast ski.

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Alright alright, my hot take first thing this morning was a little too much jest your way. :fmicon:

FWIW, I think it was a great, thorough review and captured what [I imagine] the ski to be perfectly. I'm not knocking what you actually said, just that the "Who's It For" boils down to everyone except a beginner or 38m radius charger-type. Insert joke: Camry crowd. Again... Camry does not mean bad/milquetoast, just means middle of the road. In your own words: " I think it’s safe to say that the Blank lives nearer to the middle of that spectrum."

It's a crowd pleaser ski, that will sell a lot and make many posters whine that Solly doesn't make a real ski (see above). My quiver has included 189 Atris, 186Volkl One, 183 original Gotama, 187 MX108 - I'm sure I would love the Blank.

Here is a simple solution to this whole Salomon Blank conundrum - if you don't like, don't buy it. Salomon isn't here to please the maggot collective they are here to sell skis and have a profitable business. The masses buy a lot more skis than us dirt bags. If you want a more badass ski try a Katana 108, or Wrenegade 110, or ....fill in what ski gives you a boner.

Time to move on to more Gear Rumors 21/22

Everyone shits on it, but look a Camry is a fucking phenomenal DD. Yeah, I’d love an E30 M3 in garage, an S2000, maybe throw in an old 80s series. But hell, my Golf Alltrack blows them all out of the water for DD duties with its creature comforts.

So yeah, I think the Blank looks pretty perfect as a PNW DD and I’ll have who knows how many more skis to fuck around on too.

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Originally Posted by 123ski

. How can any of them ski a legit AK line with their widest option at 112 and a turn radius that tight?
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They won’t. Everyone is too busy ski touring pillows in Revy or at Golden Alpine.

Turn radius is close to irrelevant to me. I have a ski with 18.5m turn radius, and I’ve made turns at both 18.4 and 18.6 meters. Almost unbelievable right?

Joking aside I think on the right ski a tight turn radius does help with maneuverability in tight spaces on heavy skis. Otherwise I think it’s just one input to be picky about that makes less of a difference than weight, rocker, taper, construction, and mount point.

WTF is with all the boring, WHITE graphics? Is it diy color in the lines? Do I have to run maxed out DIN so I don't have to get my skis back in July?
112 looks like a solid ski, but it also looks like everyone would run over them in the lift line because they wouldn't even see them there. Accident waiting to happen
A lot of you are also focused on the turn radius number. Look at the length and dimensions of the ski. It's tapered. It's not some super shaped piste carver for the Zermat rental fleet.

But yeah, the Q Lab graphics are sweet. Wish there were more mountain scenes and bright colors the past couple years instead of bland rental gear top sheets.
And woodgrain. That's always neat.
White on white bad.