Cody Townsend’s touring ski makes waves.
Given the popularity of The Fifty Project, the QST 106, and gearheads’ obsession with new stuff, it was inevitable that the Salomon QST Echo 106 would stir up some hype. The Echo aims to provide similar versatility and freeride performance to the regular QST 106, but in a lighter and more tour-able package. If you’ve watched The Fifty, you’ve already caught a glimpse of Townsend’s R&D. And while that guy could make skiing a two-by-four look appealing, there’s no shortage of intrigue around the new ski.
Field Notes: Salomon QST Echo 106 Review
Thinking the Echo and the regular QST look identical? Well, you’re not wrong. Salomon builds the two skis in the same mold with the same dimensions. Healthy taper and deep rocker lines, reinforced sidewalls, an appetizing 106mm waist width—there’s no reinventing the wheel here. And as a huge fan of the newest QST 106, I say that’s a good thing.
Where the Echo deviates, it saves weight. Around 300 grams per ski! Salomon achieves this by tailoring the Echo’s core construction to more uphill-focused itineraries. The karuba/popular core sheds some grams, as do the smaller cork inserts and the basalt layer (which replaces Salomon’s C/FX laminate). In related news, the Echo’s Double Sidewall uses 100% recycled ABS, while 30% of the topsheet material is recycled. So—lighter and more sustainable. Savvy?
One other plus: Salomon rolls out he QST Echo 106 in a full (ie, “unisex”) size run. Like the regular QST 106, it’s available to every type of skier. Big upvote.
So, how does the QST Echo 106 perform as a touring ski? How does it handle in-bounds? Let’s dig in.
Uphill
While it’s being billed as the touring version of the QST 106, the Echo isn’t a full-blown touring ski. At least from a weight standpoint. It weighs in at 3520 grams for the pair, putting it right on the cusp between “lightweights” and “middleweights” in our ski weights categories. That is to say, plenty of backcountry skis weigh less, including Salomon’s own MTN 96 Carbon.
Like most things when it comes to gear choice, it depends on your preferences and priorities. On your feet or your shoulder, the Echo weighs more than some touring skis but less than most resort skis. On the skintrack, it feels light and quick, but not quickest and lightest. Paired with a lightweight tech binding, like the MTN Pure (SPOILER: This is a setup I whole-heartedly recommend!), it will feel light or heavy depending on how many other lightweight touring setups you’ve used.
Have I found enough ways to say the QST Echo 106 is “medium” on the uphill/weight side? Moving on.
Groomers
I included our typical terrain types breakdown in this review for two reasons. One, a lot of people wonder how this ski performs compared to the QST 106. This gives us our best shot at an apples-to-apples deep dive. And two (SPOILER): The QST Echo 106 stacks up as a worthy resort option (indeed, we had a few pairs with alpine bindings at our spring 2023 demo). So, as we do, we want to give you the best sense we can for how this ski will work for you.
I started my first test of the QST Echo 106 by dialing up Mach 5 down a long frontside groomer at Copper Mountain. Immediately, I was impressed. These skis hold strong edges and feel planted under your foot. Score one for recycled ABS! Having spent many, many days on the QST 106, I can say the two skis feel similar underfoot, want to arc the same turn shapes, and both instill confidence.
Where they differ comes, unsurprisingly, from the weight reduction in the Echo. They can both skid or carve with ease, and the Echo is even more intuitive and easy to ski than the regular QST 106. That said, it also flexes noticeably softer in the tips and tails. So when you find yourself hauling down firmer or inconsistent snow, you’ll find more support and stability in the QST 106. Nothing revelatory there, but it is worth noting that the Echo performs as well on groomers as a slew of lightweight resort skis I’ve tested…including several that weigh more. That opens the door for the Echo to work as an in-bounds option for more conservative/finesse skiers.
Bumps and Trees
The same intuitive and smooth feel that you find in the QST 106 carries over to the Echo. And you notice it big-time in tight places.
The Echo outperforms most other “touring” skis because, well, it feels like a real ski. Salomon didn’t load it with carbon, and it doesn’t feel hooky or pingy. Rather, it instills confidence, pivots well, and handles aggressive fall-line skiing. So when you take it to a big objective (a la The Fifty), you know you’re not going to have to dramatically change your skiing style to accommodate your equipment. At least, no more than the terrain would normally call for…
By mirroring the shape of the QST 106, Salomon ensured that the Echo doesn’t trade weight for lame downhill performance. So while you may notice that you’re carrying a slightly heavier load (versus “true” touring skis), you quickly feel the advantage when you descend. More on that in a moment.
If you’re riding lifts, the Echo skis bumps and trees like a more forgiving and easier-going version of the regular QST 106. It’s likely not going to be the resort go-to for aggressive advanced or expert skiers. But for more casual skiers or stoked intermediates, I say go for it.
Powder and Mixed Snow
Ie: the backcountry skiing section.
If you’re shopping for a touring ski, you want to know a few things. How light is it? How much downhill performance am I compromising?
And, when I get to my zone, how much fun will the ski let me have?
Thanks to its shape (healthy taper and rocker), the QST Echo 106 feels a lot like the regular QST in powder. Floaty, intuitive, smeary, while also maintaining its grip on the fall line. Note, I skied my own pair of QST 106s down an untracked face at Silverton Mountain in 15 inches of fresh snow two years ago. So by saying that, I give the Echo high marks in soft-snow performance.
One thing I will say is that the Echo is not the most playful touring ski on the market (similarly, the QST 106 isn’t the most playful freeride ski). Coming from a pair of Moment Wildcat 108s, and having tested a few other new 2024 skis in the same weight class, like the Armada ARV 100, I can say that if throwing butters in tech bindings is your M.O., you can find a more dynamic touring ski. Again, tradeoffs. The Echo also features a typical (ie, non-freeridey) mount point at -8 (for the MTN Pure line) and -9 (for the Shift or Alpine line). That underscores the slightly directional versus playful flavor here. Which one you prefer is up to you.
I, for one, knew I liked the Echo as a touring ski when I took it to a local honey hole in exceedingly variable snow conditions (see: May skiing). We found surprising soft, light pow up top, which quickly gave way to intermittent patches of crust. Then more crust. Then heavy wet pow at the bottom. As the snow transitioned, the QST Echo 106 held up and tracked straight. Where most other lightweight skis (especially carbon-loaded touring options) get deflected or knocked off-line, the Echo didn’t skip a beat. Rather, it allowed me to stay in the driver’s seat, attacking the fall line with a couple deviations for quick slashes. Needless to say, I was pumped.
Downside
Having spent a lot of time on the QST 106 (and written a review about it), I came to a similar takeaway after extensively testing the new Echo. If you want a ski that’s “the best” at one particular thing, you could end up looking elsewhere. For the QST 106, that could be the burliest or the most playful. For the Echo, it could be the lightest.
Bottom Line
If, however, you want a touring ski that performs solidly or above average at everything it’s made to do, you want to look closely at the QST Echo 106. While this is a hilariously arbitrary measurement in the ski industry, the Echo offers an exceptional skiability-to-weight ratio, at least after the testing I put it through. It’s an excellent daily driver touring ski that is fun enough for midwinter meadow hopping (avy dodging), light-ish enough for big objectives, and strong enough for a lot of the crappy snow you’ll find in the backcountry. The fact that it’s descent-oriented makes it a better resort option than ski-mo racing option (no doubt), and that versatility falls in line with the QST lineage.
All in all, whether you call it a lightweight resort ski or a touring ski, the QST Echo 106 will get along well with a wide variety of skiers in a wide variety of places—from your local hill to the far reaches of North America’s raddest lines.
