L QST Blank T + L6 GW Illusion

The QST Blank Team is Salomon's junior answer to the full-grown QST Blank — a dedicated freeride shape scaled down for kids who have outgrown learning terrain and want to follow adults into the trees and soft snow. At 92mm underfoot (88mm in the shorter lengths), it's wide enough to stay on top of a light powder day without becoming a chore to steer on hardpack. The construction is straightforward: a full poplar woodcore with ABS sidewalls and no metal. That keeps the swing weight low and the overall ski light, which matters a lot for a small skier who's still building strength. The rocker-camber-rocker profile does what it needs to — tip and tail rocker lifts the nose and tail out of the chop so the ski doesn't dive or catch, while the camber underfoot keeps edge contact real enough that the kid can actually carve a turn rather than just skid. It comes mounted with the Salomon L6 GW binding (DIN 2–5.5, GripWalk-compatible), so you're buying a complete, ready-to-ski setup — just get the binding sized to the boot by a shop tech before heading out.

This ski is for the junior rider who's confident on blue runs and genuinely curious about powder, side hits, and terrain outside the main runs — think ages 8–13 depending on size, skiing three or more days a season, ready to be challenged. It is not the right call for a first- or second-year skier still working on stopping and turning — for that, you want the Salomon QST Jr M with its softer flex and more predictable behavior on groomed snow. The Blank Team rewards some commitment; a beginner who leans back on it will have a hard time. If the child is solidly intermediate and starting to chase their parents into the bumps and powder, this is one of the cleaner junior freeride packages available at the price.