Ski: 2015-2016 Salomon MTN Lab
Available Lengths: 176 & 184cm
Stated Dimensions (mm):
• 140-114-128 (176cm length)
Stated Sidecut Radius (176cm & 184cm lengths):
• 21 and 24 meters
Stated Weight per Ski:
• 1,800 grams (184cm length)
The Salomon Q-BC Lab debuted this season, and it’s coming back for the 2015-2016 season under a different name: the MTN Lab.
The big design trend in the ski industry these days is backcountry touring gear, and the MTN Lab is high on our ‘to review’ list of skis in the touring-oriented class.
Touring-focused skis with light paulownia wood and carbon-reinforced cores have been around for a while, but now other lightweight materials are being put to use as more brands are making lighter, tour-ready skis with downhill performance in mind.
With the MTN Lab, Salomon uses the same poplar wood core found in most skis in their Freeski line (though presumably with a thinner core profile), and layers of carbon and flax fibers run the whole length of the ski, on top of the core.
The result is a ski that’s pretty darn light for being 114mm underfoot (1,800 grams in the 184cm length). So while we’re already confident that the MTN Lab won’t be a bear on the way up, we’re eager to see how successfully Salomon has been able to marry tourability with downhill performance.
We’ve never been on a ski that incorporates both carbon and flax stringers in the same composite layup, so we’re curious to see whether this construction, combined with a poplar core, provides “dampening and vibration absorption above & beyond anything found on traditional carbon and light ski constructions,” as Salomon claims.
Salomon has also used the same CFX Superfiber construction in two more skis, creating a MTN Lab Series. So alongside the 114mm-underfoot MTN Lab sit the MTN Lab Explore 95, and the MTN Lab Explore 88 (which are 95 and 88mm underfoot, respectively). See the next pages for pictures and specs for each of those skis.
NEXT: Salomon MTN Lab Explore 95 & MTN Lab Explore 88
That 114 looks like they brought back the Dictator for the rest of us in smaller lengths. Not sure how I feel about them making it really light, though. Looks like a fantastic shape, but I’d wonder about stability and edge hold since it’s a Salomon. Can’t wait for an on snow review!
I hope the construction is brilliant, because that rocker profile looks like 2002.
Anyone spent much time on the mtn lab?
Are there any differences between the Q-BC Lab and Mtn Lab, other than graphics? Is the weight the same?
I spent a lot of time on the Q-BC labs last year. I want to chat about the utility rocker. I expected a 114 underfoot board to float much better. Instead I find myself having to delicately balance on this fine line to keep the tips up. That balance point seems to be too far in the back seat for my liking, making them very unplayfull in the deep stuff. The skis are great otherwise. I end up using them for most of the backcountry season from tight trees to tight couliors. They definitely carve for a fat board and I even find them not to be so bad in resort bumps on softer days.