S max n10 review

Overview

The Salomon S/Max N°10 is the women's mid-tier model in Salomon's S/Max carving line, a 72 mm-waisted piste ski built for groomed-run skiing. With a 14 m radius at 160 cm and a single sheet of Titanal, it targets intermediate-to-advanced skiers who want firm-snow grip without stepping up to a full race-tuned plate. It slots between the softer N°8 and the more demanding N°12.

On-snow performance

On paper this is a short-to-medium radius carver. The 120/72/105 sidecut and 14 m radius (at 160 cm) point to a ski that wants to be tipped on edge and turned rather than pushed straight; expect quick, willing edge-to-edge behaviour from the narrow 72 mm waist. The tip rocker should make entry into the turn forgiving and help the shovel find grip early, while the full camber underfoot is what delivers the hold through the belly of the carve. The single Titanal plate and Edge Amplifier SL suggest a calm, damp platform on hard snow — enough steel to settle chatter at speed without the heavy, locked-in feel of a two-sheet race ski. The character reads as agile and moderately forgiving rather than aggressive, so it should reward a clean carving stance while still tolerating a skier who is still refining edge pressure.

Construction & specs explained

The N°10 uses Salomon's Full Dual Core sandwich build: a wood core set in high-density foam, wrapped in HT tri-axial fibreglass. A single Titanal plate runs underfoot with additional Ti binding reinforcement, and Salomon's Edge Amplifier SL is aimed at pushing energy out to the edge for grip. The rocker/camber profile pairs a tip rocker with full camber underfoot — the standard on-piste recipe for easy turn initiation plus a long, connected edge — and Salomon adds tip and tail protection. It ships as a system ski with the M10 GW binding, so the ski and binding are matched as a unit. Salomon publishes 120/72/105 with a 14 m radius as the reference at 160 cm across five lengths (145-165 cm); per-length sidecut figures aren't broken out.

Who it's for & comparisons

This is a ski for intermediate-to-advanced piste skiers who spend their days on groomers and want confident grip without race-plate stiffness. In Salomon's own line, step up to the Salomon S max 12 if you ski faster and want more Titanal and stability; the sibling Salomon S max 10 shares the same 72 mm system-carver concept. Against other brands, the Volkl Peregrine 72 is a comparable 72 mm titanal frontside carver worth cross-shopping. The N°10 aims squarely at the accessible-but-capable middle of that group.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Narrow 72 mm waist and 14 m radius should make for quick, willing edge-to-edge carving.
• Single Titanal plate and Edge Amplifier SL point to composed grip on firm groomers.
• Tip rocker with full camber underfoot suggests forgiving turn entry with a long hold.
• Matched M10 GW system binding keeps setup simple.
• Five lengths from 145 to 165 cm cover a wide range of skiers.

Cons

• Purely a piste ski — the low-profile 72 mm waist is not built for powder or soft snow.
• System binding locks you into Salomon's M10 GW rather than a free binding choice.
• Advanced-plus skiers chasing top-end speed may want the stiffer N°12 instead.

Verdict The S/Max N°10 is a sensible mid-tier women's carver: agile, forgiving and grippy on groomers, sitting neatly between the easier N°8 and the racier N°12 for intermediate-to-advanced piste skiers.