S max n8 review

Overview

The Salomon S/Max N°8 is the friendliest, entry-tier model in Salomon's S/Max N° line — the women's side of the S/Max on-piste carving family (distinct from the unisex S/Max 8). With a 72 mm waist, an 11-14 m radius and five lengths from 145 to 165 cm, it's aimed at women building confidence on groomed pistes who want a short-radius carver that stays approachable. It ships as a system ski with the M10 GW binding.

On-snow performance

On paper the geometry reads as a quick, forgiving frontside carver. The 119-120/72/104-105 mm sidecut and short 11-14 m radius suggest a ski that hooks into a turn easily and rewards a rider who likes tight, energetic arcs rather than long GS sweeps. Full camber underfoot should keep the edge engaged and gripping across the whole arc for confident hold on firm groomers, while the early-rise tip is there to ease turn initiation and forgive a slightly late or lazy input. Its internal calibration points to a piste-focused, playful character — agile and easy rather than demanding — so expect stability at moderate speed rather than a hard-charging race feel. With a 72 mm waist and minimal rocker it is a groomer tool; the shape does not suggest much off-piste or soft-snow ambition.

Construction & specs explained

Underneath, the S/Max N°8 uses an ash woodcore in Salomon's Dual Core 2 semi-sandwich construction. A single Titanal top layer adds damping and drive without the weight or stiffness of a full two-sheet metal layup, and an edge-to-edge Ti binding reinforcement underfoot stiffens the mounting zone for more direct power transfer to the edge. HT Tri-Axial fibres and Salomon's Edge Amplifier SL — a slalom-tuned flex — back up the short-radius, quick-turning intent. The sidewalls are a 30% recycled ABS semi-sandwich. As a system ski it comes matched with the M10 GW binding, so the flex and mounting are engineered together.

Who it's for & comparisons

This is a ski for developing to solid intermediate women who ski mostly groomers and want an easy, energetic short-turn carver. Within its own family, step up to the Salomon S max 10 or Salomon S max 12 for more metal, more binding and a more demanding, higher-speed carve; the N°8 trades some of that top-end grip for accessibility. Against the Elan Ace speed magic pro, another 72 mm women's carver, the Salomon leans on its single-titanal-plus-Edge-Amplifier layup for a lively slalom feel.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Approachable, forgiving character suited to developing women skiers.
• Short 11-14 m radius and slalom-tuned flex make quick, energetic turns easy.
• Full camber with a titanal reinforcement underfoot should give confident grip on firm groomers.
• System package with the M10 GW binding takes the guesswork out of setup.
• Five lengths from 145 to 165 cm make it easy to size.

Cons

• 72 mm waist and minimal rocker limit it to piste; not a soft-snow or off-piste ski.
• Entry-tier flex and a single sheet of metal will feel undergunned for aggressive, high-speed skiers.
• The system binding limits mounting flexibility.

Verdict The Salomon S/Max N°8 is a friendly, piste-focused short-radius carver for women building confidence on groomers — easy and energetic rather than demanding, and best matched to intermediates who value approachability over outright race-bred grip.