After a long night of rain, it was a dubious bus ride up the mountain. The stoke was high with our team as we kicked off with roll call before the school bus pick up at Rhythm, collecting more eager staff along the way. Salomon's team summed it up perfectly: "Let's just say it was a classic Aussie alpine day – wet and windy."
But here's the thing about mountain days: you don't get to pick your conditions, but you get to pick your gear. And your attitude.
When Plans Change, Stoke Doesn't
We had to change plans halfway up the hill, headed to Front Valley instead of Smiggs. Our location changed, but the main goal of the day didn't: get the Rhythm staff out on as many different demo products as possible. After loading all the gear out at Perisher ski tube building, the Salomon team unleashed a mountain of new 2025/26 winter skis and snowboards
The weather gods threw us a bone, and the rain cleared up, leaving light flurries on the mountain. As the Salomon team noted about spending the day with us: "One thing that's unquestionable about any winter shop staff in Aus is that the froth, stoke and passion are always peaking. Rhythm staff on the day completely embodied that, it's the kind of energy you wish you could capture somehow. They live and breathe this shit. Even in the wild weather, the stoke never dropped."
From Park Laps to Pub Chats
It was straight to the park for most of our crew, who ranged from intermediate skiers and snowboarders to super-confident park riders. The guys in the shop came from a range of departments, including goggles/helmet sales, ski and snowboard retail, as well as the e-commerce office wizards. We were encouraged to swap out gear and chat with the Salomon team about the highlights of each piece of equipment.
A team lunch followed at Smiggins Pub with a quiz on all things Salomon, and finishing up with a few turns at Smiggins Poma, where some staff swapped skis for snowboards and vice versa.
NEW FOR 2025/26: Salomon Horizon Series Snowboards
Introducing the Highpath, Fastlane and Jetstream
The Salomon team gave us the rundown on their biggest news: "For boards this year, we have a new freeride range: The Horizon Series. There are three boards in the line: Highpath, Fastlane and Jetstream. No matter where on the hill you ride, there's an option for you, whether you want to do an ollie, rip a turn or straight line, ha!"
Salomon Highpath: Built for Australian Conditions
The Highpath particularly caught our attention. As the Salomon crew explained: "It's progressive, eco-conscious, and built for all conditions. Responsive and stable. It'll hold its own on bulletproof ice and is floaty and fun in spring slush. Not just for Aus, but if you need a board for the northern hemi as well."
Why Salomon Created the Horizon Series
We asked about the thinking behind the new range. As they explained, "With the Horizon series, the goal was simple: expand our range offering. Traditionally, we are super strong with freestyle boards (think Huck Knife). But with Highpath, Fastlane and Jetstream, we have high-performance, sustainable directional freeride boards without compromise. All mountain/freeride is a larger portion of the market that, as a brand, we are yet to fully explore."
ON THE SKI SIDE: QST Range Updates
QST 100: The Playful One
On the ski side, the QST range continues to evolve, with a more refined construction, new waist widths, some new shapes and a much more progressive top sheet design. Super sick. The standout is the QST 100: the most playful QST yet. Super fun, reactive and versatile. Whether on groomers or scoring cheeky powder stashes. It's still very early days, but we're already seeing amazing feedback.
The Classics Still Rule
While we were keen to hear about the new gear, we also asked the Salomon team what stands out in their current range, which products have become absolute legends?
"Huck Knife, hands down. It has a genuine cult following," they told us. And for skis? "The Addikt skis. Since they were introduced a few seasons ago, they've had people frothing. Different tail execution and using some race tech, they're a super cool ski made to rip groomers all day every day."
But what about someone who's never ridden Salomon before? Where should they start? "For snowboards, it's the Dancehaul. If you want to experience Salomon's agility, pop, and playfulness, that's your entry ticket. For skis, the QST: versatile, responsive, and ready for anything the Aussie mountains throw at you."
Why Salomon's Winning Right Now
As we discussed over lunch, Salomon currently has a really great team winning and representing on the podiums, which helps translate to a brand that people can trust. Their equipment has stood the test of time and offers a full range of gear from skis, boards, bindings, boots, helmets and much more. It's a brand that's everywhere right now, from the podium to the park.
After a great day on the hill, we had a team photo before making the journey down the mountain and back to Cooma.
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