There are certain people whose calls I always answer, no matter when they call, no matter what we are doing. Not only have these people earned a solid reputation in the industry, but quite frankly, I enjoy their conversation. They also attach themselves to projects of high quality. One of those people is Marshal Olson, who was one of the first to reach out to us when we launched Pugski five years ago. Marshal recently contacted us regarding the introduction of his new association, Stereo Skis.
Stereo Skis? Yes, I had to Google them too. We have been seeing an influx of high-quality European brands, but we had never heard of them, either. In my initial call with Marshal, I could feel the excitement resonating in his voice; as I was talking to him, I was looking at Stereo’s website. Norwegian. Different. Narrow offerings, but not too narrow. Unique shapes for on piste, freeride, and even touring. Hmmm. A Euro brand without a race ski? Sacrilege, right?
We are seeing some serious contenders come across the pond looking for a piece of the US market. I was adamant with Marshal and Stereo that I was unwilling to start this discussion unless the skis were truly all that and a bag of KiMS: I needed to know that Stereo was a true contender and not a pretender. Marshal expected nothing less, which is why he reached out to us; he is well aware of our readers and their level of critical views.
A couple of things on the Stereo site piqued my attention. First was the construction of the skis: the typical dual Titanal, two layers in the skis with metal, triax-braided fiberglass in the others, beech and poplar cores ... but the vulcanized rubber dampening is what got my attention. This is what keeps a ski smooth on the snow -- done right, even more than metal.
Marshal was most excited to get us a Piste RS/78, Stereo’s frontside offering, which he sent in a longish 183 cm along with the Piste V3/88 in the reference 186 length.
In examining the Stereo products once they arrived, I could see that quality and finish are on par with the other premium brands we have come to respect (aka fawn over). Fit, finish, and feel are superb; where lesser skis feel like they are built, these are crafted. It's like the difference between a watch and a timepiece. Stereo got its start in wake skis before transitioning to snow skis. One of the designers, a well-known retired racer whose name cannot be mentioned yet because he is still under contract with another brand, had much influence over the mannerisms of the skis, especially the Piste RS/78.