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2022 Stöckli Laser AX

SkiTalk Test Team

Testing skis so you don't have to.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Mar 5, 2017
Posts
1,202
Erik Timmerman: My first time on a Stöckli (okay, I once skied a pair of Asteroids, but those don't count). Would I feel the magic? This versatile frontside carver certainly does everything it is expected to do: short turns, long turns, bumps, etc. I think its magic is that it wants to help you, not punish your mistakes. It never yelled at me, but at the same time, I can't say it really seduced me, either. If it were a car, it is perhaps an S-class Mercedes. I put a student who just wasn't getting carving on a pair. After skiing these, he got it, and I wasn't fearing for his life as the skis helped him get there.

Insider tip: If these were mine, I would put a race plate and bindings on them, and maybe a more aggressive base bevel to liven them up. They aren't cheap. Seriously, I think I could buy a pair of Thunderbirds and a pair of Curv GTs for the price of these.​

Philpug: Yes, the Laser AX is as good as the zealots claim, no question about it. Everything you have read about the AX is accurate. What? One more positive review? Well, why not. The AX is the ski that all premium skis in the 77-80mm class get compared to, and that's because it does so many things so well, with a level of competence that few other skis can match. Forget the "Yeah, but ...” and the “What's a low-cost option to the AX?” If you want the AX, just buy the AX -- otherwise you will be unhappy and end up buying it anyway.

Insider tip: So many on the racks have SkiTalk stickers that you might want to put different distinguishing marks on your pair.​

Ron: The Laser AX represents the new class of narrow all-mountain skis. It has a very unique build with softish, slightly rockered tips but is quite stiff torsionally. Moving down the ski, it is fairly stiff underfoot with thick sidewalls and ample camber. It features a more traditional tail (slightly rounded but flat-ended) that is slightly turned up with no rocker. It does what no other ski in this class can do. The tip becomes very stable when tipped on edge and pulls you into a turn like a true carving ski. The AX is eerily stable and quiet at speed, too. Taking it into softer snow like bumps and piled-up groomers, its softer tips absorb and rise up just enough. It just slices through push piles like the proverbial hot knife through butter. It can stand up to skis much wider with more rocker. I did find that the bindings may need to be moved forward just a touch. Overall this ski is fantastic! (I own it now.)

Insider tip: You would be surprised just how versatile this ski is! Those with aversions to four-digit prices just need to wait for a used pair -- but it will be worth the wait.​


 
Awards
Who is it for?
People who like to have fun and spend money. Advanced intermediates and up who like the feel of a narrower ski for all-mountain conditions including boilerplate carving up to a few inches of fresh.
Who is it not for?
Beginner-level skiers and people who don’t like to pay top dollar. Bigger skiers. For some reason, the 182 does not get the love commanded by the 168 and 175.
Skier ability
  1. Intermediate
  2. Advanced
  3. Expert
Ski category
  1. Frontside
  2. All Mountain
Ski attributes
  1. Groomers
  2. Moguls
Segment
  1. Men
  2. Women

Specifications

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Available sizes
159, 167, 175, 183
Dimensions
123-78-110
Radius
15.6m@175cm
Rocker profile
  1. Camber with tip rocker
Size Scaling
  1. None
Construction design
  1. Carryover
Binding options
  1. Flat
  2. System

Henry

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Posts
1,229
Location
Traveling in the great Northwest
I really like my 2017, yellow & green, 175cm Laser AX. I'll be ready for new ones when the technology has advanced to give the AX even more WOW factor. Maybe the next update, 2023? Or now? Or mine are so good that I won't be wowed by any foreseeable new ones?

Side notes: I'd like a tighter turn radius, but I still love these. They're sweet for every snow from boiler plate to wet lumpy crud to a few inches of fresh snow. The vibration damping is better, than my new Heads with their trumpeted EMC energy management circuit where the vibration is converted by electricity by a piezoelectric circuit then dissipated into the graphene. (By the way, Head, ski dampening is accomplished by a rain cloud. ski vibration damping is accomplished by great ski design.)
 

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