The SR97 is the lesser known Stormrider marketed by Stockli as a touring ski. This is unfortunate, as the ski is a wider version of the SR88, skis very similarly, and is a good all mountain option for a lighter skier.
Dimensions of my skis are: 128-97-118; 18.7m radius @168.
I’m 5’7”, 143, ski in Utah 40+ plus days/year, and qualify for a senior pass. I learned old school and default towards medium to quicker smaller radius turns. I like speed well enough, but would rather skis the bowls, trees, and bumps.
Last March, in the midst of a great snow season in Utah, I contacted Scott at Dawgcatching looking for a wider ski to complement my Stockli Laser AXs (2016 model in 167). After discussing a number of skis, including the SR88, and Kastle FX95 (non-HP), I settled on the SR97s with Attack 13 bindings.
By the time I made my decision, the skis were out of stock, so delivery was postponed until this ski season.
I’d liked to digress a moment for a shout out to Scott for great customer service. There was a colossal screw-up by the carrier, resulting in the skis being refused delivery at my end and shipped back to Oregon. Scott spent an hour on the phone straightening the mess out and getting a credit for the first shipment. The skis arrived shortly thereafter, at no additional cost to me. These folks are the real deal and worthy of your business.
Until a few weeks ago, we had a marginal ski season in Park City, with what seems like more man-made than natural snow. We’ve thawed, refrozen, prayed for snow, and settled for a couple of inches of fresh at a time.
I was finally able to take the SR97s out a day after 8-10” of nice powder. It was cold and clear, with chopped powder over very firm bumps in the bowls and a range of conditions on the groomers: from nice packed powder in spots to scraped off “ice” (Western version).
Setting out on the warm up run, I was expecting to work hard to get the SR97s on edge (compared to my Laser AXs which are 78 underfoot). I was pleasantly surprised that the skis tip fairly effortlessly and are easy to hold on edge. They were also tolerant as I hunted for the right fore-aft balance while making some small to medium radius turns at slower speeds.
The second run (still on a groomer), I pressed the skis a bit more and was amply rewarded. They respond well to being dynamically loaded and track nicely in longer arcs as the speed picks up. In this respect, they reminded me of the Laser AXs; silky smooth with great snow feel.
On my third run, I ventured into the chopped powder and small bumps on the side of a double blue run. The SR97s said “hello” in a big way. It felt like they shifted into autopilot cruising smoothly through the chop and over the terrain with very little effort. The soft tip facilitates this without being hooky. The skis are very light and nimble … so easy to turn or quickly pivot.
Feeling emboldened, I tried my luck on a heavily bumped black run that looked a lot better from the lift than it turned out to be at ground level: deep, thawed and refrozen moguls, overlaid with chopped powder. The SR97s did everything I asked as I worked my way down. The skis are quite flexible but laterally stiff enough to grip a hidden hard surface.
My second and third days on the skis were spent on green runs with my 6 year old grandson (his 5th day on skis). The SR97s were obviously not the skis of choice for this situation, but I wanted to see what they could do at slow speeds. The snow was temperature softened the first day and packed powder the second day. The skis performed well enough making small and medium radius turns but really itched to be opened up and let run in wider arcs.
Winter has finanlly returned to the Wasatch and I have taken the SR97s out on five very good powder days (8-18 inches). The SR97s are a treat in these conditions. There is plenty of float for my weight, but I still ski in the snow and rather than surfing on top. The flex of the skis and the shovel shape work well together and there is never any hint that the skis might seek bottom.
The skis effortlessly slice through late day chop, are easy to handle in soft or skied out bumps, and as quick in the trees as any ski I have been on.
I am still trying to figure out the tails of the skis. They are noticeably different from the tails of my Laser AXs. Not as versatile or helpful, but never in your way in the bumps. Unlike a more aggressive ski, they don’t punish you if get careless and find yourself in the backseat.
Concluding thoughts: The skis feel at home in tracked or untracked soft snow, whether doing short turns down the fall line, navigating choppy moguls, or arcing longer turns at speed. One of the surprises so far is how much fun they are at speed on a groomed surface. I would not pick them as a daily driver on firmer, crusty surfaces, but they are more than adequate in these conditions.
As a lighter, more-finesse-than-power skier, the SR97s are just what I was seeking for soft snow conditions in a variety of terrain. I really don’t know how the skis would work for a heavier skier or someone who really likes to drive a ski hard. I strongly suspect they’d find a limit and be happier with something like the SR95. The length is perfect for me.
Finally a few comparison photos of the SR97 168 and Laser AX 167:
Dimensions of my skis are: 128-97-118; 18.7m radius @168.
I’m 5’7”, 143, ski in Utah 40+ plus days/year, and qualify for a senior pass. I learned old school and default towards medium to quicker smaller radius turns. I like speed well enough, but would rather skis the bowls, trees, and bumps.
Last March, in the midst of a great snow season in Utah, I contacted Scott at Dawgcatching looking for a wider ski to complement my Stockli Laser AXs (2016 model in 167). After discussing a number of skis, including the SR88, and Kastle FX95 (non-HP), I settled on the SR97s with Attack 13 bindings.
By the time I made my decision, the skis were out of stock, so delivery was postponed until this ski season.
I’d liked to digress a moment for a shout out to Scott for great customer service. There was a colossal screw-up by the carrier, resulting in the skis being refused delivery at my end and shipped back to Oregon. Scott spent an hour on the phone straightening the mess out and getting a credit for the first shipment. The skis arrived shortly thereafter, at no additional cost to me. These folks are the real deal and worthy of your business.
Until a few weeks ago, we had a marginal ski season in Park City, with what seems like more man-made than natural snow. We’ve thawed, refrozen, prayed for snow, and settled for a couple of inches of fresh at a time.
I was finally able to take the SR97s out a day after 8-10” of nice powder. It was cold and clear, with chopped powder over very firm bumps in the bowls and a range of conditions on the groomers: from nice packed powder in spots to scraped off “ice” (Western version).
Setting out on the warm up run, I was expecting to work hard to get the SR97s on edge (compared to my Laser AXs which are 78 underfoot). I was pleasantly surprised that the skis tip fairly effortlessly and are easy to hold on edge. They were also tolerant as I hunted for the right fore-aft balance while making some small to medium radius turns at slower speeds.
The second run (still on a groomer), I pressed the skis a bit more and was amply rewarded. They respond well to being dynamically loaded and track nicely in longer arcs as the speed picks up. In this respect, they reminded me of the Laser AXs; silky smooth with great snow feel.
On my third run, I ventured into the chopped powder and small bumps on the side of a double blue run. The SR97s said “hello” in a big way. It felt like they shifted into autopilot cruising smoothly through the chop and over the terrain with very little effort. The soft tip facilitates this without being hooky. The skis are very light and nimble … so easy to turn or quickly pivot.
Feeling emboldened, I tried my luck on a heavily bumped black run that looked a lot better from the lift than it turned out to be at ground level: deep, thawed and refrozen moguls, overlaid with chopped powder. The SR97s did everything I asked as I worked my way down. The skis are quite flexible but laterally stiff enough to grip a hidden hard surface.
My second and third days on the skis were spent on green runs with my 6 year old grandson (his 5th day on skis). The SR97s were obviously not the skis of choice for this situation, but I wanted to see what they could do at slow speeds. The snow was temperature softened the first day and packed powder the second day. The skis performed well enough making small and medium radius turns but really itched to be opened up and let run in wider arcs.
Winter has finanlly returned to the Wasatch and I have taken the SR97s out on five very good powder days (8-18 inches). The SR97s are a treat in these conditions. There is plenty of float for my weight, but I still ski in the snow and rather than surfing on top. The flex of the skis and the shovel shape work well together and there is never any hint that the skis might seek bottom.
The skis effortlessly slice through late day chop, are easy to handle in soft or skied out bumps, and as quick in the trees as any ski I have been on.
I am still trying to figure out the tails of the skis. They are noticeably different from the tails of my Laser AXs. Not as versatile or helpful, but never in your way in the bumps. Unlike a more aggressive ski, they don’t punish you if get careless and find yourself in the backseat.
Concluding thoughts: The skis feel at home in tracked or untracked soft snow, whether doing short turns down the fall line, navigating choppy moguls, or arcing longer turns at speed. One of the surprises so far is how much fun they are at speed on a groomed surface. I would not pick them as a daily driver on firmer, crusty surfaces, but they are more than adequate in these conditions.
As a lighter, more-finesse-than-power skier, the SR97s are just what I was seeking for soft snow conditions in a variety of terrain. I really don’t know how the skis would work for a heavier skier or someone who really likes to drive a ski hard. I strongly suspect they’d find a limit and be happier with something like the SR95. The length is perfect for me.
Finally a few comparison photos of the SR97 168 and Laser AX 167:
