Stockli Laser AX vs AR

[Noodler]

If that is your typical day is you got soft snow + 3" windblow and a ropedrop on 5" you should be having fun regardless and probably on not a laser.

I think the scenario you should consider is when it hasn't snowed for 10days, what is going to help you have more fun of 10day old snow/ice rather than putting the icing on top of really good fresh snow. At least that was my perspective and choice.

If your dream scenario really is the majority of your days, good to be you, I guess!

I think you hit on one of the important aspects of Stockli's ski construction. A Stockli ski can make a bad snow day feel much more acceptable than just about any other ski made (there are some exceptions of late that are also quite damp and planted in their capabilities). The Fischers may have a design that I prefer, but they definitely will be more apt to feel less "happy" in nasty old snow.

 

[Noodler]

I already have Praxis 9D8s in a 185, #4 core. They are great, but as I have said want to add a skinny ski (for me 77 or 83 is a skinny ski) that is more toward the carver side of the spectrum. So AX or AR?

The answer is that both skis can carve remarkably well. It's hard to put one above the other, but rather which one will excel more in particular conditions. As noted, although more narrow, the AX is the more versatile ski whereas the AR skis more like a very approachable wide GS ski.

Please refresh my memory, what's the narrowest ski currently in your quiver?

 

[Quandary]

98mm Praxis.

That was a day at Breck in January and it hadn't snowed in 7ish days.

After reading the reviews on the RC One 86 GT that sounds like it should be a contender. Reading the reviews it seems like it is not the hard snow ski the Stockli's are?

 

[Noodler]

98mm Praxis.

That was a day at Breck in January and it hadn't snowed in 7ish days.

After reading the reviews on the RC One 86 GT that sounds like it should be a contender. Reading the reviews it seems like it is not the hard snow ski the Stöckli's are?

Fischer changed the construction of the RC One 86 GT from the Pro MT 86 Ti to make it feel more damp and planted on the snow, but it's not a heavy feeling ski by any stretch. It doesn't have quite the refinement (smoothness) of the Stockli Laser, but it's a nice feeling ski. It has plenty of torsional stiffness to really bite and hold on groomers, but a more modern tip shape and rocker profile to take on off-piste areas.

I would still give the nod to the Stocklis for their pure carving ability over the Fischers, but only when the snow is more challenging. You would be hard pressed on good snow to feel much of a difference. I would need to ski the AR and the Fischers back-to-back to really be able to verbalize a difference.

Given that your narrowest ski is a 98, the AR is quite narrower and may be more of what you're looking for from a pure carving perspective. If you want a ski to handle the day that you described then I would recommend that you put the RC One 86 GT into consideration.

BTW - Those Pro MT skis are still up on ebay at ridiculously low prices. It's hard to make a mistake when a ski is only $275.

 

[AlpedHuez]

AR or AX? 86 GT or AR? Just get all three and have no regrets

 

[Noodler]

^^^^^ That's a heck of a quiver.

 

[Tony Storaro]

AR or AX? 86 GT or AR? Just get all three and have no regrets View attachment 127920

You need more ski mate, that's not even half the quiver you really need.

 

[Dougb]

Please make sure you share your experience. I have a vacant spot in the 80-90 category in my quiver and still cant make my mind what to fill it with. These Fischers are very high on my list.

I certainly will!

 

[AlpedHuez]

You need more ski mate, that's not even half the quiver you really need.

That is half my quiver. Here is the other half

 

[Tony Storaro]

That is half my quiver. Here is the other half View attachment 127983

Getting there, yes, but still...10-15 more would not go amiss. 40 is a good round number methinks.

 

[Noodler]

That is half my quiver. Here is the other half View attachment 127983

You're my hero. These are the kinds of posts I show my wife so that she will hopefully believe that I'm not insane (or at least that I'm not alone in my insanity).

 

[Noodler]

Getting there, yes, but still...10-15 more would not go amiss. 40 is a good round number methinks.

40 is tough to manage, but certainly not out of the question. I have about 2 dozen active in my quiver and another dozen up for sale. Those are just mine; none from the fam.

Just checked and I've skied 12 different skis this season, but it hasn't been a typical season in CO. Spent lots of time on the skinny skis for months.

 

[Seldomski]

That is half my quiver. Here is the other half View attachment 127983

I think you went from a quiver of skis to a confusion of skis. How do you pick one for the day?

 

[AlpedHuez]

I think you went from a quiver of skis to a confusion of skis. How do you pick one for the day?

I live in UK so I can take 4 at a time on for a week ski trip to the Alps. The second (older) half of the quiver is meant to go back to my family's place in Tahoe, but I haven't been able to get over to U.S. in more than a year.

I started the pandemic lockdown last March with a quiver of 7 ... less than a month after I joined this forum. So I can blame you all for tripling my quiver in the year I have been on here

 

[Noodler]

I live in UK so I can take 4 at a time on for a week ski trip to the Alps. The second (older) half of the quiver is meant to go back to my family's place in Tahoe, but I haven't been able to get over to U.S. in more than a year.

I started the pandemic lockdown last March with a quiver of 7 ... less than a month after I joined this forum. So I can blame you all for tripling my quiver in the year I have been on here

Wow, just wow! That's a serious acquisition rate...

 

[Philpug]

AR or AX? 86 GT or AR? Just get all three and have no regrets View attachment 127920

He makes a grown man cry and a rich women beg.

 

[James]

That is half my quiver. Here is the other half View attachment 127983

What’s the grey Atomic next to the G9?
Btw, aren’t those Quatros in there? If so, those aren’t those the answers to “what doesn’t belong?”

 

[Quandary]

Found a great deal on the Fischers and ordered them. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Noodler]

Found a great deal on the Fischers and ordered them. Thanks for all the advice!

So the answer to AX vs. AR is "none of the above"?

 

[Quandary]

Never let it be said I can't take advice!!