The Never-Ending Stöckli Discussion

[givethepigeye]

Wow the SR115s are hard to find, you sure you want to do that? Personally I am waiting for @LindseyB to convince Stöckli to build a new version of the SR115

I just dont ski them that much…..2x time in 3/4 years. <- one of those was 1 lap of Teewinot @ JH, so doesn’t really count. So…….there you are. I have a pair of Kastle 106ti’s that probably are way more versatile if it’s soft. They are super fun though. And on the other point……….well @LindseyB would know.

not going to give them away/fire sale but if someone wants them I could be convinced pretty easily.

 

[LindseyB]

Yes, still hopeful for Mathieu to bring back big Stockli powder skis. I do have reason to be optimistic.

About Stockli soft goods. I have put many many miles on my tech jacket and pant from 2015-2016. Skied it in slop/sleet/rain 10 days ago and was bone dry. Jacket still looks new after many washes and the pant cuffs still not cutting. They are the only pants I have that don't fill up with snow after a carving day. I was a tech rep once for Spyder and know my way around soft goods pretty well.

All I have to say about the Stockli soft goods is that the quality lives up to whatever hype someone throws on it. Whether you like the style or sporting a jacket with "racing team" is another subject. It might not be too long until Stockli soft goods can be found in the U.S. as there are currently Canadian dealers that carry some of it.

For those looking for a Stockli hat as I saw in some earlier posts. Try calling Pete Lane's at the Warm Springs side in Sun Valley. I'm pretty sure you can get one through them. It is a flex fit hat. The sizing of the hat runs a little on the bigger side.

 

[cnski]

Skied Killington today for the first time on my WRT's. Not the best call. That mountain is pretty bony with lots of chocolate chips on the trails. And plenty of bare brown patches. Beat my skis up pretty good. Who does the best tune in NE? I'm sure there are quite a few places but just wondering....

 

[Tony Storaro]

About Stöckli soft goods. I have put many many miles on my tech jacket and pant from 2015-2016. Skied it in slop/sleet/rain 10 days ago and was bone dry. Jacket still looks new after many washes and the pant cuffs still not cutting. They are the only pants I have that don't fill up with snow after a carving day. I was a tech rep once for Spyder and know my way around soft goods pretty well.

All I have to say about the Stöckli soft goods is that the quality lives up to whatever hype someone throws on it. Whether you like the style or sporting a jacket with "racing team" is another subject.

Thank you!
Which pants do you mean?

As for the "racing team"....yeah, perhaps that'd be pushing it but I just realized that the Race Jacket has almost all the bells and whistles of the WRT jacket and a whopping 15% elastane (vs 7% in the WRT) which should make it mighty stretchy and no "racing team" on it. And costs 200 eur less.

And it is available on the web-site.I think we have a winner here.

P.S. Order placed.

 

[BmbrMcGnrly]

All-

Sorry to hijack the thread, but would like opinions on a Laser GS as a dedicated on-piste carver given my background (below)? I want something fast that I can take on icy groomer days here in the NE. I own a pair of enforcer 94s at 191 for when conditions are more variable.

-20+ years of skiing, but taking the hobby seriously (lessons, reading, YouTube wormholes on technique, tuning my skis) for last 2 years.
-6’3”, 200lbs, early 30s and athletic.
-I consider myself an expert skier. I ski aggressively. Have some room to grow with my carving technique, which is one of the reasons I’m considering getting this ski.
-I do not think the enforcer is “too much ski.” It does everything I want it to except grip on the iciest days (I have it at an 88 degree side angle/1 degree base).
-I like wider, fast turns.
-I do not race, but would love to if I could find a beer league near PA. I plan on hitting NASTAR when the opportunity arises.
-East coast based, but trips out west several times a year.
-Did I mention I like to go fast? My biggest concern is it is too much ski and I’ll have trouble stopping quickly if I need to.

Found a pair at 185cm for a decent price I’m considering. Thoughts appreciated - thanks!

 

[anders_nor]

if you mean "normal" laser GS in 185 yes sure no worries is my thought. they are very friendly for a cheater GS.

 

[Tony Storaro]

If the price is real good, go right ahead.
The chance of something going wrong is negligible.
I do not consider myself an expert skier but the next Stockli I will buy will be most probably the 188 FIS GS, so…

 

[anders_nor]

If the price is real good, go right ahead.
The chance of something going wrong is negligible.
I do not consider myself an expert skier but the next Stöckli I will buy will be most probably the 188 FIS GS, so…

193 racedepartment? If your ever around here you can try... also one of the reasons Im looking at a 188 for what I do

 

[Tony S]

would like opinions on a Laser GS as a dedicated on-piste carver given my background (below)

Have some room to grow with my carving technique, which is one of the reasons I’m considering getting this ski.

You are far better off with a short radius ski of modest length for working on carving technique ... especially if you are in PA with limited elbow room on the hill. More and better feedback at slower speeds with many more reps per run. Perhaps most importantly a short radius carver requires much less patience and nuance at initiation, which is generally the hardest thing to glom onto in the beginning.

 

[Tony Storaro]

You are far better off with a short radius ski of modest length for working on carving technique ... especially if you are in PA with limited elbow room on the hill. More and better feedback at slower speeds with many more reps per run. Perhaps most importantly a short radius carver requires much less patience and nuance at initiation, which is generally the hardest thing to glom onto in the beginning.

Only downside of this approach is that doing big, wide, fast turns on SL ski is next to impossible.
Which brings us back to square 1.

 

[Tony S]

Only downside of this approach is that doing big, wide, fast turns on SL ski is next to impossible.
Which brings us back to square 1.

That's chapter two.

 

[Noodler]

Only downside of this approach is that doing big, wide, fast turns on SL ski is next to impossible.
Which brings us back to square 1.

Go skiing in PA and you'll see why the idea of "big, wide, fast turns" is completely incongruous with the available terrain and the crowds...

 

[Tony Storaro]

Go skiing in PA and you'll see why the idea of "big, wide, fast turns" is completely incongruous with the available terrain and the crowds...

I need to find a picture from one of my days last week so you can get a better idea of the notion “Chinese manifestation”

Do not get me wrong, I fully agree with shorter radius turn ski in such soup as the most infuriating thing about the stiff, long turn ski is having to drive them sloooooow weaving through the crowd. It is maddening and exhausting.

But as the question was “Are Laser GS good for long fast turns?” the obvious answer was Hell yeah!

 

[BmbrMcGnrly]

For the record, I have 25 days of skiing so far this year and have spent 0 days skiing in PA. Getting spoiled this year for sure!

thanks for the replies so far. Sounds like this might not be the ski for crowded days, or if I want something dedicated to improving my carving form. But this might be the right ski for what I like doing on piste when conditions allow.

Another question, has there been any change in the construction of the laser GS from last years model to this years?

 

[KingGrump]

Only downside of this approach is that doing big, wide, fast turns on SL ski is next to impossible.
Which brings us back to square 1.

No, not impossible. Just need the proper skill set.

 

[Tony Storaro]

No, not impossible. Just need the proper skill set.

Sure. Like hammering a nail with a screwdriver.

 

[KingGrump]

Sure. Like hammering a nail with a screwdriver.

No. More like hammering a nail with a 22 oz. mill face framing hammer. Still need skill.

As I have often said before. Skiing fast does not need to feel fast. There is a skier involved too. Not just a pair of skis.

 

[Tony S]

Skiing fast does not need to feel fast.

At the risk of gratifying your ego I'll admit I was working on this yesterday. Conditions at the local nordic center were atrocious - like lumpy pond ice with embedded charms. I don't know what we were thinking. Balance was difficult at best. Acceleration was all too available but directing it without catastrophe or gross inefficiency or both was another matter. Meanwhile, because it's MLK weekend, the once or twice a year skiers were all out, and they were all standing, petrified, dead in the middle of every descent, often bent over in the process of removing their skis. In short, circumstances were challenging.

So I pulled the "think slow" trick out and it DID help. I did a lot less skiing and a lot more dynamic standing, which counterintuitively contributed to my net speed. (Ice does not reward a lot of big movements.) I did not run into any children. I waved at all of them and smiled. I think I may have startled a couple of the parents or grandparents, but they'll get over it after a cocoa.

 

[Tony Storaro]

As I have often said before. Skiing fast does not need to feel fast. There is a skier involved too. Not just a pair of skis.

That is true. To an extent. On crowded/technical terrain and between the SL gates, short turn ski win hands down.

But take the same ski to a wide open empty slope and try to beat someone who knows his way around a pair of GS ski.

Speed trap does not lie.

 

[Budskimeister]

Skied Killington today for the first time on my WRT's. Not the best call. That mountain is pretty bony with lots of chocolate chips on the trails. And plenty of bare brown patches. Beat my skis up pretty good. Who does the best tune in NE? I'm sure there are quite a few places but just wondering....

Did you purchase the WRT's from a Stockli Dealer? Ask the owner. There was a ski shop on the Mount Mansfield Road a few miles towards the mountain on the right side. A Stockli dealer who did " A tune for the day." A good professional and tuner! Also, Rick at Ski Sharpe Route 100, Waitsfield, Vermont. Hand tune, Call ahead. Maybe the Stockli USA office can help you with advice for New England professional tuners for Stockli.
It would be a wonderful idea if Stockli would present a list of competent, ski technicians/ tuners in the USA. Then the original side and base bevels for the different Stockli ski models could be obtained, tweaked for individual likes and maintained. There is nothing like a well-tuned Stockli ski!