The Never-Ending Stöckli Discussion

[ScottB]

Thanks guys ! The 90something and wider offerings are more than covered. The question of Uber steep bumps was to related to slarving vs. carving. At some point carving goes out the window with the terrain I’m talking about.
@ScottB - or others, have you spent any time on the ‘21 @justaute talks about ?

My AX's are 2018 vintage I think. The newer ones are a bit stiffer in the tip and I think they did something in the tail. I haven't been on the newer ones. I think they added a little more precision and carving ability to the ski. But not a huge change. Search for Dawgcatching posts, I think he did a review of the 2018 vs 2020 AX.

 

[Kyle]

Ski Essentials take on the SR102:

 

[Truberski]

Ski Essentials take on the SR102:

With the widest Stockli being 102 underfoot it is no surprise these skis are so popular here! I personally prefer other brands in the “Stormrider” type of ski but I would like to get on some of their skinnier skis. Either way I respect that they don’t try to have a ski in every category and are so consistent in their design.

 

[David Chaus]

It wasn’t that long ago that Stockli made Stormrider 115 Pro’s, I think the last model year was 2018-2019. They made them for at least 3 years. However good they were, they likely didn’t sell enough of them to focus on that segment of the market.

 

[Noodler]

It wasn’t that long ago that Stöckli made Stormrider 115 Pro’s, I think the last model year was 2018-2019. They made them for at least 3 years. However good they were, they likely didn’t sell enough of them to focus on that segment of the market.

Mathieu Fauve is clearly an excellent ski designer, but I believe he is the primary force behind ALL of their ski designs. That doesn't really make sense to me when you get to the bigger skis. It's fairly clear that skis intended for freeriding/deep snow benefit from the more progressive rockered shapes and that is quite a different design target than their narrower brethren. Stockli would benefit from having some "fresh" thinking to shape the freeride series skis while taking advantage of their fantastic construction layup technology.

I know it's sacrilegious to state in this thread, but this longtime Stockli fanboy acknowledges that the more progressive designs are significantly more versatile when it comes to off-piste chops. My Fischer Ranger series stuff ski circles around the Stormriders...

 

[Tony Storaro]

Mathieu Fauve is clearly an excellent ski designer, but I believe he is the primary force behind ALL of their ski designs. That doesn't really make sense to me when you get to the bigger skis. It's fairly clear that skis intended for freeriding/deep snow benefit from the more progressive rockered shapes and that is quite a different design target than their narrower brethren. Stöckli would benefit from having some "fresh" thinking to shape the freeride series skis while taking advantage of their fantastic construction layup technology.

I know it's sacrilegious to state in this thread, but this longtime Stöckli fanboy acknowledges that the more progressive designs are significantly more versatile when it comes to off-piste chops. My Fischer Ranger series stuff ski circles around the Stormriders...

Stockli making fat powder ski will be like Lamborhini making tractors.....oh wait....


Seriously tho, I'd much rather prefer if they stay focused on what they are, where their roots are, not try to be a do-it-all company like...well many others.
When I think of Ferrari, it is La Ferrari, or 458 Italia or Enzo...not some damn God awful F-150 lookalike.

So, please Mr. Fauve, concentrate all your efforts on making better WRT ST (however impossible that might sound) and SR, do not ever touch the AX and everything will be just fine.

Ah yes, and bring back the Orea Blanc for Christ's sake!

 

[raytseng]

I know it's sacrilegious to state in this thread, but this longtime Stöckli fanboy acknowledges that the more progressive designs are significantly more versatile when it comes to off-piste chops. My Fischer Ranger series stuff ski circles around the Stormriders...

I agree, To be honest I demoed sr95 this year at squaw ready to spend $$$$ for their freeride offering. Conditions were 1 day old 5" new snow. i thought something was broken in these Sr95 skis, while working fine on groomers with loads of grip, they were just so much work since they would just lock into the snow offpiste. So you could only ski them 1way and this made the snow feel extremely heavy/thick. i gave them a fair halfday shake and swapped to test a paiir of bonafide97 and immediately was so much had more fun and the snow felt lighter (and the bonafide is no slarvy slouch either). Is this just for my lack of skills to ski the SRs "properly"? Either way for me, SR95 not fun, and bonafide was way more fun.
The shopguys said its not the tune, the flat tail design makes it hard to pivot or release or drift/slarve in freeride type turns. I'm not sure if they are right and a different pair tuned differently would have worked for me. But end of the day, I did not have fun on the SR95 on what should've been a very fun day. So the on mtn demo played its role and saved me from a $1300 mistake.

 

[Seldomski]

Thanks guys ! The 90something and wider offerings are more than covered. The question of Uber steep bumps was to related to slarving vs. carving. At some point carving goes out the window with the terrain I’m talking about.
@ScottB - or others, have you spent any time on the ‘21 @justaute talks about ?

@BS Slarver
If you figure out the answer to your question, I'd love to know it. I am not sure Stockli has a good ski for that terrain -- if they do, I would love to buy it for my next ski.

My current answer (and one ski quiver) is the Volkl Kendo. With careful input you can make it carve on groomers, but it's nature is more toward slarving. If you tip it on edge it will bite hard and provide a solid platform. The rounded tail willingly breaks out of the groove into a smeared turn unless you carefully manage it. This makes it great off piste and especially in steep off piste - it's very stable on edge but also willing to not be on edge. If there's a Stockli that does better in steep off piste than the Kendo, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[anders_nor]

New for me skis. hopefully my currently right auchy knee gets better, summer skiiing has started, -5c and firm!

FIS mens' GS/SL

 

[Tony Storaro]

New for me skis. hopefully my currently right auchy knee gets better, summer skiiing has started, -5c and firm!

FIS mens' GS/SL


View attachment 133396

OOOOOOYEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

NOW we are talking!

How long are the WRT GS (cant zoom enough the pic)?

Please man, do me a favour and do a review on these. In as many words as humanly possible
These are at the very top of my wish list.

 

[Tony Storaro]

The shopguys said its not the tune,

Did you check if the tips and tails were detuned?
In my experience this makes YUGE difference. I mean, so dramatic as if you are on different ski.
Once my SRs' edges were sharpened tip to tail by mistake. Hated every single second on them. Had to straight-line directly to my car to take out the gummy stone and fix that. After detuning beyond the touching points, everything was back to the usual gorgeousness.

With edges sharped tip to tail they were entering the turns far too aggressively, locked edges quickly and just would not release, it was nightmare.
With detuned tips and tails I can ski them whichever direction I want, including backwards.

On groomers, chopped up powder, soft moguled stuff etc. Dunno how similar is this to the conditions you ski.

 

[raytseng]

Did you check if the tips and tails were detuned?
In my experience this makes YUGE difference. I mean, so dramatic as if you are on different ski.
Once my SRs' edges were sharpened tip to tail by mistake. Hated every single second on them. Had to straight-line directly to my car to take out the gummy stone and fix that. After detuning beyond the touching points, everything was back to the usual gorgeousness.

yea it probably the case, which is why I still question whether the tune was setup for groomers or packed snow only and another tune would've worked.
but in the heat of the moment, I was already over it and the skis lost their 1 chance to impress me.

The pair wasn't perfectly new, it had some topsheet scratches so at least some people already took it out that seasonn so I assumed any major flaw would've been shaken out.

 

[Tony Storaro]

and the skis lost their 1 chance to impress me.

The pair wasn't perfectly new, it had some topsheet scratches so at least some people already took it out that seasonn so I assumed any major flaw would've been shaken out.

Dunno, to each their own I guess.
I own 2 pairs of SRs and by the looks of it I am getting the new model as well..
Still undecided if I should go with 102 or stick to my guns and go with 95.

 

[Tony S]

I agree, To be honest I demoed sr95 this year at squaw ready to spend $$$$ for their freeride offering. Conditions were 1 day old 5" new snow. i thought something was broken in these Sr95 skis, while working fine on groomers with loads of grip, they were just so much work since they would just lock into the snow offpiste. So you could only ski them 1way and this made the snow feel extremely heavy/thick. i gave them a fair halfday shake and swapped to test a paiir of bonafide97 and immediately was so much had more fun and the snow felt lighter (and the bonafide is no slarvy slouch either). Is this just for my lack of skills to ski the SRs "properly"? Either way for me, SR95 not fun, and bonafide was way more fun.
The shopguys said its not the tune, the flat tail design makes it hard to pivot or release or drift/slarve in freeride type turns. I'm not sure if they are right and a different pair tuned differently would have worked for me. But end of the day, I did not have fun on the SR95 on what should've been a very fun day. So the on mtn demo played its role and saved me from a $1300 mistake.

FWIW, my brief east coast demo of this ski aligns with your impression and, for that matter, with the general thrust of Noodler's argument. Or maybe the ski was just too long.

Tune does seem to be a big issue with Stöcklis. Not sure whether it's that the skis are are especially sensitive to it, or whether it's just that the factory tune is non-standard and also unreliable.

Pursuant to someone's post up thread, "detuning" does not mean dulling the edge outboard of the on-edge contact points; it means dulling it inboard of those points.

Meanwhile I skied the women's SR 85 all week at Squaw in spring conditions and it was great ... AFTER I finally caved and got a full grind and base bevel reset.

 

[anders_nor]

OOOOOOYEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

NOW we are talking!

How long are the WRT GS (cant zoom enough the pic)?

Please man, do me a favour and do a review on these. In as many words as humanly possible
These are at the very top of my wish list.

193

 

[dovski]

I agree, To be honest I demoed sr95 this year at squaw ready to spend $$$$ for their freeride offering. Conditions were 1 day old 5" new snow. i thought something was broken in these Sr95 skis, while working fine on groomers with loads of grip, they were just so much work since they would just lock into the snow offpiste. So you could only ski them 1way and this made the snow feel extremely heavy/thick. i gave them a fair halfday shake and swapped to test a paiir of bonafide97 and immediately was so much had more fun and the snow felt lighter (and the bonafide is no slarvy slouch either). Is this just for my lack of skills to ski the SRs "properly"? Either way for me, SR95 not fun, and bonafide was way more fun.
The shopguys said its not the tune, the flat tail design makes it hard to pivot or release or drift/slarve in freeride type turns. I'm not sure if they are right and a different pair tuned differently would have worked for me. But end of the day, I did not have fun on the SR95 on what should've been a very fun day. So the on mtn demo played its role and saved me from a $1300 mistake.

This is the challenge with demo skis, they are not always well maintained. An SR95 with the right tune should ski circles around the Bonafide. Sorry you had that experience, I know that my SR95 pivot and release with ease. Have skied them in all sorts of conditions and they have yet to disappoint.

 

[KingGrump]

If there's a Stöckli that does better in steep off piste than the Kendo, I'd love to hear about it.

The AX is better than both gen 3 & gen 4 Kendo in steep bumps. The Kendo is better than the AX in steep unconsolidated snow. Groomer - Gen 3 Kendo > Gen 4 Kendo > AX.

 

[OnEdge]

I like my SC for bumps; the WRT-ST is also fun if you carve your way through moguls, but don't work as well using other techniques.

I have the SC in 177.

I like it bumps more than anything else I ski, provided there is at least some give in the bumps (whether slush or fresh) or space in between. When the bumps are really firm and/or tight I find the SCs punishing / unforgiving - not that anything is fun in those conditions, but my all mountain daily drivers are easier to handle on those days.

 

[OnEdge]

I agree, To be honest I demoed sr95 this year at squaw ready to spend $$$$ for their freeride offering. Conditions were 1 day old 5" new snow. i thought something was broken in these Sr95 skis, while working fine on groomers with loads of grip, they were just so much work since they would just lock into the snow offpiste. So you could only ski them 1way and this made the snow feel extremely heavy/thick. i gave them a fair halfday shake and swapped to test a paiir of bonafide97 and immediately was so much had more fun and the snow felt lighter (and the bonafide is no slarvy slouch either). Is this just for my lack of skills to ski the SRs "properly"? Either way for me, SR95 not fun, and bonafide was way more fun.
The shopguys said its not the tune, the flat tail design makes it hard to pivot or release or drift/slarve in freeride type turns. I'm not sure if they are right and a different pair tuned differently would have worked for me. But end of the day, I did not have fun on the SR95 on what should've been a very fun day. So the on mtn demo played its role and saved me from a $1300 mistake.

If it makes you feel any better, I spent 3/4ths of a day on the SR95s in 193 and was underwhelmed. Some fresh snow over some boilerplate on an otherwise nice day. Ski just didn't stand out in particular respect, and I didn't feel any of the magic I felt on the other models (I have the SC and have demoed a number of other models). These demos were pretty clapped out, so maybe the tune or something else was off. Could have been too much ski for me as well, who knows.

But I was ready to snap up a new pair on sale without demoing first, and ended up abandoning those plans after I skied them.

 

[NE1]

Pursuant to someone's post up thread, "detuning" does not mean dulling the edge outboard of the on-edge contact points; it means dulling it inboard of those points.

Sorry...can you please clarify the terms "inboard" and "outboard"? Just can't picture what you mean...Am I the only one who has never encountered them before?
Thanks