The ski that makes you a better skier, just because you bought it.
We don’t know how Stöckli does it, somehow they made their 2022 ski lineup even better than 2021. We are constantly surprised by Stöckli’s ability to improve their impeccable skis year after year. Stöckli skiers such as ourselves are devout and passionate about the product. It’s like no-other ski in the industry, powerful, stable, intuitive and most importantly, fun!
The main story for Stöckli this year is the Stormrider series aka Riders on the Storm. Every Stormrider gets an update this year with a new shovel construction. Stöckli lightened the tips up allowing for easier turn initiation and better flotation in deeper snow. Naturally this reduces the swing weight of the skis giving them more maneuverability in tighter situations. The biggest change is they replaced the Stormrider 105 with a Stormrider 102, making the off-piste demon a little more approachable. This increases the number of people who will be able to handle a wider Stöckli ski, without losing any performance or power Stöckli is known for. Overall, the story behind the Stormrider series is approachability.
Construction varies slightly throughout the Stormrider series. All woods stay consistent, this is Stöckli’s “light core” consisting of a blend between fuma and balsa. These woods reduce the weight of the skis but give them a very dynamic response on the snow and are durable. All models utilize some kind of a modified rockered shovel, traditional camber underfoot, and depending on the model, a very subtle rockered tail. The three different models use two full sheets of titanal, one of which is the actual topsheet. Stöckli has a patented technology called titanal technology pro which is essentially a finish on the brushed titanal topsheet that withstands surface scratches better, is pleasant to hold and is visually appealing. This technology reduces the weight of the ski as one of the layers is the topsheet, hence, not adding an additional material layer.
On snow, every Stormrider varies depending on the terrain and snow conditions you are skiing. In our opinion, the SR88 and the SR102 are the best skis out of the series. The 102 does everything the SR95 does and more. We are somewhat surprised Stöckli made the decision to get rid of the 105 as it closed the gap to the 95. The SR88 stands out in the series because it skis the front side of the mountain with more ease than the wider profile skis, naturally. This iteration of the Stormrider series is fantastic. They made every ski more approachable without losing too much integrity of the performance. Our only request of Stöckli is to make a wider Stormrider again, maybe a 108 or a 110? Please and thank you.
This ski is one of the most burly out of the Stormrider series. The SR88 can handle almost all conditions, we’d say up to about 6” or more you might want to bring a wider profile ski out. The evolution of the SR88 has only brought out more user-friendly characteristics compared to a few years ago. The softened tip helps with turn initiation, making it easier to get in and out of turns. This is one of my favorite all-mountain skis. In my opinion, it’s an ideal Colorado ski with a versatile dimension. Stöckli utilizes some amazing technology in this ski including: Solid Metal Edge Light, Light Core, Polywall, This Glass Laminate, Titanal Tech Pro, Freeride Tip Tech, Tip Rocker and Tail Rocker.
I’ve skied this ski in all conditions from icey bulletproof man-made snow, to soft powder and chunked up mashed potatoes. I will say, I was blown away in all conditions. Although it is not a carving specific ski by any means, this thing has some serious umph. The ease of turn initiation is remarkable. The new shovel construction works! In deeper snow, the shovel climbed right back up on top of the snow with no effort. I was skiing in 8 inches of light blower pow, and it was epic. If the snow was heavier, I definitely would’ve preferred the 102’s. Once the snow was skied out I found the SR88 to be incredibly versatile. Whether I wanted to let them go and absorb the chunky snow, or if I wanted to make shorter tighter turns to get around the chunk, this thing handled it just fine. In fact, better than fine, handled it really really really well!
This ski has an 18.4 meter radius in a 175cm length! What???? This is my jam of a radius, the next length up is a 20.6 meter radius in a 184cm length. This thing is a haus. Keep in mind, you do not have to ski these skis big (like most Stöckli skis), don’t let your ego get the best of you for fun's sake. Because there are two sheets of metal, most Stöcklis ski longer than you’d think. It’s important to buy the correct length otherwise you won’t enjoy these as much as you should. Most of the time, we suggest finding your ideal turning radius of a ski; pick a ski you love, figure out its radius, and buy the Stöckli that closely matches that turning radius.
Some of the specs include: Solid Metal Edge Light, Light Core, Polywall, Titanal Tech Pro, Freeride Tip Tech, Tip Rocker, Tail Rocker. All of these various technologies are proprietary to Stöckli and what makes their skis superior to many other skis in the industry. Obviously, radius varies based on length, from a 15.2M in a 166cm to a 21.8M in a 193cm, you’re guaranteed to find a length that suits your needs as a skier.
The ultimate definition of “do-it-all”, which we all know, doesn’t exist, however, this is the unicorn of skis. It floats, it carves, it flies, it dives and after-all, it’s beautiful. This bad boy is stable, maneuverable and utilizes amazing technology to make your time on the hill versatile and ridiculously fun. From the front-side all the way to the back-side this ski will charge and handle almost all snow conditions. Although I said this ski, in my opinion, is the weakest link, that did not take into account this ski is built as the “one-ski-quiver” instead of needing multiple pairs of skis.
The moment we've all been waiting for, an all-new model of a Stormrider; the 102! Stöckli replaced the 105 with the 102 this season (2021-2022). We think they nailed it! This ski is incredibly approachable for most skiers to be able to ski unlike previous years and iterations of this model. This is my favorite ski out of the Stormrider collection. Easy to initiate, light tip swing weight, stable from tip to tail, power house when you need it to be, real tail and smooth transitioning in and out of turns. They made this ski, in my opinion, the most versatile out of all the Stormriders.
This ski is built for more aggressive intermediate to advanced skiers. At 102mm underfoot, this ski somewhat replaces the 95 because it does everything that dimension does, but more. It floats really well, carves incredibly smooth and is very maneuverable. The only limitations are the length offerings which range anywhere from 173cm-191cm, whereas the 95 goes all the way down to 166cm. If you were stuck between buying the 95 vs. the 102, I would most likely nudge you towards the 102 unless you were looking for a shorter length in which case the 95 would be great.
Technology used in this ski include: Solid Metal Edge Light, Light Core, Polywall, Titanal Tech Pro, Big Powder Rocker, Freeride Tail, Freeride Tip Tech and Tail Rocker. You WILL NOT be disappointed by this ski, it is one of the best skis on the market that will instantaneously make you a better skier. Don’t be put off by the sounds of “approachability” - this only means they’ve broadened their clientele, without hindering the true DNA of what Stöckli is.
What’s next??? Hopefully a 110??? Please & thank you.Happy turnin’ and burnin’
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