The Lowdown

The legendary Stöckli Stormrider 95 has long been a part of ski lore excellence, and I jumped at a chance to ride it for the rest of the season. Whenever I’m out on it, I get queries from bystanders several times a day, usually focusing on whether or not they’re “worth it.” Read on for my take.

Ride Impressions

The gleam of the Titanal topsheets, shimmering in the light of my basement shop, was the first hint. Then came the construction details – immaculate base structure, laser-etched dots instead of a decal pinpointing the mount location, serial numbers engraved in the alloy tail protector . . . Stöckli is not your run-of-the-mill manufacturer.

My plan was to ski these with my "lift-served" boot - currently an Atomic Redster CS Professional - and Salomon STH2 16 WTR bindings. I mounted right on the factory line, and noticed that the rear two heel screws had dimpled the base slightly with the standard 9.5mm screws – easily removed with a sharp metal scraper, but the ski is not that thick, so beware.

I checked the tune as a matter of habit, and noticed that the side edge bevel on the skis was more aggressive than the published value of 2 degrees – a clean bright line along the outermost part of the edge when I ran the Panzer over it hinted at something more along the lines of 3 degrees. I usually leave that sort of tune to race skis, so I detuned to 2 degrees, waxed twice with my stash of outlawed Swix LF, and headed out to ski them.

My first turns on the Stormrider 95 were on hard (not East Coast hard, but "ice" for us Westerners) and smooth groomers, temps in the 20's, sunny with shade in places. These skis have little equal for this type of "all mountain" skiing. There is a feeling of purity on edge that few skis can match, and though edgehold is on par with the best in the 95-98mm class, it's possible to vary your turn radius without the ski balking. Dampness and a feeling of quiet competence are second to none - even in the 175 cm length the reps recommended, this ski easily runs with most companies' 185 dogs and though my daily drivers are 184 and 188 long, I'm glad I sized down. Mounted on the line, I felt a slight bit of tip heaviness at moderate speeds that I fixed with a slight de-tune to about 1.5” back of the contact point.

On re-frozen corn with mush on the edges at the same venue, the Stormrider 95’s also excelled, railing on the firm stuff and rolling over the slushy spots without plowing (they have more tip rocker than some of their competition). Again, the feeling of invincibility at speed was noticeable and welcome – this is something that Stöckli disciples repeat over and over, but it’s a real thing.

Soft snow testing commenced at a well-known Canadian location that had just received a 40cm dump overnight - the first powder in months for this resort. The Stormrider 95 excelled in chopped up fresh over firm, allowing you to steamroll the bumps and let momentum do its thing. In full knee-deep powder conditions the float was less than ideal, but still quite manageable. Yes, I would normally choose something in the 114mm to 118mm class for this task, but it's nice to know your "groomer ski" is decent in over 8" of snow.

In chopped up leftovers at the above location - some groomed, some not - it was magnificent, with just enough tip rocker to roll over the high spots and a silky smooth ride to ignore the choppy areas and just pin it. It's hard to imagine a better tool for screaming fast GS turns that alternated between skier-compacted and patches of 4" deep fluff. The Stormriders just want to ROLL.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Who Are They For?

Best suited to the advanced to expert level skier who knows how to put a ski on edge and has the strength to keep it there. This ski will give even the best skiers an added level of confidence at speed.

From the Brand

The edges here blur between pistes and powder. Because the Stormrider 95’s heart beats just as fast for both. Yours too? Then it’s just the ski for you. Stable, maneuverable, and with its integrated Polywall with perfect impact resistance, this ski ensures endless fun in the snow. What are you waiting for? No limits have been placed on you.