Why you should own a Stockli Stormrider

[Climber Joe]

A word of warning: Basically all the 2017 Stockli models are complete garbage, and the 2018s aren't much better. The ones with the carbon insets in the tip and tail. They went right back to their tried and true construction after one season, so any year 2016 or earlier should be prime and cheaper.

About me:
I am almost 30, 5'9" 175# and athletic. If I am not skiing I am climbing. "In shape" is the phrase I would use.

I work full time as an instructor in the winter, and as such I spend a lot of time talking, thinking, and breathing skiing, ski equipment, and things like edge bevels. But I don't just have a stick up my ass, I ride Line Pescados, I love going backwards and spinning off cliffs, and I generally loathe the idea of the "perfect" groomer turn, I wanna play! shred! send! None of this robotic rigid elbow garbage turns for me.

Been teaching for 9 years, and its given me the opportunity to ski just about every ski out there. I have a couple skis in the under 90 at the waist category for going fast around gates, or generally not leaving a groomed trail, but that's not what I enjoy riding most of the time. When the snow is good, I have fun playful pow skis, chargy pow skis, skis for slush and "packed pow" days, and touring skis for the spring... But one slot in the quiver hasn't quite felt right for the longest time.

For years I have been looking for something that fits the "dogshit -to- mixed bag" snow days quiver spot. When the snow is a mix of refrozen corn, wind scoured cheese grater, and giant moguls after the Christmas rush I still want to go out and have fun. Even if its not all terrible, sometimes the conditions can change drastically from north to south facing, or top to bottom, and I want a ski that will do fine in whatever I put it in, do it smoothly, and most of all, do it with little maintenance. I typically don't ski balls out when the snow sucks, so I don't need a 10/10 flex Head Monster, but I do want a ski with metal and some spine.

The Stockli stormrider skis have blown everything out of the water. Apparently they spent decades developing the epoxy that makes their skis so incredibly damp, but they have really nailed almost everything else about their design.

The Stormriders aren't super stiff, yet they have better edge hold and dampness than anything else out there that I have skied. They make any snow surface feel smooth, and transmit much less vibration/chatter/noise up your leg bones. I believe people have used the word "silky" to describe how they feel. I prefer the term "black magic" but silky is accurate.

Skis I have spent more than 5 days on in this category:
181/186cm Fischer Motive 95
187cm 2015 Blizzard Bonafide
180cm 2018 Blizzard Bonafide
177/184cm Head Monster 98 ti
ON3P Skinny Billy (106 waist)
185cm Nordica Enforcer 93/100
18X 2015 Kastle FX94
18X 2018 Kastle FX95
18X 2018 Kastle BMX 105
2010?? Volkl Mantra 177cm

EDIT: After getting on a few more lineages of Stormrider, here is some additional info:

I currently own:
2012 or 2013 Stormrider 95
2014 or 2015 Stormrider 95
2011? Stormrider XXL (80mm underfoot).

The XXL and 2012/13 SR 95 are what I will call the old shape. Longer turn radius, rocker in the SR 95 similar to the old Bonafide rocker profile (reverse camber at the front, with a regular tip shape at the end).

The 2014/15 I have is the "new" shape, which hasn't really changed since 2014. They smoothed out the rocker profile, so its more like a long tip, with taper to match. The tail has a bit more taper/rise than the older ones, and thus the turn radius is shorter. The version I have is also noticably softer than the 2013. I have an old pair of 187cm Bonafides that are stiffer than the 2013s, but not by much. If the bonafides are a 8.5 or 9/10, the 2013 is a 8/10, and the 2014 is a 6.5 out of 10.

Then I believe in 2016 Stockli fucked up. The Stormrider models with the carbon or colored inserts at the tip/tail are WAY too soft. I highly recommend avoiding all 2015/16, and all 2016/17 production models of the stormrider. Any of the ones with the little insert things at the tip and tail. (certain models may have escaped this, I think the 88 waist didn't have the inserts?)

The 2018 version basically brought the Stormrider back to the 2015 vintage as far as I can tell. There may be slight differences in construction or flex, but they both ski amazingly.

I got to hand flex the 2019 SR 105, and they are noticeably stiffer in the tip. I daresay, they are as close to perfect as the Stormrider has ever been. I got out on a set of 2019 SR 88,

So to recap.

2013 and earlier: stiff, oldschool shapes.
2014-2015: modern shapes, softer
2016-2017: don't buy them
2018: back to good, but your EGO will convince you that you need something stiffer.
2019: Best of the best so far.

[Kopi_Red]

I skied a stormrider 105 in the 186 length (no carbon inserts) the other day. It was a nice, damp stable ski and it wasn't bad in the fresh/cut-up snow I was skiing. The tips planed nicely to the surface of the heavy maritime snow.

My main issue with the ski was that it kept wanting to hook up really hard whenever I hit the rain crust that was lurking under the new snow. I think some edge work with a gummy stone could have somewhat alleviated that problem. However, I do have a sneaking suspicion that the base bevel on the stormriders I was skiing was a little off. I barely had to tip the skis over to get them to hook up. If the tune on the skis had been better I'd have gladly skied them all day but I elected to hop back on my Goliath's. Once I was back on my skis the hooky rain crust wasn't much of a factor anymore.

If I could change one thing about the Stockli Stormrider 105 it'd be lengthening the turn radius from 21 to around 27. My favorite ski around that width is the Dynastar Pro Rider (which has a turn radius of 27). The Stockli also has a softer forebody than the Dynastar. I personally prefer the Dynastar to Stockli but that might just be my confirmation bias speaking since I already own the Pro Riders.

[Climber Joe]

I skied a stormrider 105 in the 186 length (no carbon inserts) the other day. It was a nice, damp stable ski and it wasn't bad in the fresh/cut-up snow I was skiing. The tips planed nicely to the surface of the heavy maritime snow.

My main issue with the ski was that it kept wanting to hook up really hard whenever I hit the rain crust that was lurking under the new snow. I think some edge work with a gummy stone could have somewhat alleviated that problem. However, I do have a sneaking suspicion that the base bevel on the stormriders I was skiing was a little off. I barely had to tip the skis over to get them to hook up. If the tune on the skis had been better I'd have gladly skied them all day but I elected to hop back on my Goliath's. Once I was back on my skis the hooky rain crust wasn't much of a factor anymore.

If I could change one thing about the Stockli Stormrider 105 it'd be lengthening the turn radius from 21 to around 27. My favorite ski around that width is the Dynastar Pro Rider (which has a turn radius of 27). The Stockli also has a softer forebody than the Dynastar. I personally prefer the Dynastar to Stockli but that might just be my confirmation bias speaking since I already own the Pro Riders.

What you're describing sounds like the 2017 ones that were way too soft up front. But I guess the 2017 was a 107 width. So huh. Maybe they aren't for everyone.

[mr_pretzel]

Are you talking about the 95 or 105?
I really want to try one now, sounds fun

[Climber Joe]

Are you talking about the 95 or 105?
I really want to try one now, sounds fun

The 2017 models seemed to all be messed up, they all had 3 strips of not metal near the tip and tail. I think they made a 95, 107, and 115 that year, I'd have to do more digging.

[Fred Pabst]

Agree with the OP on this one. So silky smooth. You can tell by the sound they make if you clink them together that something is different. Maybe it is the glue. There is no chatter or bad vibrations from these things. They make you ski to fast.

[aragon]

Agree with the OP on this one. So silky smooth. You can tell by the sound they make if you clink them together that something is different. Maybe it is the glue. There is no chatter or bad vibrations from these things. They make you ski to fast.

Had that exact ski (still in my profile picture here). Sold it. Regretted it ever since. Stupid move.

[thebrucemac]

Good post. I remember people raving about the SR a few years back, but then crickets. So you're saying avoid 2017/2018 version, right?

Out of curiosity, what do you like for sub 90 when you're teaching and forced to rail groomers?

[Climber Joe]

Good post. I remember people raving about the SR a few years back, but then crickets. So you're saying avoid 2017/2018 version, right?

Out of curiosity, what do you like for sub 90 when you're teaching and forced to rail groomers?

So after skiing some of this years I think it's both the 2016/2017, and the 2017/2018 years, at least in the 105+ widths. The 2017 ones had the strips of carbon and aren't good, the 2018 ones are "stiffer" but not stiff enough. My 2015-2016 95s are fine. Maybe kopi-red was on the 2018s.

For groomers I have 178 stormrider xxls that are 80 at the waist, but I also have nordica navigator 80s and some World Cup GS skis.

[Kopi_Red]

Yup. I was on 2018s.

[Climber Joe]

Yup. I was on 2018s.

I've got a brand new pair of 192cm stormrider TT110s... those sound like what you want. Radius is pretty long.

[doebedoe]

For someone falling this thread who has $250 around and is in CO: https://rockies.craigslist.org/spo/d...537742577.html

[Kopi_Red]

I've got a brand new pair of 192cm stormrider TT110s... those sound like what you want. Radius is pretty long.

Aren't the TT110s full rocker? They look like an interesting ski but sadly my quiver is full...

[pfluffenmeister]

For someone falling this thread who has $250 around and is in CO: https://rockies.craigslist.org/spo/d...537742577.html

Nice price.

Back in the day I had a pair of 194 XLs.
Waaaaay too much ski for me @ 150#.
75mm, 2.5 layers of titanal and stiff as fuck.
I remember being confused by people on this site calling me a troll and jong?
"WTF does that even mean?".

Anyway, those skis turned me into a man.

edit: and I had a pair of 184(?) DP Pros; those fucking rocked.

[Climber Joe]

Aren't the TT110s full rocker? They look like an interesting ski but sadly my quiver is full...

No they have slight camber, lookie here: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...r-TT-(2011-12)

[Jonny Snow]

Just one pair of stormriders? Blasphemy.

I've got a pair of new in plastic green Stormrider 95 192cm to sell, $400. Great ski, better be a 200+ lb expert in shape who wants to ski fast and can really bend a ski. Speed limit somewhere in the vicinity of 70+ mph, you'll greatly over ski the 25m sidecut before you exceed the construction.

[detrusor]

I had the full metal top sheet dp pros in a 201cm. Unbelievable Pacific Northwest ski. Crushed everything w no speed limit. Wish I had kept them.


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[Climber Joe]

Just one pair of stormriders? Blasphemy.

I've got a pair of new in plastic green Stormrider 95 192mm to sell, $400. Great ski, better be a 200+ lb expert in shape who wants to ski fast.

Sweet Jesus...

[mcski]

I had the full metal top sheet dp pros in a 201cm. Unbelievable Pacific Northwest ski. Crushed everything w no speed limit. Wish I had kept them.


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I skied those in a 184 or something like that, but I'm not a big guy. One of my favorite skis I've ever been on. Wish they still made them

[m2711c]

Just one pair of stormriders? Blasphemy.

I've got a pair of new in plastic green Stormrider 95 192cm to sell, $400. Great ski, better be a 200+ lb expert in shape who wants to ski fast and can really bend a ski. Speed limit somewhere in the vicinity of 70+ mph, you'll greatly over ski the 25m sidecut before you exceed the construction.

Any pics?

[Kopi_Red]

Just one pair of stormriders? Blasphemy.

I've got a pair of new in plastic green Stormrider 95 192cm to sell, $400. Great ski, better be a 200+ lb expert in shape who wants to ski fast and can really bend a ski. Speed limit somewhere in the vicinity of 70+ mph, you'll greatly over ski the 25m sidecut before you exceed the construction.

Hot damn...

[calbearski]

Climber is absolutely right about Stockli’s. I bought a pair of Stormrider 88’s and to test their “smoothness” I skied through the frozen ridge between groomer runs and with a little pressure on the shin, the skis cut right through the crap and never lost edgehold. At first I didn’t believe the hype, but came to be a believer. Epoxy or not, they are smooooth.

[Viva]

Back in the day I had a pair of 194 XLs.
Waaaaay too much ski for me @ 150#.
75mm, 2.5 layers of titanal and stiff as fuck.

Still have mine. Fucking love 'em!

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[ClayCole]

Someone save me from myself and buy this last pair: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stockli-Sto...sAAOSwO~VaejFl

I need that $350 to remodel my bathroom but I want more skis.

[Climber Joe]

Someone save me from myself and buy this last pair: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stockli-Sto...sAAOSwO~VaejFl

I need that $350 to remodel my bathroom but I want more skis.

I spent $210 on mine from the same seller. I'm pretty sure he needs take that listing off.