The 2020 Stockli Stormrider 95 slides right into the sweet spot of the all-mountain category. It’s an extremely useful and versatile shape, and many skiers who are looking for that one-ski quiver are probably searching this category. Stockli has done those skiers a huge favor with the solid, stable, and playful Stormrider 95. Featuring tip and tail rocker, a light weight wood core, and a titanal topsheet, these things are ready to rock in any and all conditions and terrain. Our testers were pretty much enamored with the stability and versatility of these skis, and for skiers looking for that damp yet quick ski to take on the whole mountain, the Stormrider 95 is a must-ski.
Justin Perry hopped on the 175 cm SR 95 and had nothing but good things to say about it. The lowest scores were 4’s out of 5, and those were for flotation and forgiveness. All of his other scores were 5 out of 5, so it’s safe to say that Justin was a pretty big fan of this versatile stick. “Super-fun ski in all aspects. Kills it on the steeps, the ice, and in some deeper snow.” At 95 mm underfoot, it’s certainly not “wide” by any stretch, but the rocker profile helps. He continues by calling it “fast and fun. Good luck getting to the speed limit!” Justin’s a pretty fast skier, so it’s great hearing a comment like that. The overall stability of the skis is not to be understated, especially in Justin’s mind.
Mike Aidala also skied the 175, and like Justin, found it to be a good length. He was also pretty impressed with the overall quality and poise of the Stormrider 95, scoring it 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, edge hold, and overall impression. His lowest score of 3 out of 5 for forgiveness can be understood based on the burly construction of the ski. Mike calls the Stormrider 95 “stout with unbelievable quickness and stability. The Stormrider 95 was my favorite ski in this category and width of the all-mountain skis.” Having a ski that’s both stout and quick in your quiver is a huge advantage for skiers looking for that versatile ski that truly does it all. Mike prefers wider skis personally, so he does “question how wide of an all-mountain ski you need.” But other than that, he’s stoked on Stockli.
Finding the 175 a bit short for him, Parker Herlihy nevertheless loved the stability and torsional stiffness, giving the skis 5’s out of 5 for both of those categories. His low scores were for playfulness and forgiveness, and that’s understandable given how the ski is constructed. That said, Parker found the Stormrider 95 to be “definitely a ripping ski! They’re quick edge to edge and best for all-mountain rippers.” Parker seems to be hinting at the high-performance level of these skis, and adding to his attitude to the ski’s “lack” of playfulness, he calls them “less playful than a K2 Mindbender 99 Ti.” It’s nice to have some direct comparisons between models!
Jana Ross skied the 166 and found it to be the appropriate length for her. She didn’t have many negative things to say about this ski, scoring all 5’s straight down the list. “This is an awesome ski for a strong and aggressive skier. I loved carving on it and felt like I can totally lean in and enjoy the ride.” Sounds like Jana could become a Stockli convert based on this review. We do not blame her.
The ~95 underfoot all-mountain ski is a tough category in which to be competitive. You have to have a good blend of stability and quickness, and it sounds like our testers are giving a strong nod to the Stockli Stormrider 95 in this regard.
