2021 Stockli Stormrider 95

There's a lot of people out there who will just say: "This is the ski" in reference to the Stockli Stormrider 95. It has the shape, the profile, the precision, and the construction to make it one of those skis that answer the question: if you could have only one pair of skis for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pretty much all of our testers and contributors were on board with the Stormrider 95. In terms of the shape, at 95 mm underfoot, you're not giving up a ton of float to gain carving power and vice-versa. The 95's can still float just fine-much of which has to do with the tip shape, rocker profile, and taper. All of these combine for float, not just the waist width. Same goes for carving power. Skis can still be torsionally stiff and grippy even when they're wider-it has to do more with the construction and the precise way these materials are combined. This is where the Stockli brand and the quality that they produce comes in to play. All skis are basically made out of the same stuff, just like how cars are all made out of metal and plastic, but the way they put them together and the quality of those materials makes all the difference in the world. Stockli's ability to put all of their materials together in the proper way ensures quality and precision above all else. While there's always going to be disagreement on the perfect ski (we wouldn't have it any other way), we wouldn't fault anybody from picking the Stormrider 95 as their favorite.

Jeff Neagle skied the 175, which was the right size for him in this ski. He gave top marks for stability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. All of these categories received 5's out of 5. Some 4's were given for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, forgiveness, and versatility. These high scores for all these categories indicate a well-rounded ski of the highest order. Jeff notes that "I've been impressed by Stockli skis for a long time now and the Stormrider 95 is certainly no exception. The Stormrider series in general has evolved into skis that still feel powerful, but are smoother and more forgiving than Stockli skis of the past. The 95 rips when you want it to. Not much of a speed limit in this ski unless you're a particularly heavy skier. It's very smooth and has excellent vibration damping. It's not a super-stiff flex pattern, but it's stiff enough, and the more supple flex allows it to adapt to changes in the snow conditions, part of the reason why it feels so smooth, quiet, and damp." In terms of the quality and the associated price tag, Jeff states that "there's just something about a Stockli that's hard to put into words. People often ask why Stockli skis are so expensive, and you kind of have to ski it to understand that for yourself. They have a quality and precise feel that you don't find in more common ski brands."

Phil McGrory skied the appropriately sized 184 and notes that it was just about perfect. His overall impression, like Jeff's, was a 5 out of 5 with 4's given for flotation, playfulness, and versatility. Phil states that "the Stormrider 95, Stockli's versatile freeride ski, is made to ski every part of the mountain. Its 95 mm waist width gives this ski plenty of flotation for soft and deeper snow. The softer-flexing shovel of the ski adds to the ski's flotation while being noticeably stiffer underfoot and throughout the tail. This allows the ski to feel very stable when on-trail or on groomed terrain." All-around good stuff for a great ski, and our testers really pick up on that versatility and precise feel.

So, is there such a thing as the perfect one-ski quiver? Is it this one? Like Jeff says, you really have to get on a Stockli to experience the difference. Is it worth it to you and your budget? That's a question you have to decide upon with your bank account, but for all intents and purposes, you're getting what you pay for in terms of quality for sure.