100% Slalom, 100% GS, 200% Racing DNA. That’s how Stockli describes the Laser WRT ST. Truthfully, we’re not sure that math works out, but that’s fine… all we really care about is the ski. We think a better way to think about the Laser WRT ST is that it features the most aggressive construction of any non-FIS Laser ski and that it’s turn radius falls right in between what we would consider SL and GS radii. The 172 cm length, the middle of 3 options, has a 14.8 m turn radius. That’s a really nice turn shape for a carving ski as it will allow the skier to dictate between really quick turns and more drawn out, rounder, GS style carves. The construction of this ski is the real deal using World Cup level construction and Stockli’s Carbon Steering Control. That means you get the utmost in power and responsiveness, and of course, because it’s a Stockli, it comes with an exceptionally refined, smooth skiing experience. A lot of people we’ve talked to, including some of our testers, have raved about the WRT ST being one of the best carving skis of all time, and we certainly aren’t here to argue against that.
ROCKER PROFILE
Camber
CORE MATERIALS
Carbon Steering Control
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers
Jeff Neagle skied the 180 cm length in the Laser WRT ST. The 180 cm comes with a 16.3 m turn radius. A little longer than the 172 cm option, but still a very versatile radius for a carving ski. “These things are the real deal. We skied a bunch of Laser skis back to back on a nice firm, cold day and the WRT ST definitely takes the performance to the next level. It’s in line with skis like the Laser GS, but maybe even a little bit more responsive than that ski. Endless stability and endless edge grip, so you can ski it as fast and aggressively as you want. I suppose real speed demons may like a ski with a longer turn radius, but it doesn’t feel as twitchy as a true slalom ski when you want to ski fast.” Jeff’s scores on the Laser WRT ST matched his written feedback with quickness/maneuverability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, stability, and overall impression all earning 5 out of 5 marks. Versatility and flotation suffered at 2 out of 5, but with its 66 mm waist width, we don’t think anyone in the Stockli engineering team intended this to be a versatile ski. It’s designed for precision carves, and it does that impeccably well.
Matt McAlary skied the 172 cm length, which he mentioned felt a little bit short, but also admitted to not really skiing many skis under 175 cm over the previous few years. He did add that he thought 172 cm was the appropriate length for his size and the intended use of the ski, just that he needed some time to get used to it. Similar scores from Matt compared to Jeff with quickness/maneuverability at 5 out of 5 and torsional stiffness/edge grip and stability at 4 out of 5. Versatility dropped all the way to 1 out of 5, but again, that’s not a big deal in our opinion. Unfortunately, when Matt got to test the Laser WRT ST, conditions weren’t ideal, but he still provided us with some nice feedback. “Poor testing conditions for a ski like this, but I figured out how to enjoy it. It was actually surprisingly easy to make quick smeared turns in the heavy slush. I did hit some firmer spots where I was able to feel the ski bite and could make inferences as to how the ski would perform on a mid-winter groomer day. If you want to go carve tight quick turns with confidence, this would be a great ski. It provides a lot more forgiveness than a true race-stock ski would and It think it's great that Stockli has designed a ski like this because it's so much more accessible to us mere mortals than a WC GS ski would be.” Although it shares a similar build, the shorter turn radius of the WRT ST does make it more approachable than true World Cup race skis.
If you’re on the market for a premium, precision carving ski and you’re not worried about soft snow use or overall versatility, it’s tough to beat the performance of the Laser WRT ST. It will satisfy the most aggressive skiers on the mountain. Anyone with a race background or who values race-like performance will appreciate its feel. It’s one of the highest-performing, premium-feeling skis you’ll ever try.
