2022 Stockli Nela 88

The Nela 88 from Stockli is a high performing, highly versatile all-mountain ski with a premium feel. Stockli is known for their precision manufacturing and top-notch materials, and the Nela 88 is a perfect example. It starts with a Super Light wood core, which is a big reason why the total weight of the Nela 88 is just an impressive 1550 g in the 160 cm length. What’s even more impressive about that weight figure is the use of two full sheets of metal. One of those sheets of metal is also the topsheet of the ski, which eliminates the need for traditional topsheet material, another way Stockli can achieve that weight figure. Stockli also uses a thinner-than-most layer of fiberglass and their application of epoxy is more efficient than most manufacturers. Two sheets of metal places the Nela 88 in a unique group of high-end all-mountain skis. There aren’t too many women’s skis that use 2 full sheets of metal, and among those skis, the Nela 88 is certainly one of the lightest. Shape is relatively straight-forward. The ski is mostly camber, with some smooth progressive tip rocker and minimal tail rocker. Turn radius is 15 m in the 160 cm length, which is a nice shape for an all-mountain ski.

Jennie Edwards tested the 168 cm length, which happens to be the longest available length in the Nela 88 and brings with it a bigger turn radius, 16.9 m. That turn radius is actually starting to lean towards the longer side of the spectrum for a women’s all-mountain ski, something that we’ll come back to when looking at feedback from our other testers. For Jennie, even at her 5’4” height, that length worked great. Not surprising as Jennie is an accomplished skier who typically chooses skis around the 170 cm length. She really enjoyed her testing on the Nela 88, which came through both in her numeric scores and her written feedback. 5 out of 5 scores from Jennie for stability, quickness/maneuverability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression. Only flotation dropped to a 3 out of 5, with playfulness, forgiveness, and versatility at solid 4 out of 5 scores. “The Stockli Nela 88 is a perfect all mountain ski for the skier who loves to carve and enjoys 3-6" of powder on top! Its main strength is responsiveness: The Nela makes it easy to edge and carve quick turns! It remains stable at high speeds and gives the confidence to open up into larger GS turns. It is versatile allowing the skier to edge on groomers then float on a couple inches of fresh snow! Overall it is a super fun ski which will allow you to navigate down the mountain with ease.” Jennie got to ski the Nela 88 in those 3-6 inch conditions she’s referring to as well as on firm groomers. It's nice to have the evidence to back up her claims, and we can attest to the fact she ripped on the Nela 88 regardless of the conditions.

Louise Lintilhac and Alix Klein both skied the 168 cm too and both commented on the bigger turns the Nela 88 liked to make in that length. From Louise, we got 5 out of 5 cores for stability and torsional stiffness/versatility, with flotation, quickness/maneuverability, forgiveness, versatility, and overall impression right behind at 4 out of 5. Only forgiveness dropped to 3 out of 5, which isn’t terribly surprising given the 2 sheets of metal and the longer length Louise skied. “For its weight, this ski is decently nimble, but would it not characterize as playful or poppy. This ski is more directional and wants to go fast with minimal turning. Would recommend for advanced skiers looking to turn up the heat and charge around on open slopes from the east coast to Alta.” Alix’s opinion was similar. Her highest score was for stability, at 5 out of 5, but forgiveness dropped all the way to 2 out of 5. “Super stable wants to go fast and in a straight line.” Based on the feedback from these 3 testers, we think it’s important to focus on the length you’re choosing to make sure it works well for what you want to do. We would’ve been very interested to have Louise and Alex test the 160 cm length to try the shorter turn radius, but even without that anecdotal information, we can confidently say you don’t need to size up on the Nela 88 unless you’re specifically looking for bigger turns.

Overall, the Nela 88 is a premium all-mountain ski that’s very versatile. It does feel best on groomers, at least in our opinion, but as Jennie can attest, it’ll do just fine in some fresh snow too. Our testers all marveled at its stability at speed and vibration damping. That’s where Stockli’s attention to detail and high-end materials really comes through. While they might accomplish the same things as less expensive skis from other brands, the Nela 88 and all of Stockli’s skis just do it with a different feel.