2022 Stockli Stormrider 88

The Stormrider 88 is the narrowest of 3 skis in Stockli’s All-Mountain/Freeride category. It uses a lot of the same technology as in past years, but Stockli has made some tweaks to it to further improve its already awesome performance. The changes are all in the tip, which is now both lighter and stiffer than previous builds. This improves the ski’s precision, while reducing swing weight. Typically, when you make a ski lighter, you’re taking away some torsional stiffness and overall stability, but that’s not the case with the Stormrider 88. Stockli uses a light wood core with their Titanal Technology Pro construction. Two sheets of metal are used, with one of those sheets being the actual topsheet of the ski. Using metal for the topsheet is another method to reduce the overall weight of the ski, essentially eliminating the need for a traditional topsheet material. The resulting weight is impressive, just 1775 g in the 175 cm length, which is a few hundred grams lighter than most skis of this width with two sheets of metal. We get tip and tail rocker in the Stormrider 88, although it’s not extremely pronounced. It rises slowly off the snow and isn’t particularly long, so you get a long effective edge, which translates to a lot of control. Stockli also utilizes Polywall sidewalls, which are designed to increase durability while also providing more cushioning for impacts. As is true with all Stockli skis, they are manufactured with incredibly attention to detail.

Bob St.Pierre skied the 184 cm length in the Stormrider 88. “I'd prefer a slightly longer size, but understand this is as long as the 88 comes. Felt really good/true to size, however.” Sorry Bob, maybe Stockli can make you a custom longer length. Rest assured, Bob is a big guy and a powerful skier, so there realistically won’t be too many skiers who also wish for a bigger size. Bob didn’t give the Stormrider 88 a single score under 4 out of 5. In fact, none of our testers scored it less than 4 out of 5 for any criteria. The 5 out of 5 scores from Bob included stability, quickness/maneuverability, versatility, and overall impression. As a quick note, we’re always extra impressed with stability and quickness earn top marks. Those 2 criteria often feel like opposites, and any time a ski can achieve both, we consider it a huge accomplishment. “Yeah, you don't see or ski stuff like this every day--there's a real reason these things are like a million dollars. The range sticks out to me the most, as they're able to do so many different things really well. Slow speed compliance is one of the big plusses of the ski, and when you dial it up a notch, or two, or ten, the skis respond in kind, with seemingly no end in sight. They are so incredibly quiet and stable, there's really nothing else like them on the market. At one point, I almost felt like they were too flexible, and then the tail kicked in and shot me out of the turn, thus negating my previous statement. Very impressive on all accounts.” We’ll add another quick note here that no, they’re not a million dollars, and we think the higher-than-most price tag is well justified considering the performance it achieves.

Josh Wolfgang also skied the 184 cm length. He didn’t have any wishes for a longer length, commenting that the 184 felt perfect to him. More high scores from Josh, including 5 out of 5 for torsional stiffness/edge grip and overall impression. “This is a great ski. Such a consistent flex. Stable yet nimble. Playful yet super aggressive into a turn. Has such a premium feel.” Like Bob, Josh was impressed with how Stockli achieves a powerful, aggressive feel, while also retaining some forgiveness, compliance, and slow speed performance. Brad Schauerman opted for the 177 cm length. He was psyched with that length for his size, which is a nice reference after two bigger skiers in Bob and Josh. As we mentioned, we saw more high scores from Brad. This time, quickness/maneuverability and versatility earned top marks, with all other criteria just behind at 4 out of 5. “Super fun ski for bouncing around in the slop. Also held an edge quite well in icier spots. Seemed like a fun all over the mountain kind of ski. Super light playful and easy to get from edge to edge. I can see why these skis cost as much as they do...worth every penny. Super light, smooth, and versatile. One of the smoothest rides on the mountain good in all snow types and all over the mtn. Awesome!”

There are a lot of skis in the 88-90 mm all-mountain range. Even when you narrow it down to just skis with titanal construction, there are still a lot. Pretty much everything in that category feels strong and stable. Most have excellent edge grip and most are very rewarding for advanced/expert level skiers. What really sets Stockli apart from most skis, however, is how smooth they are. They’re not too challenging to ski, they don’t require ridiculous speeds to come alive. They feel really good anywhere on the mountain at any speed, which is incredibly valuable and to be honest, somewhat difficult to describe on paper. If you’re looking for a premium all-mountain ski, it’s tough to beat the Stormrider 88.