If you ever get the chance to ski on a Stockli Montero AX, do not pass it up. These skis are some of the cleanest and smoothest operators on the planet thanks to a remarkable blend of build and shape. Stockli’s quality and precision is unmatched in today’s ski industry, and it shows in the performance, but really,it’s more about how they feel on your feet. Even though the AX is on the heavier side of the spectrum, it feels a lot more agile than the grams may indicate. There are a few construction techniques that allow this to happen, but overall, the Montero AX is an uncompromisingly amazing ski that can handle a whole lot more than the 80mmwaist may indicate.

Built with a lightweight wood core made from balsa and fuma, it’s tough to appreciate how sturdy this ski is. The fact that they use two sheets of metal, two fiberglass laminates, and hold it all together with rubber dust-powered epoxy makes it all come to light. It’s all about the blend and mix of materials when it comes to the construction of this ski, and it’s in that realm that these Montero AX’s stand out. Even if the 80-mm all-mountain ski field was crowded, the AX would be right at the top due to the silent nature of the ski. It’s an absolute killer. Stockli also uses technology like Flex Torsion Control. In this strategy, wave-shaped slits are carved in the titanal laminate in the tips and tails, creating more edge and ski contact with the snow, resulting in a smoother ride.

At 80 mm underfoot, it’s tough to argue that these are versatile all-mountain skis, but in reality, they just are. There’s such a range of performance attributes in these narrow-ish skis that it’s just so very impressive. It’s stiff, but not overly demanding. It turns, but isn’t necessarily hooky. The shape has a lot to do with those dichotomies. While the ski indicates that it has tip and tail rocker, it’s certainly not the overarching theme here. While there’s slight taper to make the carved turns slightly smoother, it’s not like it makes a huge difference in soft snow. Again, we’re dealing with the overall picture here, rather than the summation of a number of different parts and pieces. In the 178, we’re looking at a 16.5-meter turn radius, but the ski is so much faster than that. It’s not that long ago that an 80 mm wide ski was considered mid-fat, so there’s no reason to believe that it’s too narrow to handle softer or fresher snow. It just so happens that the shape allows it to carve some of the cleanest and roundest turns on the mountain.

Again, please take advantage of any and all opportunities to hop on a Montero AX. This ski has been a fan and tester favorite for years, even back to the Laser days. We’re always on the lookout to get out with our friends from Stockli, and if they keep bringing skis like this for us to use, we’re going to keep singing the praises.