It’s always amazing to see Stockli as a company and what they come up with. Amazingly, this 2024 Stormrider 102 is the widest ski that they make. This shows the emphasis on their front side and carving skis for sure, and we’re all about that, especially when a lot of that technology filters into the Stormrider 102. The ski has a whole lot to offer those who are looking for smooth, unrelenting power and stability in fresh, soft, and broken snow. For 2024, the ski gets an updated core and a more forward mount point. Other than that, the ski returns unchanged. In the world of ~102 mm underfoot freeride skis, this one is decidedly more directional, and while for Stockli, it’s fat and wide and drifty, that’s not quite the case from a worldwide standpoint. We’ve loved this 102 in years past, and with no real changes for this year, we’re going to love it again.

The light core sandwiched between two sheets of metal is the driving force behind this super-smooth ski, and while there’s no secret that this build is consistently powerful and stable, Stockli adds their own signature to the process with the use of their rubber dust. By infusing the epoxy with this rubber, each binding layer of the ski becomes more energy absorbent, leading to the quiet, damp, and stable feel that these skis are known and loved for. The other big thing here is the Titec Pro topsheet. By using the upper titanal laminate as the topsheet, Stockli accomplishes two unique things. First, this is a weight saver. While this isn’t a featherweight ski, it feels and behaves like a much lighter offering, and with the 182 hitting the scale at 1890 grams, it’s got a great mix of stability, agility, and power. The second benefit is that the metal laminate is closer to your foot, so each and every movement that you put into the ski gets directly transmitted to the snow. This leads to excellent reactivity as well as increased damping.

As the widest ski in Stockli’s line, the Stormrider 102 also has the most taper and rocker. This is more apparent in the shovel than in the tail, which is decidedly still more directional. The tip, though, in addition to having a softer flex than the narrower skis in the Stormrider line, also has increased taper to boost the soft snow and powder performance. There’s more rocker, but it’s still not super-dramatic, allowing skiers to easily wander from fresh snow to firm conditions without feeling much of a difference in performance. It’s this type of versatility that makes the shape and profile of the 102 unique in Stockli’s line as well as the ski industry as a whole. The willingness of the ski to rip through many different styles of snow is all due to the shape and profile.

Skiers who are of the advanced and expert levels will be able to use this ski to its fullest potential. Progressing intermediates will also find some success here due to the more flexible shovel. That said, it’s still a pretty rugged ski that can handle the most aggressive skiing out there, so the range of the Stormrider 102 is quite impressive. Thanks to the high-quality build that focuses on precision and silence, skiers will get the smoothest ride of their life on this ski. It does come at a cost, but it’s a whole lot of fun.