For 2024, we’re getting a women’s specific Stockli Montero, the Montero AW. In their parlance, the AW stands for “All-Mountain Women” and it certainly rings true for those who have been lucky enough to try it out so far. It’s kind of like a blend of the Montero AX’s shape with the longer turn shape of the AR, but with a slightly softer flex for more confidence and maneuverability. Like all other Montero skis, the versatility is very surprising given the width, allowing for stronger performance in off-piste zones without giving up anything when it comes to pure carving power. This is the attribute that makes the Montero such a successful line, and it’s no surprise that they’re expanding it with both a men’s AS and this women’s AW.

Built with a lightweight wood core made from balsa and fuma, the ski also gets two sheets of metal and fiberglass laminates. The amazing thing about how Stockli makes their skis is that they use an epoxy that contains rubber dust. These small particles of rubber hidden within the adhesive layers of the ski go a very long way in creating the overall personality and character. It filters out unwanted vibrations and keeps the ski smooth and solid on its intended line. This opens up the off-piste in terms of being able to dictate the shape and style of the turn rather than the conditions and terrain doing the work. It’s on the skier, but it’s not too difficult, making it an excellent choice for those who are looking to put their mark on the mountain.

With tip and tail rocker to ease the ski into and out of the turn, the AW is an amazing all-mountain ski on the narrower side of the spectrum. Just like what we see in the AX at 80 mm wide, the AW is a surprisingly capable and versatile performer that loves to be used in a variety of formats and applications. In the 158 cm length, the AW generates a 14.2-meter turn radius that falls on the slightly shorter side of the spectrum. It’s equally at home adhering to this arc as it is breaking from it—either shorter or longer. The softer flex allows skiers to get into shorter, more slalom-like skiing, while the tip and tail rocker combine to create a ski that’s smooth and sturdy at longer radii and higher speeds. This rocker also helps out with softer snow and deeper snow, and while nobody’s going to consider this a pure powder ski, it wasn’t that long ago that an 80 mm underfoot ski was considered to be wide, so there is some well-rounded behavior going on here.

It’s great to see the Montero line grow and expand, allowing more skiers to be able to achieve clean and round turns while holding up to more versatile conditions and terrain. The fact that the ski is able to do this at a high level of poise and precision makes it seem like a big win, and it is. The feel and character of this ski is beyond what many skiers would ever expect, and it lives up to the hype, whether we’re doing the hype or not.