2023 STOCKLI MONTERO AX SKI REVIEW

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What makes a ski good? Is there a specific metric? Is it something that can even be put into words, or is it more of a feeling? With the new Stockli Montero AX, I lean towards the latter. Despite that, we’ll do our best to put it into words anyways. Before we get into the details, let’s look at the changes to this new ski compared to the Laser AX and how it falls in Stockli’s overall line of skis.

To start, both the Laser AX and Laser AR have earned strong followings in recent years. They’ve effectively blended on-trail carving precision with all-mountain versatility. It’s been a common conversation topic here in Stowe. On a lot of days, especially midweek mornings without major fresh snowfall, it’s not uncommon to see more Laser AX skis in the lift line than any other model. That’s probably not true everywhere, or rather, definitely not true everywhere, but interesting nonetheless, and certainly an indication of just how good that ski is. With that in mind, it’s not surprising so many skiers were concerned, or at least took notice, when Stockli announced they were changing the Laser AR and AX to the Montero AR and AX. “Did they mess up my favorite ski?” That felt like the mindset of a lot of Stockli enthusiasts this past January when the Montero was announced.

Well, we can begin this review by simply stating that no, they didn’t mess up your favorite ski. This Montero AX is amazing, and I think it’s completely fair to say that although there are differences you can point to, which we will, the Montero AX and Laser AX are more similar than they are different. As Bob and I were chatting about it this morning, the graphic might be the biggest difference, and that’s just fine with us. Graphics are somewhat arbitrary, however. Some people might like the new look, some might prefer the Laser AX. Honestly, that doesn’t really matter in our opinion. If you’re hung up on the looks of your skis, I don’t really know what to tell you. Don’t look at them while you’re skiing?

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Anyways, let’s consider the changes to this ski that are actually going to have an effect on performance. First, Stockli has increased the width of the Montero AX by 2 mm in the tip and waist of the ski and by 1 mm in the tail. The new Montero AX has a 124/80/112 mm sidecut in every length. That results in a range of turn radii from 13.5 to 17.5 from the shortest 163 cm length to the longest 183. Aside from that, comparing the Laser AX and Montero AX side by side, it’s tough to discern any significant differences. They are, as we’ve said, more similar than different. Stockli refers to increased tip and tail rocker, at least they do somewhat loosely in their 2023 product video, but it doesn’t look like an increase to us. Both the Laser and Montero AX use very, very subtle rocker. It’s more noticeable in the tip, but it’s still the type of rocker that you can’t even really see unless you’re de-cambering the ski. I’ll also add that at first glance, or even second, third, and fourth glances, I was convinced the Montero had more taper in the shape. The graphic seems like it’s kind of playing a trick on my eyes, as stacking the Laser and Montero on top of each other, there’s really no difference in the taper. Both skis use smooth, subtle early taper, rather than the extended sidecut found on skis like the Laser GS.

Construction is also extremely similar between the two skis. Both use what Stockli refers to as their “Light Core.” In their catalog, Light Core is described as using special wood types such as fuma or balsa. The 173 cm length comes in at 1870 g. That’s not the lightest ski in the world by a long stretch, but considering the two sheets of metal in its construction, it’s certainly not heavy. The metal laminate also utilizes what Stockli refers to as Flex Torsion Control. This is a short S-shaped slit that’s cut into the tip and tail of the ski. The intention is to reduce overall torsional stiffness in the tip and tail, causing turn initiation and also edge release to feel easier and smoother. The overarching idea is to give the skier more control through a variety of different turns. Both sheets of metal run through the entire length and width of the ski, so while the tips and tails have some forgiveness to them, the rest of the ski is quite strong. It creates a nice balance between strength and maneuverability, something that’s often lost on skis in this width range with this much metal. The Laser AX used a relatively similar technology called Turtle Grip. While it’s similar, there are some differences too, which we’ll speak to in a little bit.

So how does it feel? Absolutely fantastic, that’s how it feels. I don’t know how many times I skied a pitch on these skis only to turn around with a huge smile on my face to give the camera a big thumbs up. They’re just a pleasure to ski, and what’s really cool, is they’re a pleasure to ski in a variety of conditions and terrain. Carving is awesome. It’s arguably the best feeling in skiing. Sometimes, however, when you’re on a ski that excels at laying over clean arcs, you’re somewhat limited regarding what else you can do on it. The Montero AX isn’t the strongest carving ski in the world, I think that’s very fair to say, but for both Bob and I, it’s plenty of ski. If your plan for the day is to make beautifully clean carving turns while you enjoy all the different aspects of the terrain your mountain has to offer, it doesn’t get much better than this. The 178 cm length has a 16.5 m turn radius, which in my opinion, is extremely rewarding. It comes across the fall line very efficiently, without being too fatiguing like a slalom ski. You can let the ski run too. I give credit to the Flex Torsion Control and the slight amount of taper. The ski doesn’t just hook up and go all the time, rather can be skied into bigger radius turns with relative ease. Stockli used that word “control” a lot to describe its performance, and that’s such a good way to think about it. You’re in complete control on this ski.

Now, the Laser AX was never a race ski, but I do think it was ever so slightly closer to a race ski. I think the difference probably comes from the change in width and a subtle change in construction. The Laser AX used Turtle Grip, which like Flex Torsion Control, utilized some slits in the ski, but those slits were designed to interlock and actually create more power through a high edge angle and powerful skiing. We have a weekly “Ski Bum” race series here in Stowe. While I’ve never raced on the Laser AX, so unfortunately can’t directly speak to the difference, I did manage two race runs on the Montero AX this season. This is the only opportunity to say anything even close to negative about it. It didn’t love being in a racecourse, but when you take a step back and really think about it… why would it? It’s 80 mm underfoot. I typically race on a ski that’s 71 mm underfoot and quite a bit stiffer, the K2 Disruption Ti2. The day I raced on the Montero AX was quite firm, and it just didn’t really enjoy being asked to make a quick carving turn on really firm snow. The tip didn’t really want to hook up in that situation, but certainly some of that could’ve been user error. I just didn’t love racing on it, that’s all.

Stockli makes about a million other skis that you can use in your local race league. The fact that I didn’t love the Montero in a GS course is almost irrelevant, but I thought I’d at least share that experience anyways. Outside of a racecourse, it’s an absolute dream come true. It makes such clean, round, awesome carves and does so with that Stockli feel that you hear people talk about. Speaking of which, every once in a while, we get a comment that’s questioning how much different a Stockli can feel compared to bigger box brands. It’s one of those things that you have to experience yourself to appreciate. I could sit here for the rest of the day trying to describe it in different ways and it would still never get the point across.

Now, at 80 mm underfoot and with this shape, it’s clearly designed for some all-mountain versatility too. On our first day on the Montero AX, we had quite a bit of soft snow, even on groomed slopes. I loved the way this ski cut through soft snow with ease, while still making those clean, round, responsive turns. The tip shape works really well in variable snow conditions. The same reason why it doesn’t hook up unexpectedly on firm snow provides really smooth, intuitive performance in soft snow. 80 mm underfoot is enough to really float in soft snow, but it does give you a nice stable platform rather than a narrower ski, which would get bogged down more easily and feel catchy. This ski strikes a nice balance between edge-to-edge quickness and versatility for different terrain.

Speaking of different terrain… want a high-level carving ski that you can take into moguls too? Here you go! For skiers like that, this is perfect, and to think back to why you see so many Laser AX skis at Stowe, that’s a big reason why. I can confidently say the Montero AX is even better than the Laser AX for this type of skier. It retains superb carving performance while increasing versatility. It feels more agile when you take it into bumpy terrain and a little more forgiving too.

I’m not sure how to finish this review other than just being honest and saying this is one of the best skis I’ve ever skied. We know that kind of goes against our concept here at SkiEssentials. Ski performance is more subjective than a lot of people realize, but it’s hard to ignore just how good this ski is. Skiing is all about the feeling it gives you, and some of my happiest moments over the past ski season were on the Montero AX. That’s really saying something considering I skied well over 100 different skis in some amazing places such as Sun Valley and Alta. The handful of days I spent on the Montero AX on relatively simple groomers at Stowe provided me just as much enjoyment as skiing big wide rockered skis down fresh snow in some of the most iconic resorts in the west. If you ask me, that’s pretty special. His thoughts really echo my own, but as has become customary in these written reviews, let’s get some final thoughts from Bob:

I feel like we mainly do a good job staying away from using superlatives like "best ski ever," but that task gets a bit more difficult with the Stockli skis, and specifically the Montero AX. Jeff and I like to play a game called "If you had zero skis..." and then give some type of limitation like "80mm or Under" or something like that. Given that specific parameter, it's tough to argue against the AX. Sure, there are more race-oriented carving skis at or under 80 mm underfoot, but there aren't many/any that have more composure or versatility given the grip, control, and precision that the AX possesses. The blend of attributes, combined with the range of character of the AX is what makes it stand apart from the competition. For here in Vermont, for most days, this is an ideal build and shape for advanced and expert skiers. Each time I got to ski on a Montero AX this past season, I was filled with feelings of gratitude--I was grateful for the opportunity to ski on an AX, and that's not something I say about many skis out there.

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Written by Jeff Neagle on 05/19/22