2024 Stockli Stormrider 95 Ski Review

Ever since we’ve been reviewing Stockli skis here at SkiEssentials.com, the terms “quality” and “precision” are repeated over and over. Sometimes we catch ourselves saying those words too much, but in the same breath, they’re just so accurate as to what the company is putting out there. With the 2024 Stockli Stormrider 95 making some moves for this year, we were pretty stoked to see those aspects of the ski taking another leap towards all-mountain in-class dominance. The funny thing about Stockli skis in general is that they don’t necessarily have higher-performance ceilings than their competitors and contemporaries, they mainly do all of the same things equally as well. The big difference is that they are able to stand up to that performance level, but do it with so much more silence and smoothness. That’s really what purchasers are paying for in this equation. Sure, they’re expensive and shiny, but they also are incredibly awesome, so there is justification to the pricing in that regard. With some tweaks to the build and the shape of this 2024 Stormrider 95, skiers can expect a bit more of a freeride mentality while keeping the on-trail and carving performance at a very similar level.

Ski building is all about taking an inch from one side and adding it to the other, thus calling it a very different thing. Stockli kind of does that with the Stormrider for 2024, but unless you’re looking very closely, you’re going to feel a lot of the same character, personality, and performance that we’ve loved for a few years now. From a construction perspective, they’ve made the ski slightly lighter, mainly due to a reduction in tail width as well as the implementation of high-tech polymers that are lighter than the wood/metal combo that it replaces. This removal of a few mm from the tail as well as the exchange of material makes for a slight difference in the overall weight—1860g per ski in the 182 vs. 1919g per ski in last year’s 184. We’re still dealing with a mix of light woods such as balsa and fuma in this ski, and those vertical wood stringers are sandwiched in between two metal laminates. Each time a layer is added to the ski, the Stockli engineers add rubber dust to the epoxy, making for that signature smoothness that skiers instantly perceive. The ski also gets one fiberglass laminate on the bottom of the core, adding snap and energy to the mix. Again, this layer is adhered with rubber dust, eliminating virtually any and all vibrations from the skier’s perspective.

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The bigger difference for this upcoming Stormrider 95 is the implementation of the Freeride Tail. By adding more rocker and taper, the ski is getting a bit further from the 88 and headed more to the 102’s direction. This is great news for skiers who loved the stability and silence of the previous 95, but perhaps felt that the tail was too business-like for what they were looking to get out of it. This new shaping takes care of that. For those that are still looking for the squared-off tail of the 2023 ski, you’ll have to get it from the 88. That said, it’s not like this newer shape doesn’t finish a turn—quite the opposite—there's a ton of power, energy, and rebound still, just more flotation and accessibility for when needed or asked for. Now, the rear portion of the ski has more in line with the 102, while the front of the ski still has more all-mountain notes. We feel that this new shape more accurately blends the character of the 102 with the personality of the 88. When you hold the older 95’s tail up to that of the new model, there’s really only the very end that bumps out that got removed. It doesn’t look like a whole lot, but it definitely changes the overall feel of the ski. This makes it easier for skiers to choose the correct model, and when you’re talking about skis in this price range, that decision becomes a lot more important. Those looking for a one-ski quiver will likely have a simpler time deciding on this 95, mainly due to the blend of shape and build that shows up for 2024.

The forward movement of the mount point is interesting here as well, and that meshes with the changes of the sizing structure. Basically, Stockli has re-engineered the geometry of the ski without making a wholesale change to build or mold. In the 95, they moved the mount point forward by 2 cm. By taking those 3 mm out of the tail for width, they’ve created a straighter shooter, but to offset that, they also moved the mount point forward, putting more of that tail behind the skier. With the added rocker and taper, this makes for a smoother finish to the turn and a more playful entry, as you’re able to access more of the sidecut sooner. This results in slightly shorter turn radii for the ski, as the previous 184 sat on a 19.6-meter arc, the new 182 creates an 18.5-meter shape. That’s a pretty decent drop in radius by just moving the mount point forward and accessing the front of the sidecut quicker. For sizing, we now get a far more manageable 188 at the top end—the previous 193 was on the unattainable side, even for large and aggressive skiers. Downward from there, we see 182, 176, and 170. Breaking every 6 cm is a big jump from the 9 cm gaps from last year, putting this ski more in the heart of the length lineup. While we don’t have the exact numbers, it’s hard to imagine that they sold a whole lot of 193’s and 166’s in this ski over the past few years. It seems the 176 and 182 will be right in the sweet spot for a lot of skiers, with the 170 also squarely in play.

We spent most of our time on the 182, and while at 6’2 225, I’d prefer the longer 188, the slightly shorter ski was every bit as stable and powerful as I’d need. Upon first impressions, it is decidedly impossible to dislike this ski, or any part of its performance. The balance stands out as a primary weapon against any type of chatter, conditions, terrain, or velocity. The ski simply glides underneath your body as if it isn’t even there. We’ve talked a lot about how skis are moving into the direction of endless flotation, basically serving as hover skis—rarely, if ever, touching the actual snow surface. This 2024 Stormrider 95 is one of the best possible products that encapsulates that theory. The dampness, silence, and stability all combine to make it feel that you’re just floating over the surface of the earth. That’s the playful and fun-loving side of the ski, but when it comes down to business, this thing can create g-forces with the best of them. It’s a very interesting dichotomy in a ski—the willingness and ability to float and hover contrasts with the pure and raw carving power of a true directional dual-metal laminate ski. This aspect of the ski’s character is the most impressive, and also the worthiest of the cost. Again, it’s not like this ski is a stronger or more powerful carver than a Mantra or a Bonafide—those skis are tops in class when it comes to pure race-like feel. The Stormrider, however, gets you most of the way there—more than most skiers need—and it does it at a much lower din with far less teeth gritting.

Off-trail, and in softer snow, it’s pretty clear that their decision to move the ski’s needle to the freeride side of the spectrum is a smart one, allowing more creativity and spontaneity on the skier’s behalf. Previously, when you wanted to make a quick slash or smeary turn, the tail could get in the way. That slight downside has been assuaged for 2024 with the implementation of the straighter and more rockered tail. That alteration, in conjunction with the mount point, allows for skiers to make those unweighted turns a lot easier, accessing a different side of this ski than we’ve seen before. It’s quicker and more agile, and that comes in handy when encountering tighter trees and moguls. The fact that you can now get from one edge to the other without fighting through the tails is a huge bonus in the all-mountain realm. While there are skis out there that are quicker and more flexible for moguls, this one does just fine, and is super-supple when it comes to linking turns through the lines, regardless of how tight they are. Overall, for a 95 mm ski with two sheets of metal, it’s relatively amazing in the bumps, and will allow progression rather than pushing back in an unkind manner. This type of versatility is new for this year, adding another layer to the already-incredible Stormrider story.

Skiers looking for one pair of high-quality skis that can literally do anything should take a square look at the 2024 Stockli Stormrider 95. Do you really want these skis but have a hard time justifying the cost? My solution is to not go out to dinner about 4 times and save that money in a ski account. This will make it a lot less painful to plunk down that cash. Are they objectively 3 times better than skis a third the cost? Absolutely not. There are some amazing skis in the $400-500 price range that will make a lot of skiers very happy. Skis, like many other aspects of life, are getting pricier, and now skis in the $1000 range are not uncommon. The fact that they are able to do so much in terms of performance and accessibility is amazing, and then add to that the absolute silence and smoothness that accompany the character, and we’re dealing with a unique and near-perfect product. For one-ski quivers at the top end of the spectrum, the 2024 Stockli Stormrider 95 is a prime contender.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre on 05/10/23