2026 Stockli Montero AR On Snow Ski Review

Unchanged for 2026, the Stockli Montero AR returns as one of the most polished and poised skis in the mid-80's width range. Cleverly masked as an all-mountain ski, the Montero AR has some serious frontside and carving chops. At 84 mm underfoot and with two sheets of metal, the Montero AR is a refined piece of ski machinery, complete with a high-end ceiling and surprising low-end torque. Other than the smoothness and silence, the range of the ski is likely its most impressive feature, as it accomplishes strong and smooth moderate speed carves while at the same time being able to cut loose and get moving. It seemed appropriate to re-visit this ski, especially on the heels of our Stormrider 88 on-snow review not too long ago.

At a Glance:

2026 Stockli Montero AR Skis

Still built with a blend of poplar and beech, the bulk of the ski is the lighter poplar. The beech stringers support the poplar and lend a denser and quieter feel. As with most Stockli skis, the Montero AR uses two full sheets of metal, fiberglass, and between each laminate; a coating of rubber dust infused into the epoxy. This helps keep the ski deadly silent through any type of snow conditions or terrain. Stockli’s Tip and Tail Flex technology assists with the mid-range, as these vertical slits in the upper metal laminate allow for articulation at various speeds, reducing the potential harshness of the ski. They’re not particularly light, with the 180 sitting on the scale at just over 1900 g/ski and the 175 just under at 1880. The turn radius changes by one meter, from 17.5 in the 180 to 16.3 in the 175. We found that this shape can be manipulated shorter or longer with no real complaints.

Bob's Experience:

As this is mainly an on-piste ski, the Montero AR truly excels in a carved turn on smoother snow. That said, I’ve been on this ski a few times, including this time, in softer snow and variable conditions. The confidence in which the ski handles adversity is nothing short of remarkable. To be sure, it’s not a playful freeride carver by any stretch—the tail is stiff and secure, the camber is robust, and the weight is formidable. But for how well it carves, it’s tough to leave out the fact that if the snow gets choppy or undesirable, the AR doesn’t really care. The initiation of the ski is smooth and predictable. It doesn’t pull you into the turn so much, but if you keep tipping, it’ll keep ripping. The true power comes underfoot and through the tail, as the ski is unwavering at speed, no matter how hard you push it. That said, it’s extremely interesting how accessible this ski is at slower speeds and in shorter turns. I find it quick and mobile (enough) to make short swing carves (not skidded turns) along the side of the trail. Every tenth turn or so, I feel the tail kind of kick my butt a bit, as it’s more of a reminder that you need to stay engaged with the ski to access the performance. In general, you���ll have a hard time finding an 84 mm underfoot ski that can handle resort conditions and terrain with more poise, power, and precision than a Stockli Montero AR.

Jeff's Reaction:

There aren’t many skis that affect my mindset to the point where I feel like I could consider quitting skiing park. That’ll never happen, of course, but the way skiing the Montero AR makes me feel, the level of reward that comes from making turns on this ski gives me a sense of fulfillment I rarely find outside of the terrain park. It’s just an absolute dream when it comes to carving turns on groomed slopes. We’ve done a lot of reviews of good carving skis so far this season. The Multipista was quicker edge to edge and more precise, the Peregrine 82 a little stiffer and with more raw power, but the Montero AR has a level of smoothness, refinement, and overall composure that puts it in a league of its own. We also spent a considerable amount of time on both the Stormrider 88 and MX88 this season. The Montero AR kind of feels like taking those two skis and combining them into one, but with a slightly narrower waist width. It has the quiet, smooth, damp feel of the Stormrider 88, actually if anything, it’s quieter as it does have a heavier, damper feel. On the other hand, it has more of the eagerness to turn of the MX88, but it’s not as abrupt or as demanding. It’s pretty amazing how you can ski the Montero AR just about as hard as you can without it flinching, but you can also cruise around on it at slower speeds making kind of lazy turns. You can’t really do that on skis like the MX88 or the Peregrine 82. Those need speed, angulation, and commitment at all times. I could never give up twin tips or park skiing, at least not yet, but geez... making turns on the Montero AR is just so gosh darn fun. It makes me want to move to Deer Valley. I can’t afford to do that, so we’re good, but you could spend a lifetime skiing the Montero AR on groomers and that would be a life well spent.

Matt's Take:

This was my first time spending a significant amount of time on the AR and OH MY, what a treat. Last season, I had it for a single run on a flatter trail with extremely variable snow, which left a bit to be desired. This time around, we had much more consistent and smoother snow for the most part. The confidence you get from this ski is insane. Stand on it all you want, drive the tips, and you are rewarded with seemingly endless grip and power. As I said in the video, it feels like an F1 car with loads of downforce. They are so planted in the snow as a result of the torsional stiffness, damp construction, and heft. It seriously feels like you are on rails. The tip shape is fairly tapered, so they aren’t overly catchy, which works well with the mount point as it is set back quite a bit. Because there is so much tip in front of your boot, the AR drives through anything variable and augers in. Turn initiation is silky smooth and predictable. Mid-turn you find yourself able to push harder and harder into the front of the boot with endless confidence. The support you get underfoot and the stoutness of the tail just locks you in extremely well. I found that it takes much more effort to ski these at slower speeds than it does to just send it. Once up to speed, they hook up and just rip. You do have to stay balanced, have some decent technique, and drive from the tips. There isn’t a ton of energy out of the turn, but instead what you get is smoothness, stability, and confidence. As a freeride skier that loves to carve, I do not find this to be the most versatile frontside ski out there. However, I now understand why it has such a following. The sophisticated feel, construction, and performance can be understood and appreciated by a wide variety of skiers. Which is why you see so many out there on the feet of a variety of skier types, abilities, and ages.

Overall, there is a price of entry both literally in the price tag, but also in the amount of input it needs to get it to do what it is capable of doing. But if you are willing to put up those things, you will certainly get rewarded with quite the experience.

Keep Exploring the 2026 Stockli Montero AR Skis:

Product Page

Ski Test Results