The 2023 Stockli Laser SC returns unchanged, and that’s fantastic news for all-mountain carving skiers who want a blend of short-turn ability meshed with all-mountain versatility. Built with a wood core and two sheets of metal, the SC has that high-end feel and finish to go along with a friendlier turn shape and waist width. At 72 mm underfoot, we’re still pretty squarely in the front side category, but the ease of turning and slightly versatile nature allow for some, but not a lot, of off-piste skiing. In the 170 cm length, these skis generate a 14.9-meter turn radius, so it’s certainly still on the short side, and nobody’s going to mistake these for cat skiing options or deep snow floaters, but they feel like they have a slight amount of versatility to them. It’s a nice blend of all-mountain, slalom, and free carving that a whole lot of skiers in the advanced and expert categories are sure to enjoy.
ROCKER PROFILE
Camber
CORE MATERIALS
Torsion Racing Technology
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers
Jana Ross skied the 156, and that size drops the turn radius to 12.3, so for skiers looking to get into the Slalom cut, the shorter you go, the tighter the arc. Normally, that would be a smaller size for Jana, but she noted that it skis “true to size. I was having a great time on a much shorter ski, it held me so well.” She scored it top marks of 5 out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. Lower scores of 3’s out of 5 were found in versatility and flotation, which do not come as a shock given the more one-dimensional nature of the ski. Jana notes that she “wanted to try the next size up but this one was available so I went for it. It was perfect for me, even at 156. It did not feel short or wimpy at all. I was able to really appreciate all this ski slalom ski has to offer. Quick precise powerful turns. It was super easy to put it on the edge at 72 compared to the more robust Nela 88 I skied before and also enjoyed, but my knees probably were loving this choice much more. It handled well on slight crud but I can imagine you would not want to ski this in anything more choppy or fluffy. It was truly an amazing experience of quick turns on the front side with lots of stability even on a shorter ski.”
On the 170’s, Greg Petrics notes that “the ski was just right for the length. Big folks should be fine with the 170. I would definitely choose this length for myself.” As a taller and more aggressive skier, this is great to hear from Greg. He gave it a lowly 1 out of 5 for flotation, and 5’s for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, playfulness, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. That’s a pretty high spread of scores for any ski, much less one that’s 72 mm underfoot. “The personality of this ski is a more playful World Cup slalom ski. Its strengths are ripping firm snow in slalom turns, all the way up to giant slalom radius. The versatility isn't much: you can only really ski this on-piste, but you may not want to leave the piste after getting on this ski. The ski is best for advanced intermediates; it will probably be a bit much for intermediates. I don't think this ski would be a good choice for someone looking to get into carving. For anyone who loved their slalom skis, and wants to continue enjoying that feeling, but get away with leaning in a bit more than in your racing days, this ski is for you. If you think you'll be pushing past GS speeds and onto SG speeds, however, look for a mid-radius ski instead.”
It’s nice to see the two different experiences on the same ski in different lengths, showing how it can change its personality based on the shape of turn. Either way, for skiers who are looking to stay on edge and carve clean and round turns, this one is one of the better ones out there for sure.
