At the top end of smoothness and quality, the 2024 Stockli Montero AR is a ripping ski that shows no weakness. This thing is a total blast and beast to ski, and while it does feel like it’s a stiffer and more solid version of many other mid-80's all-mountain skis, it’s still a whole lot of fun in off-piste zones and non-groomed terrain. The versatility of the ski is quite surprising, and it marries well with how the front side acumen is really the star of the show. When Stockli moved from Laser to Montero last season, many skiers were skeptical, but we can assure you that any fears about a lack of performance are unwarranted and unfounded—this ski is everything that advanced and expert skiers could ever want, from the tips to the tails.

One of the crazy things about this ski is that it’s built with a lighter wood core, but that core is bolstered by some heavier-duty materials. By sandwiching the light wood core between two sheets of metal, Stockli does a great job at adding dampness and power to the equation. Like we’ve discussed in the past, they also use rubber dust in their adhesive layers, making for a smoother and quieter overall feel and personality. It’s one of the most silent skis on the market today due to this type of build, and that translates to a highly enjoyable feel on the snow with no chatter. Stockli also cuts the upper layer of metal in an S-shaped format in the tip to create their Flex Torsion Control. This makes the ski articulate to the terrain, keeping more of the ski on more of the snow, and furthering that smooth and stable character.

At 84 mm underfoot, these fall into the mid-fat of the front side category. Kind of lost in no-mans land, the Montero AR actually excels in a number of different categories and applications. With more of a front side footprint in a wider-bodied format, this ski has the versatility required for softer snow, but rather than float over it, the ski prefers to plow through it. It’s got the weight to do so as well as the straighter cut. While we’re dealing with some tip and tail rocker here, it’s basically a fully-cambered ski that contains just a slight bend in the tips and tails—certainly nothing like some more freeride-oriented skis of this width. That said, the versatility is fantastic, and the 180 cm length generates a fairly long 17.3-meter turn radius. When compared with the slightly narrower AX, this shape creates more of a GS style than the AX’s slalom-ish mentality.

Stockli does a fantastic job with these skis, and we’re pretty darn stoked with each and every opportunity that we get on them. The smooth, raw power of the AR is not to be trifled with, as it’s much better suited on the feet of advanced and expert skiers who don’t mind a lot of camber and a relatively heavy weight. When you get into the sweet spot of the ski though, of which there are many, you’ll be rewarded with a quiet stability that you don’t find in really any other ski on the market today.