2026 Stockli Montero AX Orea

Orea, in Greek, means “Beautiful,” and that’s the case with this ski for sure. The 2026 Stockli Montero Orea AX is structurally a carryover from the “normal” AX, featuring the same construction, shape, and profile as last year. At the end of the day, these Orea AX skis are still the cream of the crop in the 80 mm waist range for carving mid-radius turns on firm snow and ice while keeping a slight adventurous spirit for mixing on and off-trail capacity. The only difference here is a different topsheet. There’s nothing like the smoothness of a Stockli ski—if you’ve ever been on one, you can feel the difference. That’s part of the handmade process with Swiss precision that makes these skis incredibly unique and engaging. Best when used by advanced and expert skiers, the Stockli Montero Orea AX is a mid-radius carver with the utmost precision and quality. The Swiss-made quality is there for the taking, just at a slightly higher price.

Stockli spares no expense with the sophistication of construction. With all that performance, you may assume that a dense and hefty wood core is the start, but it’s lighter and more flexible than that. Most of the core is wider poplar stringers with six narrow beech stringers spaced throughout. We get a full layer of metal on the bottom and then on top we see a twist on the upper layup. While the previous “normal” Montero AX used a milled and curved slit in the upper layer to allow for greater torsional flex, these Orea AX skis have two slits in the tip and tail to boost this process. It does not take anything away from the upper end of the ski’s performance, rather, it increases the slower speed compliance by allowing easier access to higher edge angles at more moderate speeds. This Tip and Tail Flex technology makes the Orea AX feel like a very versatile ski in the carving process. The new build helps keep the ski agile in softer snow while it retains its strength and power in the carving realm. Tester Benny Wax calls it “Fun! Fast and gliding! Skied narrow and felt a touch long!”

Like the construction, the shape and profile of the ski return unchanged. With measurements of 123/80/112 at all lengths, the ski produces a 16.5-meter turn radius in the 178 cm length. Between the AR and the AS, the AX is the mid-radius carver of the Montero group. This makes it equally adept at more slalom-like turns as it is opening up to more GS style arcs. There’s some slight tip and tail rocker, but it’s more for initiation and smoothness than it is for off-piste or softer snow skiing. That said, for an 80 mm underfoot ski that’s built and shaped to carve on groomers, we’ve found this to be a very capable all-mountain performer. For mixing turn shapes and styles, with a bit of adventure built in, the AX is totally willing and capable of responding at a very high level. Tester Billy Annacone notes that while it “needed a little extra forward pressure to turn, it’s still made for expert skiers on groomers.”

The Stockli feel is quite real. With these skis, the aesthetics come through as well. As with anything that’s at the top of its class, this product comes with a higher price tag. If you want the smoothest, quietest skis out there, that’s what it’s going to take. A word of caution: if you demo these skis, you are more than likely to put down the cash to take them home with you.