2027 Stockli Stormrider 102

The 2027 Stockli Stormrider 102 is a carryover model for this year, featuring the same construction, shape, profile, and graphics as last year. It is now supplanted as the widest ski in the Stockli line by the new 108, allowing the 102 a bit of breathing room so it can focus more in a wider all-mountain format. It doesn't have to be leaned upon as much to take up the slack of being the most freeride-oriented Stormrider anymore, and I bet that it likes having the pressure off. Still incredibly smooth, damp, and stable, the Stormrider 102 is a fantastic option for advanced and expert skiers who love a mix of quality and performance in a purely carved turn.

Stockli uses a lot of sophistication in their construction. The skis are built with a blend of poplar, beech, and paulownia in the core, allowing Stockli to fine-tune the flex and weight to create this specific character. With two sheets of metal, the Stormrider 102 is predictable and damp, providing an excellent edge grip on a variety of snow surfaces. The top layer of metal doubles as the topsheet, putting more of a direct connection from the skier to the ski. We not only get the rubber dust in the adhesive laminates; we also get actual rubber reinforcement in the tips and tails. Amazingly, this takes the silence and smoothness to the next level, as if the Stormrider 102 needs to be that way any more. Tester Sage Laundon notes that "the ski felt stable immediately while remaining surprisingly forgiving. It responded well when driven through the turn and delivered a smooth, composed turn shape with a very natural feel edge-to-edge."

Even at 102 mm underfoot, the Stormrider has more of an all-mountain footprint. With lower camber and a flatter tail, these skis are shaped to be engaged in the snow rather than drifting on top of it. They’re great at cutting through crud and chop but not as excellent at floating and smearing. With measurements of 135/102/125 in the 182 cm length, these skis have a relatively long radius of 19.8-meters. This allows for more aggressive fall-line skiing and in that regard, the Stormrider 102 is awesome. Matthew McManus states: "I love the damp feel of a Stockli. These skis definitely had that feel and were quiet even on a very firm and fast day. That said, I don't think the conditions today allowed for a full test of what these skis could do. They were super stable on long, fast turns but still able to pivot and release the tails, so they were nice ripping along on groomers. With such a firm day, I really couldn't get a feel for how they would ski in deeper stuff (except that they seemed to have plenty of power for crud days - just not sure about powder/deeper stuff). I did imagine myself in deep "VT powder" and think they would be solid."

The price you pay for these skis goes directly to the quiet nature and silky feel. These skis don’t really out-perform others in this range like a Blizzard Anomaly 102 in terms of power and aggression, but they certainly out-class them when it comes to silence and smoothness and overall skier satisfaction. With a fantastic look and an amazing snow feel, there's good reason to keep coming back to this ski as a top option.