2027 Stockli Stormrider 95

The 2027 Stockli Stormrider 95 returns unchanged for this year, featuring the same construction, shape, profile, and graphics as last year. The mid-90's is a great place to be for all-mountain skiing and carving, and these skis do lean more to the carving and traditional side of the spectrum. Equally at home on groomers as it is in softer snow, bumps, and trees, this well-rounded and properly balanced ski is a perennial fan-favorite at ski tests and at industry demo days. It’s tough to beat the Stormrider 95’s combination of poise, quality, and precision. Once again, our testers were unanimously wowed by the mix of power and smoothness that come along with the Stormrider 95.

There's nothing basic or easy about this construction. Built with a poplar, beech, and paulownia blend in the wood core, Stockli creates an individual character for the ski in terms of mixing flex and weight. The skis also use two sheets of metal, with the top layer doubling up as the topsheet. This makes for a direct connection between the skier and the snow, providing smooth and ample feedback when it comes to power transfer and overall damping. Like always, Stockli uses rubber dust in the adhesive laminates, further smoothing out the process. Stormrider 95 also gets a soft rubber tip insert to make the whole experience even more silent. The 182 sits on the scale at a stated weight of 1860 g/ski which is on the lighter side for skis with dual-metal laminate and rubber. Tester John Stobierski notes: "This is one great ski. It turns easily, carves an awesome arc and holds wonderfully on ice. This has to be on the top of the list for this type of ski. This is one of the best skis I’ve tested. The other 2 are the DPS Pisteworks 94 and the Volkl Mantra. The Stocklis are heavier than the others and a bit stiffer. The DPS’s are lighter, quicker and have a slightly better arc. The Mantras are right in the middle. You can’t go wrong with any of those skis. It’s just a matter of preference."

Even though it's on the wider side, this is more of an all-mountain shape and style. We always talk about skis in the mid-90's and how they work well at mixed conditions and terrain, and this Stormrider 95 is no different. With power on groomers and a deft and supple touch in softer snow, the Stormrider 95 can vacillate between variable snow conditions and terrain seamlessly. These skis feature measurements of 132/95/120 which create an 18.5-meter turn radius in the 182 cm length. This seems to be a good mid-range of turn shape for being carvy and drifty at the same time. While Stockli states that there’s freeride tail shape and powder rocker, it’s very traditional when compared to other skis of this width. Tester Matt Stromecki states that "It's seriously insane how smooth these skis are, as soon as you pick them up you know you are holding a premium product. The smoothness and quietness of these skis is truly incredible, it feels like there is nothing on your feet. The soft flexing tip allows for easy and intuitive turn initiation. The stiffness throughout the rest of the ski provides all the support you need without being punishing or overly demanding. Each turn is so crisp and clean too, just incredible."

Despite the cost, the Stockli Stormrider 95 is not an overly demanding ski. Skiers may look at the dual-metal laminate, the width, and the price tag and assume that it’s for experts only, but that is not quite the case. This ski is on the lighter side, has a relatively flexible shovel, and a mid-range flex that makes it accessible for more skiers. As a result, the cost is really the biggest determining factor in terms of audience—this ski can be used by intermediate and advanced skiers just as much as experts and aggressive skiers. Again, it's a pretty universal appeal with this ski and how well it works in an on-trail format.