(Editor’s Note: The Stockli Stormrider 95 returns unchanged in graphics and construction for the 24/25 season from the updates in the 23/24 season.]
The standard bearer?
In a world where seemingly every company makes good all-mountain skis, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between options. Some factors naturally help you whittle down your choices: price, graphics (they matter!), reviews, advice from gear nerds or significant others or buddies.
When it comes to premium brands like Stockli, the question is about worth-it-ness. What does that elevated price tag get you? Each year, we ski the bejeezus out of the Stormrider collection so that we can give you a solid answer to that question.
Stockli Stormrider 95 Review: Field Notes
Since we started carrying Stockli (and Stormriders), each round of changes to the skis have felt more like refinements. Rather than a big overhaul (a la Blizzard’s updates to the 2024 Rustler line), new Stormriders have felt pretty similar to their predecessors. In specific terrain and snow conditions, some of the design subtleties have shown through, but by-and-large Stormriders have remained Stormriders.
The 2024 version of the Stormrider 95 shaves a few grams (about 50 per ski) off the weight of the previous edition. Stockli achieves this by slimming down the tail slightly, to give it a narrower profile. They also replace some of the metal and wood in the build with polymers.
More noteworthy, though, is that Stockli brings the freeride tail to the 95 from the Stormrider 102. This means added rocker and taper, which should translate to increased slash-ability and better off-piste handling. Add to that a new mount point, forward two centimeters versus the 2023 version, and you get some tweaks that just might give us a new feel on snow.
Oh, and one more note. The 2024 lineup of Stomrider 95s also features new sizing. Models fall at 6cm-interval gaps rather than 9cm, as seen in the 2023 line. The new sizes land at 188, 182, 176, and 170. For my testing, I skied the 182 and 176. I measure 5’7″ and a couple brownie sundaes north of 160.
Groomers
If you’ve spent any time on Stocklis, you know this is a brand that won’t sacrifice groomer performance. Not even in their “freeride” skis. That holds true in the new Stormrider 95 like it has in every Stormrider I’ve skied. But how it feels when it crushes groomers may surprise you.
Though they are “aggressive” skis, Stormriders typically feel less demanding than the flashy titanal brush finish and “Swiss-made” ethos would have you believe. Our testers regularly find them to be smoother and more accessible than they anticipate. That plays out, for sure, in the new Stormrider 95. The skis feel light and snappy, jammed with energy that explodes into and out of carves. Be careful carving them after a more dedicated carver like the Montero AR. There’s enough rebound here to send you OTB!
Specifically, the Stormrider 95 feels surgical when linking carves, even more-so than its predecessor. That’s likely thanks to a slightly shorter turn radius (a byproduct of the tweaked shape) and Stockli’s magical rubber dust, which holds the layers together while reducing vibrations and chatter. So while two sheets of metal ensure that you retain torsional rigidity as you ski faster and faster (or things get choppy), the new shape and the blend of materials in the core ensure that the ski never feels cumbersome. The skis stay smooth from first-run corduroy to tenth-run chop, and they do so at all speeds. Few all-mountain skis in the mid-90s underfoot can say that.
Comparatively, that new tail on the Stormrider 95 does tilt the ski more off-piste than the Stormrider 88. More on that in a moment. While I never found it squirrelly and didn’t experience wash-out, I could see piste-oriented all-mountain skiers (very technically savvy carvers) preferring the 88. Conveniently, many of those people tend to prefer narrower waisted all-mountain skis, anyway. So you could make the case that the updates to the Stormrider 95 help differentiate it from the 88 within the all-mountain category.
Bumps and Trees
Why waste time? After skiing the 176cm and the 182cm down bump lines of various pitches and lengths, I have concluded that the Stormrider 95 is the best mid-90s ski for moguls that I’ve tested.
With its two sheets of metal and directional shape, it favors aggressive fall-line skiing and stays planted to your line rather than getting bounced around. But I’ve said that about plenty of all-mountain skis. The difference here is that Stockli gives you plenty of power and stability while still allowing the skis to bend, skid, smear, and speed-check quite intuitively. So it’s a bump ski that can be zipper-lined by expert fall-line hawks and also finessed by stoked/athletic intermediates looking to level-up their mogul game (or just dabble in bumps forever). When your skis can stay smooth even on variable, refrozen snow surfaces with steep bumps splattered everywhere, your confidence skyrockets. That’s the case with the Stormrider 95.
That quick maneuverability also pays off in trees. I found the Stormrider 95 surprisingly easy to throw sideways for a ski with such a directional lineage and vibe. That puts it most at home down steep pine alleys where precision keeps you from eating bark (see: A-Basin’s Pallavicini chair). The lightweight tips surf and float better than expected, too.
Powder and Mixed Snow
All skis are fun in pure powder, right? Well, the aforementioned updates to the Stormrider 95 — smoothness, nimbleness, more tail rocker, lightweight core — allow it to excel in primo conditions. In other words: It doesn’t get in the way or demand too much of you.
That said, if playful skiing in soft snow is what you prioritize most, you’re probably going to want a ski with more taper and less metal that is aimed more squarely at freeride skiing than premium all-mountain performance. Like I said, the Stormrider 95 is by no means un-fun in soft snow; that rebound translates to a vibey powder skiing feel. But it’s not the most fun when stacked against models like the Armada ARV 94, Salomon QST 98, or Faction Prodigy 2.
In mixed snow, variable, chop, and crud, the Stormrider 95 holds serve. Again, that’s thanks to its smooth and damp construction as much as its dynamic maneuverability. Compared with some other top-shelf aggressive all-mountain skis, it’s actually less sturdy at high speeds in crappy snow (thanks to the lightweight core and tips). The Blizzard Bonafide comes to mind, which simply packs more mass than the Stormrider 95. But that ski also feels more demanding around most of the mountain than the Stormrider. So we come back to a common refrain: tradeoffs.
Downside
Naturally, the biggest downside with Stormriders is going to be price. And while it’s clear that I don’t think you can find a better all-mountain ski on the market, plenty of skiers are going to be fine with saving some money and not having the best of the best. The on-snow differences are there; they just aren’t going to matter that much to everyone buying skis. That’s particularly true for people looking for a mid-90s all-mountain ski who prioritize more playful and looser skiing. If you don’t care all that much a ski’s value proposition, you don’t need that ski. In the Stormrider’s case, it’s unsurpassed versatility. If you, say, avoid bumps and don’t really carve, you’re not going to get your money’s worth here.
Bottom Line
I said it a year ago after testing the 2023 Stormrider 95, and I’ll double down on it here. This ski defines today’s all-mountain category. And as the exemplar, it’s probably the best all-mountain ski money can buy (closely followed, that is, by the Stormrider 88 — for those of you who favor narrower skis). I just haven’t skied a product that so effortlessly balances smooth stability and power with liveliness and energy.
That said, I’m not going to say everyone should buy it (Case in point: I haven’t). Skiing is an expensive sport, and if you’re on a budget or you’re the type of skier who can still be happy without the game’s most plush equipment, you can find other solid options. If, however, the Stormrider’s price tag lands within your means, you can feel confident that your purchase will come with years of hoots, hollers, and toasts to the best ski you’ve ever met.
Whether you’re an expert or intermediate, easterner or westerner, here’s your cheat sheet to understanding the Stormrider collection:
One-Ski Quiver: 88, 95, 102
Frontside: 88
All-mountain: 88, 95
Freeride: 102
Powder: 102
