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- Oct 30, 2016
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I'm looking at the reviews of the 2019 SR 95 and not sure what the current ski is. The 2019 review posted in
2019 Ski Reviews Are In! references last years reviews which were great. Looking at Dawgcatching's review of the 2018 SR 95 and he loved it. Fairtomiddlin posted in A Layman's Look at 2019 Skis from SIA Copper that the 2019 was new construction sort of? and he thought it was not as good. Is this just reviewer's "feel" or is it different? I've included reviews from FairToMiddlin for 2019 and Dawgcatching for 2018.
This is from FairToMiddlin:
Stöckli Stormrider 95
Dimensions: 131-95-120
Radius: 17.2m@175cm
Sizes: 157, 166, 175, 184
Size tested: 184
Design: New Construction (sort of; it went on sale this year, but nobody could get on the 184 at SIA last year…)
Darnit, Stöckli, what have you done?
This is a different ski from the SR 95 of two years ago, seemingly much more than the simple removal of the carbon-insert tip. The new tip feels less willing, less communicative. It is a reliable enough ski; there are no unpleasant surprises when you point it into 3D snow, but it doesn’t tell you what is going on (something the 2019 SR 88 does very well). Further, the response from the ski when you tip in to the new turn isn't what it used to be, it's not as immediate, it's kind of like standing at the counter of a coffee shop and having to wait for the cashier to finish a tweet before taking your order.
Compared to the previous generation SR 95, or the incoming Rossignol Experience 94, it feels like an aging athlete; still experienced, still smooth. It has lost a step, though, and no longer feels like the one to beat. It ain't as good as it once was. It is possible the tune is to blame, but the tune felt okay; the ski didn’t do anything unpredictable, just didn’t have the magic of other Stöcklis.
2018 Stöckli Stormrider 95.
The new 95 improves upon the old ski in many ways. Weight is down, stability is up, and the new flex is an improvement upon what was, in 2017, considered of the best skis on the planet.
The new 2018 layup retains the classic Stockli feel. The feel can be described as unlimited power and edge grip, combined with a refinement uncommon in such stable skis, paired with a huge sweet spot. The 95 skis like a longer ski in terms of stability, and like a shorter ski in terms of the ability to change direction and move on the ski.
What I immediately noticed about the SR95 is that, for a 5 foot 9, skier, the 175cm was the perfect go-anywhere length, whereas the 2017 174cm always felt a bit short. The 175cm completely owned steeper, oddly-shaped wind bumps and funky pitches.
The 175cm was quick, incredibly nimble, and felt like a wider Laser AX in steep sections. In softer snow and where the conditions demanded some float, the 95 had the perfect tip flex to get above the soft snow while remaining predictable and easy to handle at all times.
On groomers, it not only kept up with a group of ex-racers on Head Supershape Rally skis, but also was getting compliments from those skiers who were impressed with the edge angles and the power I was generating from such a wide ski. Of course, inside every Stockli is a race ski pedigree, no matter the width and flex. They have always made skis that skilled skiers can extract a lot of performance from.
In soft snow, I felt the 184cm to ski surprisingly short and easy. Often, I shy away from skis much over 180cm, but the 184cm SR95 proved to be surprisingly effortless in tight trees. The ski actually felt more at ease in tight spaces than the previous generation SR95 in 183cm. With that said, I would opt for the 175cm unless I were taller or mainly using it as a soft snow ski.
The closest ski I can compare it to is the old Kastle MX88 in 178cm. Both have the same vice-like grip on hard snow and effortless versatility in weird conditions. The MX88 gets the edge for energy and power, while the SR95 feels buttery smooth and a bit more forgiving in really weird snow conditions, such as windpack and re-frozen bumps.
2019 Ski Reviews Are In! references last years reviews which were great. Looking at Dawgcatching's review of the 2018 SR 95 and he loved it. Fairtomiddlin posted in A Layman's Look at 2019 Skis from SIA Copper that the 2019 was new construction sort of? and he thought it was not as good. Is this just reviewer's "feel" or is it different? I've included reviews from FairToMiddlin for 2019 and Dawgcatching for 2018.
This is from FairToMiddlin:
Stöckli Stormrider 95
Dimensions: 131-95-120
Radius: 17.2m@175cm
Sizes: 157, 166, 175, 184
Size tested: 184
Design: New Construction (sort of; it went on sale this year, but nobody could get on the 184 at SIA last year…)
Darnit, Stöckli, what have you done?
This is a different ski from the SR 95 of two years ago, seemingly much more than the simple removal of the carbon-insert tip. The new tip feels less willing, less communicative. It is a reliable enough ski; there are no unpleasant surprises when you point it into 3D snow, but it doesn’t tell you what is going on (something the 2019 SR 88 does very well). Further, the response from the ski when you tip in to the new turn isn't what it used to be, it's not as immediate, it's kind of like standing at the counter of a coffee shop and having to wait for the cashier to finish a tweet before taking your order.
Compared to the previous generation SR 95, or the incoming Rossignol Experience 94, it feels like an aging athlete; still experienced, still smooth. It has lost a step, though, and no longer feels like the one to beat. It ain't as good as it once was. It is possible the tune is to blame, but the tune felt okay; the ski didn’t do anything unpredictable, just didn’t have the magic of other Stöcklis.
- Who is it for? Folks who never got to try the previous SR 95.
- Who is it not for? Folks who did.
2018 Stöckli Stormrider 95.
The new 95 improves upon the old ski in many ways. Weight is down, stability is up, and the new flex is an improvement upon what was, in 2017, considered of the best skis on the planet.
The new 2018 layup retains the classic Stockli feel. The feel can be described as unlimited power and edge grip, combined with a refinement uncommon in such stable skis, paired with a huge sweet spot. The 95 skis like a longer ski in terms of stability, and like a shorter ski in terms of the ability to change direction and move on the ski.
What I immediately noticed about the SR95 is that, for a 5 foot 9, skier, the 175cm was the perfect go-anywhere length, whereas the 2017 174cm always felt a bit short. The 175cm completely owned steeper, oddly-shaped wind bumps and funky pitches.
The 175cm was quick, incredibly nimble, and felt like a wider Laser AX in steep sections. In softer snow and where the conditions demanded some float, the 95 had the perfect tip flex to get above the soft snow while remaining predictable and easy to handle at all times.
On groomers, it not only kept up with a group of ex-racers on Head Supershape Rally skis, but also was getting compliments from those skiers who were impressed with the edge angles and the power I was generating from such a wide ski. Of course, inside every Stockli is a race ski pedigree, no matter the width and flex. They have always made skis that skilled skiers can extract a lot of performance from.
In soft snow, I felt the 184cm to ski surprisingly short and easy. Often, I shy away from skis much over 180cm, but the 184cm SR95 proved to be surprisingly effortless in tight trees. The ski actually felt more at ease in tight spaces than the previous generation SR95 in 183cm. With that said, I would opt for the 175cm unless I were taller or mainly using it as a soft snow ski.
The closest ski I can compare it to is the old Kastle MX88 in 178cm. Both have the same vice-like grip on hard snow and effortless versatility in weird conditions. The MX88 gets the edge for energy and power, while the SR95 feels buttery smooth and a bit more forgiving in really weird snow conditions, such as windpack and re-frozen bumps.
