Anybody have experience with Stöckli Race skis?

[hbear]

Crazy dad already thinking about next seasons skis.
We tend to get size + 1up for my daughter so she gets used to working a longer ski in training (bigger sets and technical skiing) and before she moves up the following year.

At this point it looks like she’s moving from the jr. FIS skis to a tweener FIS ski and our concern arises from the feel and ease of use of a manufacturers ski changing dramatically. E.g. she loves the Blizzard line right now (lots of good juniors on them as well) but know the Blizzard FIS skis is a plank (and pretty much don’t see any U16/FIS athletes on them either). Similarly the Rossi jr ski is very soft but the FIS version is beefier and can handle a very strong racer (subsequently see a lot more athletes on them...and not just because of deals).

From that lens, given likely brand change wanted to know if anybody has been on the Stöckli FIS race skis and can provide some feedback/reference. They don’t have much of a presence here (more out east) and given how pleased I am with my Stormriders, if their race skis ski anything like it but with more power (e.g. easy to flex, torsionally stuff but can handle lots of energy) that could also be a good option (although spendier for mom and dad).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Forgot to add, everybody makes good stuff these days, just important to understand the differences to determine the most appropriate ski.

 

[Jack skis]

Le Ski Mastery at Taos Ski Valley could give you some information on Stockli race skis. Check'em out.

 

[KingGrump]

Talk to Alain Veth. He is the owner. and former French National team. He know his stuff.
His son is in it pretty deep.

 

[Swede]

Stöckli is rare. Not many youths on them over here either. Can vouch for the Rossi/Dynastar tweeners, they are very nice skis. For GS go directly to the tallest (182?), or at least the 175. The 170 flex is not as nice. I got 170:s for my daughter, switched them to 182:s after first pre season camp in U16.

 

[Muleski]

@hbear, for others, and to get people focused on their best thoughts, it might be good to share her age and size.

Based on other posts, I think many of us realize that she's very athletic, strong and very technically sound for her age. Fast, too! And we assume a great kid! So adding age and size might help.

I think you are very pleased with the boot choice. Sharing that might be helpful, too.

Bet you'll get some good input.

 

[hbear]

Yes, that should help direct the thoughts as she is a lot younger than the direction our discussion is going.

To back things up a touch she’s 59” tall and about 90lbs. Very athletic and strong. Nowhere near the U16/FIS age as she’s currently U12 (2008). That being said she’s fast and technically strong (hitting a lot of milestones early) and thankfully have some great acedamy coaches that are taking her unreal drive, desire and love of the sport and honing it into some great progress regardless of age. Still a bit raw but very fast.

She’s currently skiing the Blizzard 156 GS (new “firebird” version) and the same in 143 SL. These are her main training skis and does have the size down 149 GS and 136 SL when the sets get too tight (course setting guidelines is another discussion for her age we won’t get into). Standard jr plate and Marker Race 10x binder (the one with the metal heel).

Her next size in skis (which is the recommendation from her academy coaches to occur during the season or certainly over summer when she trains in NZ) bring me to the conundrum. While she won’t be racing in them at sanctioned events (course set issue again) we do agree with getting her on longer skis as long as her technique dictates she is ready for them is beneficial in the long run....actually she finds the bigger skis have a nicer sweet spot.

Now we are getting into tweener range and I know what works for a junior (esp. with Blizzard) is a different animal at the tweener to FIS sizes.....for what it’s worth the Blizzard FIS skis just don’t sound like a good choice so my thoughts are to move early if we are going to make a switch. Some OEMs it’s a plate difference and others it’s layup change.

Direction right now leans us toward Rossi, she found the shorter JR skis too soft with not enough “pop” but we hear their tweener to FIS range is much better and perhaps not unlike what she is currently on.

As far as boot, she’s in a Rossi. We will NOT move her away from that boot (her thoughts as well) no matter what. Happy to pass over “comp” programs over this as gear is ultimately pennies in the overall ski budget and we will not compromise boot given it’s so critical. Too many stories from friends who have made errors here. Our belief and belief of most respected ski people we know concur on this as well. Rossi just makes a fantastic boot for juniors, some have gone as far to say if parents didn’t have comp programs for their kids, they would push every young racer to Rossi provided it fit properly.

Hope that helps provide some direction.

 

[Swede]

2008 ... ok. Forget what I said ... for five years. If you’re happy with Blizzie/Nordica, why not just stay on them through the U12 years?
A lot can/will happen with her skiing, so impossible to know what ski will serve her best in 2-3-4 years.
If you’re not happy at the moment, there should be gear camps at the end of the season where you get to ski all next years skis and try them against the clock and reserve pairs. Perhaps not in U12, but in U14.
Rossi/Lange from day 1.

 

[hbear]

Thanks lots of gear camps in the spring. Based on what we know so far, not going to like Blizzard for the next size up. (Currently they are fine however).

As mentioned concern is not the current ski in the U12 set (she will race Blizzard in her U12 races) But the bigger tweener skis she will be on relatively soon (she trains up and often skis U14/U16 sets; she also cross blocks, clears panels, etc.) so a bigger ski makes more sense technically/tactically and because she can benefit as she can drive them.

As mentioned her SL ski is 143 (likely bigger than the one she races U12 events in)....that’s only 2 sizes up to the Womens’ 155 FIS ski. Sizing up even once every 2 years put her on that ski at 14. (Her historic path is quicker than that). More room for GS but again it’s been recommended to put her on a 163-165 relatively soon (e.g. this year or at latest summer) which creates the question for us now.

Best to put the U12 age aside as she’s very strong, mature and technically strong. Frankly bigger than a bunch of U14s as well!

 

[Swede]

90 lbs and bigger than U14:s, you must have some small U14:s over there ... but if she needs to, there used to be two versions of the Dynastar/Rossi 165. One with a bigger plate. That size is normally a U14 ski, but I guess a very strong 2:nd year U12 could ski the soft one, 155/160 in U12 and 165/170 in U14 then 180+ r25 in U16. She should be on a ski that is appropriate for the courses she will be racing. Long SL skis doesn't really serve any purpose inmo.

 

[ella_g]

@hbear where are you guys? Just curious bc here (Jackson) coaches are pretty hands on at the u12 level with skis & boots, they’re pretty dictatorial about wanting their kids on what they think is right ... the only parental input they want is writing a check .... & making sure skis are tuned & waxed to their specifications every day.... or else death .... Also, for sake of comparison , my kid the same age is half your daughters size, big range at this age!

 

[hbear]

We are in AB, Canada.
Club coaches here aren’t too crazy at U12. Just want to make sure boot fit is proper, flex is right and on the appropriate ski. Simple enough for us given we are on that...no issues there.

My ask goes beyond the club coaches and more with the academy ones she also skis with given they are progressing her further and beyond the typical U12 program. I’ve had some good conversations with them on many aspects of her setup. Hence the discussion about Rossi. That’s all fine and good so we have a strategy there. Just throwing out the thought of Stöckli given how much I like their skis personally and think their finishing is superb. Heard great things about their FIS/WC line but know nothing about their tweener one.

 

[hbear]

90 lbs and bigger than U14:s, you must have some small U14:s over there ... but if she needs to, there used to be two versions of the Dynastar/Rossi 165. One with a bigger plate. That size is normally a U14 ski, but I guess a very strong 2:nd year U12 could ski the soft one, 155/160 in U12 and 165/170 in U14 then 180+ r25 in U16. She should be on a ski that is appropriate for the courses she will be racing. Long SL skis doesn't really serve any purpose inmo.

Not all of them, just a bunch of them...always a lot of smaller kids at that age given growth spurts vary so much at 12-13. (She’s almost as tall as Gut and Worley!)

If we applied the stick to the set she races with her gear she’d still be on short GS skis (maybe not even be on one as it’s not required) and short SL. But that’s not the objective, it’s to set her up for better success down the road and the earlier she can get on bigger skis and work them in proper sets the better (similar thought to the reason we want to get the kids on proper GS skis earlier). U12 results while nice aren’t the objective, if so we could send her down on SL skis and run at the gates flipping her feet and she will be fast....that teaches her nothing and doesn’t prepare her for future years.

Given she does train with older kids (academy) and bigger sets it only makes sense to match her skis provided she can work them properly. Short 15m GS in a 23m track is not ideal for technique and tactics either.

We have also seen kids stick with junior variants for too long and had a big issue when they were forced to move to a proper FIS ski.

It’s such a balancing act for sure.

 

[Dakine]

Boy would she ever like my 2006 Atomic women's FIS GS skis.
21m radius at 176.
Very supple and fast.
They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

90 lbs and bigger than U14:s, you must have some small U14:s over there ... but if she needs to, there used to be two versions of the Dynastar/Rossi 165. One with a bigger plate. That size is normally a U14 ski, but I guess a very strong 2:nd year U12 could ski the soft one, 155/160 in U12 and 165/170 in U14 then 180+ r25 in U16. She should be on a ski that is appropriate for the courses she will be racing. Long SL skis doesn't really serve any purpose inmo.

My u16 isn't 90 lbs....

 

[Johnny V.]

Boy would she ever like my 2006 Atomic women's FIS GS skis.
21m radius at 176.
Very supple and fast.
They don't make them like that anymore.

Actually, Atomic does. The current Redster GS RS Masters ski is 21 M @ 176.

 

[Dakine]

Actually, Atomic does. The current Redster GS RS Masters ski is 21 M @ 176.

That is a consumer race ski not a real factory FIS ski from a USST member.
No comparison.

 

[Johnny V.]

That is a consumer race ski not a real factory FIS ski from a USST member.
No comparison.

Are you talking about the LT 12? The blue ones? I had pair of those too-not the consumer version-the 21 M.

 

[Dakine]

Are you talking about the LT 12? The blue ones? I had pair of those too-not the consumer version-the 21 M.

That is it but not the consumer version. The FIS skis were classical race construction not the Beta construction of the consumer ones. The FIS skis have the top corners rounded so they kind of look like the consumer ones but they are of very different construction. If you are really into skis pick up a used pair of factory skis and behold...the current Women's are barely approachable by mere mortals but the older 21 and 23 m ones are pretty fun at warp speed...you can get them cheap.

.....or, you could just get some Blossoms.
They make many of the FIS skis for the major ski factories except Head.

 

[Swede]

My u16 isn't 90 lbs....

I might be lost in translation, but 90 lbs, isn’t that 40 kgs?

 

[BGreen]

No current experience with Stockli, but in the past they had some beef to them. I like Rossignol and am starting to like Fischer too, but the skis have a different feel. Rossi has several choices for GS, fewer for slalom.