I know the Stockli wasn't in Phil's original list, but I had a chance to fondle the 2020 Stockli SR 95 yesterday and was really surprised at the changes. This is a much lighter ski than even the 2019 model (that was already lighter than previous generations). In comparing the 2020 to the 2019 side-by-side, you can see how the bottom titanal layer has been removed in the 2020 version. It now has a thinner profile and a softened flex too. Has Stockli "dumbed down" the new version too much and removed much of what we appreciated in the older generations of the ski?
At the Boone Mtn Stockli dealership, I got a fairly long explanation of the 19/20, newest version, after I told one associate I was apparently in a small minority who didn't like the older silver SR 95 with black elliptical bombs on it (16/17?) (For most folks, it was apparently fine, but not for me.)
Before I could say another word, he said he knew what I didn't like about that SR 95 ski, because he and other testers had the same experience, and had been prototyping and making suggestions for several years, including on the newest, TiTec version, explicitly to fix that problem. For him, he said, that silver/black bomb model as well as the greenish plaid versions after that, "planked out" at times, and when that happened, sometimes the tail washed out and lost grip unpredictably, for skiers like him - and he guessed for me too.
I asked if "planking" meant the same thing as "bottoming out," and he said, "exactly." I was flabbergasted. He'd taken the words out of my mouth.
The newest version solves all that, finally," he said. The new, TiTec version has been redesigned and has new construction, modeled after the current SR 88, he said, at least in part to cure the planking problem with the previous few versions.
The 19/20 SR 95 - again, according to him - has a wide, softer-flexing shovel and a relatively narrower, stiffer middle section and tail - like the SR 88 carried over from last year, he showed me. (He had me flex and eyeball both the new 88 and 95 there in his shop to see what he said seemed true.) This SR 95 also has a different construction and construction material called TiTec (which is also in the new 88 and 105). The result is that the wide, softer front end planes up in crud/powder, while the tail subtly acts a bit rudder-like (a semi-pintail design?) This gives an upward bow to the ski in powder/crud conditions that helps keep it buoyant, springy, not planky or bottoming out anymore, while at the same time remaining a good carver.
This is a ski he likes now, and that I would like to try.
Hopefully, this SR 95 is dialed in like most Stocklis.
