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Chadly05

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Nov 8, 2017
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Last season I demoed the Laser AX in a 175 and really enjoyed how smooth and versatile the ski performed. I ski on a 187 Bonafide out west and looking for a piste/carving ski for MN. I have also tried Elan 16 ti2, Head Titan, Blizzard Quattro RX and a few others but nothing touches the Stockli for enjoyment. I was set to buy the Stockli AX in the 175 as I thought it was the longest they offered so I didn’t question the skiks length but noticed it also comes in a 183. I only skied the AX for a couple hours so I didn’t really put it through all the paces. I am 6’1 270 lbs and an advanced skier.

Does anyone have experience on the Laser AX in those sizes? Logic tells me to get the 183 but I enjoyed the 175 I am torn on the size and now realizing it comes in a 183 I am a bit worried I didn’t ski it long enough to know it would really work for my size.
 

mdf

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I'm wondering.The AX may be a slalom ski in disguise (so wants to be short). My experience is limited to one run on @cosmoliu 's pair. Since he is a lot smaller than I am, they were "undersized" -- 160 something -- but they still worked great.

I'd love to ski different lengths in comparison.
 

Jim McDonald

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I spent two days in Switzerland on a 183 AX, one day at Alta on a 175; bought the 183s. 187cm & 75kg (6'2" 165lb)
 

cosmoliu

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Mine are 167s. Me: 5'8" and 140#. My sweet spot is to either side of 170cm, so 175 would generally be just at the limit of my comfort zone. I live for the bumps, so I generally am biased toward the shorter of two lengths if I'm in between. The longest modern skis I've enjoyed in bumps has been the Blizzard Bushwackers in 173. Otherwise, all my sub-100mm skis have been in the high 160s and the AXs at 167 fit me perfectly. They are the best front side skis I've ever owned. Heck- they're the best skis I've ever owned. It did take me about 6-7 days on them to really get my fore-aft balance dialed in. But once I did (that day @mdf tried them was when I was still thrashing on them) HOLY SH*T, WHAT A SKI! I can hardly wait for the season to get started already. The point of this digression? If you liked the 175s and bumps nurture your soul, maybe the 175s would be the ticket. If you're thinking of ripping groomers at Mach 1, go 183.
 

Turnoisier

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Personally (at 5' 10" and 140lbs), I found the 175 AX to be slightly long, but still perfectly manageable. I would have expected you, at 3" taller and nearly twice my weight to be on the 183 for sure. Given the other replies in this thread, you should at least demo the 183 before deciding. If you liked the 175, you may love the 183.

And imagine spending a literal fortune on the 175 only to spend the next few years wondering if you got the wrong size. It's surely worth taking the time to demo just to avoid the inevitable mental torment.
 
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hespeler

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I'm 6'2", 190 and ski the 175 and don't regret going with that size one bit BUT I could have been happy on the 183 also; so for your size I would definitely recommend it. Might give you a little more versatility than just a piste ski as well.
 
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Chadly05

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Thanks for the feedback.

The day I demo'd the AX they had just pulled a slalom course so I decided to run it backwards creating an 8 through the course to see how it handled ruts. It was like turning through butter I couldn't believe how it held an edge and felt in the boots. It really inspired confidence.

I won't have a chance to be out west until later Dec or early Jan to try and find a demo and not sure I want to risk not being able to find the ski. Based all the feedback I am now thinkingI will just order the 183. Anyone have any concerns being able to rip short radius turns on the 183 like the 175?
 

Paul Lutes

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183 all the way. I ski the 175 at 6’ 168 and it’s perfect.

Oh yeah?? I'm 6'1", 160 lbs, have skied both the 183 and the 175, and ..... the 175 is more perfect! ogwink

I would actually recommend the 183 for the OP at 270 lbs, although their desire for short radius carving makes me pause just a bit - the 183 will be just a tad more sluggish, especially since the 175 was skied first, making it especially noticeable. Since the OP seemed really happy with the 175, could be the safer bet.
 

Kurt

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I'm 6'1" and 175# have 14 days on the AX this season for instructor training. I'm on the 175 and love the AX for a variety of turn shapes. For your specs I too would suggest the 183. Enjoy them they're amazing skis!!
 

martyg

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At 270 you are big. Here's how I choose ski length: I go with the shortest ski possible on "development skis" - those are skis that I drill on - skis that I want to give me a lot of feedback. O skis that I am working on from bell to bell I want something that is a bit more comfortable.

So.... If you are on a journey with your skill acquisition and regularly attend clinics a shorter pair would probably provide you with more feedback. If you are more casual a longer pair will be more comfortable.

Shorter skis also = greater edge engagement due to greater pounds per square inch of pressure being exerted.

Enjoy.
 

dawgcatching

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Last season I demoed the Laser AX in a 175 and really enjoyed how smooth and versatile the ski performed. I ski on a 187 Bonafide out west and looking for a piste/carving ski for MN. I have also tried Elan 16 ti2, Head Titan, Blizzard Quattro RX and a few others but nothing touches the Stockli for enjoyment. I was set to buy the Stockli AX in the 175 as I thought it was the longest they offered so I didn’t question the skiks length but noticed it also comes in a 183. I only skied the AX for a couple hours so I didn’t really put it through all the paces. I am 6’1 270 lbs and an advanced skier.

Does anyone have experience on the Laser AX in those sizes? Logic tells me to get the 183 but I enjoyed the 175 I am torn on the size and now realizing it comes in a 183 I am a bit worried I didn’t ski it long enough to know it would really work for my size.

The question will have as much to do with where you ski and how you plan to use the ski. With regards to length, you can ski either 175 or 183 Most people your size would lean toward the 175, but that doesn't mean much. Of the 25 pair of AX I have sold over the past few seasons, I have sold exactly one pair of 183cm. I ski the 175cm at 5 foot 9, but that is out west where I am looking for a bit longer ski for variable conditions and higher speeds. Most skiers my size look at the 167cm. I could also ski the 167, but I use the AX as a technical all-mountain ski. I have a pair of the Kastle MX74 and a pair of the Laser SX, both in 172/170, which are my more focused, slalom-like all-mountain technical skis. For a small hill, you may be happier on the 175cm. Out west, if you ski faster and venture off-piste into moderate depth new snow, you could argue for the 183cm.

Finding a 183cm may become an issue. We were able to get more 175's ordered somehow, as Stockli has stopped production of the AX for this season. There is a graphic change on the way for 2018-2019.
 

Lorenzzo

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Mine are 167s. Me: 5'8" and 140#. My sweet spot is to either side of 170cm, so 175 would generally be just at the limit of my comfort zone. I live for the bumps, so I generally am biased toward the shorter of two lengths if I'm in between. The longest modern skis I've enjoyed in bumps has been the Blizzard Bushwackers in 173. Otherwise, all my sub-100mm skis have been in the high 160s and the AXs at 167 fit me perfectly. They are the best front side skis I've ever owned. Heck- they're the best skis I've ever owned. It did take me about 6-7 days on them to really get my fore-aft balance dialed in. But once I did (that day @mdf tried them was when I was still thrashing on them) HOLY SH*T, WHAT A SKI! I can hardly wait for the season to get started already. The point of this digression? If you liked the 175s and bumps nurture your soul, maybe the 175s would be the ticket. If you're thinking of ripping groomers at Mach 1, go 183.
Glad you’re liking the AX-s though I’m not surprised.

The AX skis long, I was concerned the 175 would be too short but my friend at Jans convinced me otherwise and I’m glad I went with it. It has no speed limit. (6’1” 188) Even at your weight I think you could argue either 175 or 183.
 

Choucas

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I picked up a pair of AX's this year and have been on them a total of one day (7 top to bottom runs at Sugarbush to be precise). I'm 6'0" and 180 lbs. Skis 175. Feels like the perfect length for me for primarily piste skiing on the east coast. Neither the skis nor I are dialed in with one short day on them, but all signs are favorable at this point. I'll be on them for the next four days so we'll get better acquainted. I tuned them prior to day 1 with 1 degree on the base and 2 degrees on the side. That felt fine. Brand new skis take some time to be skied in. In addition to me getting used to the skis, the skis need some on snow time to find their equilibrium too. Not much adjustment needed with the AX's, just learning what they like to do best which turns out to be pretty much everything. I'll update next week, but for now they certainly are as advertised.
 

VON

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Apr 20, 2017
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Last season I demoed the Laser AX in a 175 and really enjoyed how smooth and versatile the ski performed. I ski on a 187 Bonafide out west and looking for a piste/carving ski for MN. I have also tried Elan 16 ti2, Head Titan, Blizzard Quattro RX and a few others but nothing touches the Stockli for enjoyment. I was set to buy the Stockli AX in the 175 as I thought it was the longest they offered so I didn’t question the skiks length but noticed it also comes in a 183. I only skied the AX for a couple hours so I didn’t really put it through all the paces. I am 6’1 270 lbs and an advanced skier.

Does anyone have experience on the Laser AX in those sizes? Logic tells me to get the 183 but I enjoyed the 175 I am torn on the size and now realizing it comes in a 183 I am a bit worried I didn’t ski it long enough to know it would really work for my size.

I'm 6'4" 185lbs, and spent most of my on-piste skiing on the Laser AX in 183 last year. Never found them too long or at all unmanageable. They're fairly soft up front (like most Stockli skis - well, at least the Laser AX and wider) and can be bent into any turn shape you want. Which I liked. I really appreciated the extra length when trucking through chopped up pow on a day with 6-8" inches fresh snow that quickly became tracked up and turned into soft bumps - though I wouldn't say the ski is greatttt for those kind of conditions. Definitely better than any other 78mm wide ski I've been on though!

For someone of your size, if you are actually an advanced skier, the 183 is a no-brainer. Even for an advanced intermediate IMO. Also, having spent a good amount of time on the 187 Bonafides last year, I will say the 183 Laser AX is far more forgiving and quite a bit easier to ski. I used the Bonafides when I wanted to really charge everything on the mountain. I used the Laser AX's when I wanted to relax and have a forgiving ski with phenomenal edge hold but still had horses under the hood when I wanted to push it. That's a rare combination of characteristics for a ski to have - which is why I love it the AX.

183 all the way.
 
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Choucas

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Try a 1:3.

Noted. I worked on the base edge a bit last night. The right ski was a bit balky in the forebody. Took a few extra passes with a file and polished and problem solved when I skied them today. Left ski is still a bit grabby underfoot. I'll work on that to smooth things out. Just about dialed. Then I can play around with the side bevel angle. Really loving the skis.
 

PTskier

Been goin' downhill for years....
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With very few exceptions as skis are made longer they're also made stiffer. The longest/stiffest in any line of skis is for the biggest, strongest, highest energy skier. The shortest/softest is for the featherweight or slow poke. The skis need to respond to the energy the skier puts into them. Most of us fit somewhere in the middle. From the OP's description of his size and his skiing, go longest.
 

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