Going Stockli: Can't decide Montero AS, AW vs Nela 80?

[TNtoTaos]

Anyone want a lovely pair of Nela 8os? I just purchased the AW for 300 less than other retailers. Will not be able to ski them until next season., I broke my arm 2 weeks ago.

Oh Nooo! What a major bummer! But I guarantee you'll notice the difference the minute you get on those AWs -- just so sorry you have to wait until next season!

 

[SnowyO]

I’m on 163 SC’s and 163 AX’s. Both incredible skis. I’m 63, 155 lbs and 5’5 and a technically sound skier. Thinking If I went shorter I may not get the same stability. Having said that I’m interested in the 160 AS to eventually replace my SC’s which may bring a lot of versatility into the quiver. I was lucky to demo here at Whistler/Blackcomb. Shorter lengths in the AS, AX, AR were limited though. I did try the 88 Nella 160 and found them lovely however a little light under foot. Enjoyed the Storm Rider 88 too. Decided to pull my 165 Brahama 88’s out after a couple of years separation to my Stockli’s and fell back in love with them so will hold off for now. Best of luck with decision making. O

 

[coldthrill]

I’m on 163 SC’s and 163 AX’s. Both incredible skis. I’m 63, 155 lbs and 5’5 and a technically sound skier. Thinking If I went shorter I may not get the same stability. Having said that I’m interested in the 160 AS to eventually replace my SC’s which may bring a lot of versatility into the quiver. I was lucky to demo here at Whistler/Blackcomb. Shorter lengths in the AS, AX, AR were limited though. I did try the 88 Nella 160 and found them lovely however a little light under foot. Enjoyed the Storm Rider 88 too. Decided to pull my 165 Brahama 88’s out after a couple of years separation to my Stockli’s and fell back in love with them so will hold off for now. Best of luck with decision making. O

I too am thinking about replacing my SC with the AS and a narrower ski like the SL for very icy conditions. In other words, trade in my non-quiver for a two-ski quiver. I encountered lots of ungroomed runs and choppy chop this past week and definitely thought the SC was not the ideal ski for those conditions. I'm 5'5" as well and would love to try the 160 in the AS. (I also tried the AW and while I liked it, it felt a little lightweight to me as well — probably because the SCs are pretty heavy with the SRT binding.)

 

[Calinca]

Hi Divas,

I'm currently enjoying my third and unfortunately final week of skiing this year in the Dolomites of Italy, and the scenery here is absolutely breathtaking! I've been putting some serious kilometers on my Stockli SC skis.

I've noticed some things about skiing on spring snow and crud. When skiing at a reasonable speed, the SCs cut through the snow really well and feel very stable. They maintain stability not only when carving but also when skidding on these type of snow. Of course, on well-groomed, non-bumpy slopes, they perform incredibly, and they grip amazingly well on firm/icy patches. However, with the warm weather we've been having, the pistes facing south and the connecting pistes with heavy traffic become completely wet and bumpy with slush after 1-2 hours. Dealing with this is definitely my worst nightmare, second only to very sticky, rainy, slushy snow (which I'll definitely be avoiding in the future, stay at home day for sure!).

In the slushy bumps, some almost as high as 1 meter on the red runs, and the black I accidentally find myself in, I struggled due to my less-than-perfect bump technique and the stiffness of the SCs. I recalled what @snoWYmonkey mentioned about them "not being very bump-friendly". They felt too stiff and not easily maneuverable, and when I lost my balance, they would grab the edge and twist my legs into awkward and potentially dangerous positions. My knees survived, but I definitely experienced major quads and calf burn. However, I am gradually improving. After 3 days, I can now handle the bumpy blues reasonably well (I don't die.....;-)

I considered renting some other skis to make navigating these conditions easier, although I'm not sure which ones would be better suited for this?

Cheers to all!

---

 

[snoWYmonkey]

If you want to stay with the brand maybe the nelas? I like a ski in the 88 to 95 underfoot for slush but with decent edge grip too since it can be icy in the mornings.

 

[edelweissmaedl]

I might also second the Nela 88's. I am in Taos Ski Valley this week working on my bump skiing with them. My instructor is skiing the Stormrider 88's as she is heavier than me (and a better skier than me!).

She also owns the SC's and I mentioned possibly wanting to demo them again one day this week, she wants me to give a women's ski another chance as she is concerned at my weight I may not be able to bend the SC's enough in the terrain we are tackling. (I weigh almost 120lbs/54kg). I am looking to demo the AW if someone beings it back to the shop by tomorrow.

 

[SnowyO]

I might also second the Nela 88's. I am in Taos Ski Valley this week working on my bump skiing with them. My instructor is skiing the Stormrider 88's as she is heavier than me (and a better skier than me!).

She also owns the SC's and I mentioned possibly wanting to demo them again one day this week, she wants me to give a women's ski another chance as she is concerned at my weight I may not be able to bend the SC's enough in the terrain we are tackling. (I weigh almost 120lbs/54kg). I am looking to demo the AW if someone beings it back to the shop by tomorrow.

My SC’s came with a binding plate(SRT)and this stiffens them up a bit. Something to consider. Best of luck.

 

[SnowyO]

I too am thinking about replacing my SC with the AS and a narrower ski like the SL for very icy conditions. In other words, trade in my non-quiver for a two-ski quiver. I encountered lots of ungroomed runs and choppy chop this past week and definitely thought the SC was not the ideal ski for those conditions. I'm 5'5" as well and would love to try the 160 in the AS. (I also tried the AW and while I liked it, it felt a little lightweight to me as well — probably because the SCs are pretty heavy with the SRT binding.)

Yes, the SRT definitely adds a little weight and stiffens them up a bit. Think that’s why my AX feel less stiff. Still decent on ice.

 

[TNtoTaos]

I might also second the Nela 88's. I am in Taos Ski Valley this week working on my bump skiing with them. My instructor is skiing the Stormrider 88's as she is heavier than me (and a better skier than me!).

She also owns the SC's and I mentioned possibly wanting to demo them again one day this week, she wants me to give a women's ski another chance as she is concerned at my weight I may not be able to bend the SC's enough in the terrain we are tackling. (I weigh almost 120lbs/54kg). I am looking to demo the AW if someone beings it back to the shop by tomorrow.

Definitely try the AW before you make a decision! I haven't tried the Nela 88, but that's a much wider ski -- the AW is 80 underfoot. It depends on what type of ski you're looking for. I weigh 115#, and the AW was perfect. That is the women's ski that is replacing the Nela 80, so it's not as stiff as their other skis, but stiffer than the Nela 80. Who's your instructor, BTW?

 

[edelweissmaedl]

Definitely try the AW before you make a decision! I haven't tried the Nela 88, but that's a much wider ski -- the AW is 80 underfoot. It depends on what type of ski you're looking for. I weigh 115#, and the AW was perfect. That is the women's ski that is replacing the Nela 80, so it's not as stiff as their other skis, but stiffer than the Nela 80. Who's your instructor, BTW?

Going over to SLM when they open in the morning with hopes a pair will be available (turned in reservation sheet on Tuesday).

I always ski my Nela's in Taos. I'm more interested in the SC's for east coast groomer's which is where I live. I would think the AW's would be a better pick for bumps over the SC's here in Taos. The AW and my Nela's basically have the same turn radius which is partly why I haven't been terribly serious about considering the AW.

My ski buddy and I are doing a semi-private with Barbara this week. Definitely feeling much better about my bump skiing compared to last year, even though the bump quality is much worse than last year. We did Longhorn for the first time today and I survived!!

 

[TNtoTaos]

Going over to SLM when they open in the morning with hopes a pair will be available (turned in reservation sheet on Tuesday).

I always ski my Nela's in Taos. I'm more interested in the SC's for east coast groomer's which is where I live. I would think the AW's would be a better pick for bumps over the SC's here in Taos. The AW and my Nela's basically have the same turn radius which is partly why I haven't been terribly serious about considering the AW.

My ski buddy and I are doing a semi-private with Barbara this week. Definitely feeling much better about my bump skiing compared to last year, even though the bump quality is much worse than last year. We did Longhorn for the first time today and I survived!!

I actually think the AW would be good on East Coast groomers (yes, I've skied in the East quite a bit) -- just try the AW if you can, even if you have to get a slightly longer or shorter length, to get the feel for them. Just sayin'...

 

[Calinca]

Hi
Having justo bought stockli skis makes me really nervous about leaving them unattended when I go for lunch. I usually mixed them with my husband's skis and leave them on different locations and that gives us a little more peace of mind.....
Still In the Dolomites I've never seen so many Stockli skis in my life.... there are Stocklis all over the place, on lifts and ski stands at lunch there are plenty fo SC's around, so I feel better leaving my behind.
Many stores have a stockli rental options available, with a good set of 2024 line skis for rental, wich were so hard for me to find in France.....
As I keep reading ski passes in US are prohibitive, consider a trip to the Dolomites to try stockli skis?? :-)

Cheers

 

[Lmk92]

Hi
Having justo bought stockli skis makes me really nervous about leaving them unattended when I go for lunch. I usually mixed them with my husband's skis and leave them on different locations and that gives us a little more peace of mind.....
Still In the Dolomites I've never seen so many Stockli skis in my life.... there are Stocklis all over the place, on lifts and ski stands at lunch there are plenty fo SC's around, so I feel better leaving my behind.
Many stores have a stockli rental options available, with a good set of 2024 line skis for rental, wich were so hard for me to find in France.....
As I keep reading ski passes in US are prohibitive, consider a trip to the Dolomites to try stockli skis?? :-)

Cheers

Definitely on my bucket list!

I bought a ski lock for the first time, just to keep my anxiety at bay after spending so much on my Slocklis.

 

[MissySki]

Definitely on my bucket list!

I bought a ski lock for the first time, just to keep my anxiety at bay after spending so much on my Slocklis.

Good practice to lock them up! I lock all of my skis, regardless of what they cost or where I am, just to always keep the habit going. Also, I really like my poles and they are Leki triggers so don’t have straps to easily loop over my skis and contain.. locking my skis enables me to wrap my poles into it as well and make a big tangled mess should anyone get the urge to mess with them.

 

[Cygnet]

I've been following this thread with interest as I too am after new skis, and I have also been literally following #Calinca around Europe! I was in the Grand Massif area in France in January and have just returned home from Arabba in the Italian Dolomites.

In the Dolomites I skied my old Volkl Alluras for 2 days and really struggled in the soft snow and bumps. I tried Head SuperJoys (2023 model) but found them to be really hard work in the soft snow. I then demoed the Stockli Montero AW for 2 days and loved them. They easily held an edge on ice first thing, ploughed through the softer snow a bit later and enabled me to get down the moguls. They are very versatile and confidence building.

Do I buy them? I don't know... I probably need to demo them in another size as I'm in between sizes and they are very expensive...

 

[SnowyO]

I've been following this thread with interest as I too am after new skis, and I have also been literally following #Calinca around Europe! I was in the Grand Massif area in France in January and have just returned home from Arabba in the Italian Dolomites.

In the Dolomites I skied my old Volkl Alluras for 2 days and really struggled in the soft snow and bumps. I tried Head SuperJoys (2023 model) but found them to be really hard work in the soft snow. I then demoed the Stockli Montero AW for 2 days and loved them. They easily held an edge on ice first thing, ploughed through the softer snow a bit later and enabled me to get down the moguls. They are very versatile and confidence building.

Do I buy them? I don't know... I probably need to demo them in another size as I'm in between sizes and they are very expensive...

Sounds like you enjoyed that length. Maybe they are the ones

 

[Trailside Trixie]

My philosphy is if you liked the size you skied, they did everything you asked and you felt they were confidence building do you really need to try the other size.

 

[Cygnet]

My philosphy is if you liked the size you skied, they did everything you asked and you felt they were confidence building do you really need to try the other size.

I‘m 5’4 (163 cms) tall and 140lbs - 150 sounds rather short. The next size up is 158… Not sure how much rocker the ski has… The Stockli website suggests 153-158 for my height and ability…

 

[Trailside Trixie]

I‘m 5’4 (163 cms) tall and 140lbs - 150 sounds rather short. The next size up is 158… Not sure how much rocker the ski has… The Stockli website suggests 153-158 for my height and ability…

Sorry I missed your demo size was 150. That is short. I would buy the next size up then. It's still 5cm shorter than you. I think you'll be fine.

I'm 167cm tall and my Stocklis range from 161 to 167.

 

[edelweissmaedl]

@Cygnet I'm nearly 5'4" and the shop recommended the 158cm for me. I have demo'd both the 150 and 158 and personally liked the 158 better. I am also 20lbs lighter than you. What you like is what matters most though.