Looking for a Fast and Stable Carving Ski

[MaryVA]

Hi All! II'm in the market for some stable and fast carving skis, and am looking for some help narrowing down my options. Sadly, I live in Virginia and so probably won't have an opportunity to demo.

About Me: I'm 41 yo, 5'5", ~135 lbs, and and am an aggressive, advanced/expert skier who likes to carve and ski fast. I ski most weekends at my small home resort in Virginia or at other mountains in Virginia and West Virginia.

Current Carving Skis: My existing carving skis are the Stockli Laser MX (23/24 model, which has a 67mm waist) in the 152 length. In general, I love these skis. I bought them specifically for making quick, slalom-y turns to make the most of the short runs at my home hill, and they have delivered. All in all, they're responsive, nimble playful, and make short turns a lot of fun. But sometimes I want to make longer-radius turns at higher speeds or on steeper slopes, and the MXs feel super squirrelly when I try to do so. This is becoming even more of an issue this year as I've upgraded to a stiffer and more responsive boot. I know that the 152 length is a big part of the problem, but I wonder if I also need something a little burlier as well. Whatever I choose, I will ski it almost exclusively on hardpack, as I have a pair of all-mountain skis for soft and slushy days, or for trips out west.

Some Skis I've been Eyeing (mostly Stocklis, but I've very open to other suggestions):

Stockli Laser SC - I've read a lot of positive reviews about this ski, and it sounds like they may hit that sweet spot of being stiffer and more robust that my MXs, but will still be more versatile and approachable than a full-bore race ski. Local shop also has them in stock in the 166 cm length, which seems a little long for dedicated carving ski given my height, but perhaps not if I'm specifically looking for a ski that will stay stable at speed?

Stockli Laser WRT Pro - I'm intrigued about these skis, but worry they might be a lot of ski for someone as light as I am. Has anyone here skied them?

Any of the Stockli Montero Line - I'm mostly avoiding skis branded as "all-mountain" as (in my experience) even the all-mountain skis that can hold an edge lack the signature rebound energy of a true carving ski. But I'm intrigued by the Montero line, as they seem to be still pretty carving-oriented, with just enough all-mountain elements to add a touch of versatility. Anyone have experience on any of these?

Atomic Redster Q9 or Cloud Q12 - I have no experience with Atomic skis, but I've heard good things about these two, specifically.

Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro - I used to own Black Pearls and loved them, and I had a lot of fun demoing some Sheevas out West a few years ago, but I've never skied on a Blizzard frontside ski. That said, I've seen these ones come up a few times in this forum, so curious what people think.

Any others I should look into?

Thanks all!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

So unfortunately I have not skied the MX that you have right now but I have been skiing the SC for a while. I am 5.5 and I weigh about 140. While I really like the SC I picked up the vocal Peregrine 82 last year and find myself for some reason reaching more for that but then again the snow's been really weird this year. I too am very very interested in the register which my friend who stores her skis next to mine has. Just looking at the construction side by side against the SC it looks like the register has a lot more going on in terms of burliness of build. She's our size maybe a little bit taller and even a stronger skier than I am and she loves it. I don't know if and when I can go try hers but if I ever do I will get back to you. As for the SC I probably still ski it at least every third day but I'm not sure that it would be the narrow Carver that I would choose the next go around. My all-time favorite is still a Dynastar that they no longer make.

 

[mes2024]

I have had the Atomic 11 Arc for about 13 years And loved them, but they discontinued this model. The Atomic Cloud Q14 Revostock S was technically the most similar so I went with it. Pretty quick and unforgiving! 13 m radius with 75 waist.So far I like them. I just hope I can keep up with them.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

My go-to ski this year has been the Montero AS. I love its responsiveness and middle of the road stiffness. It isn't as forgiving as the other skis in my quiver, but it also won't punish you for a slip up in form. It loves short radius and big arcing turns equally in my experience.

BTW, I also have the MX and haven't taken them out yet this season. Now I'm inspired to pull them out and see what I've learned from the AS.

 

[MaryVA]

So unfortunately I have not skied the MX that you have right now but I have been skiing the SC for a while. I am 5.5 and I weigh about 140. While I really like the SC I picked up the vocal Peregrine 82 last year and find myself for some reason reaching more for that but then again the snow's been really weird this year. I too am very very interested in the register which my friend who stores her skis next to mine has. Just looking at the construction side by side against the SC it looks like the register has a lot more going on in terms of burliness of build. She's our size maybe a little bit taller and even a stronger skier than I am and she loves it. I don't know if and when I can go try hers but if I ever do I will get back to you. As for the SC I probably still ski it at least every third day but I'm not sure that it would be the narrow Carver that I would choose the next go around. My all-time favorite is still a Dynastar that they no longer make.

My husband bought the Peregrine 82s last season and has been really liking them, but he's a lot heavier and taller than you/us. Can I ask what length you ski them in? Do you find them to have much energy and rebound?

 

[MaryVA]

I have had the Atomic 11 Arc for about 13 years And loved them, but they discontinued this model. The Atomic Cloud Q14 Revostock S was technically the most similar so I went with it. Pretty quick and unforgiving! 13 m radius with 75 waist.So far I like them. I just hope I can keep up with them.

Can I ask what length you ski them in? 13m radius is similar to the MX which, in my experience, is decidedly happier in shorter slalom-style turns and has a harder time holding onto longer turns at speed and on steeper slopes. But I think the Q14 may be stiffer than the MX, and it's also marketed as having a "multi-radius sidecut." Do you find it stable at higher speeds and longer-radius carves? Or is this more of a slalom specialist that might be redundant to the MX I already have?

 

[MaryVA]

How do you find the AS vs. the MS

My go-to ski this year has been the Montero AS. I love its responsiveness and middle of the road stiffness. It isn't as forgiving as the other skis in my quiver, but it also won't punish you for a slip up in form. It loves short radius and big arcing turns equally in my experience.

BTW, I also have the MX and haven't taken them out yet this season. Now I'm inspired to pull them out and see what I've learned from the AS.

Can I ask your height and what length you ski in the AS and the MX? How does the AS compare to the MX in terms of stiffness, responsiveness and stability at speed and in longer turns? I've been finding that I overpower the MX when I try to ski it too aggressively (though the short length definitely contributes to this problem). Will the AS hold up better?

 

[edelweissmaedl]

I have the SC and love it. I was always kind of underwhelmed by the MX for comparison. I have the SC in 156 and am 5'4" 120 lbs.
I had the opportunity to ski both the SL and the SX in Zermatt last season at the Stockli Test Center. I loved both of them more than the MX by far. Great grip on wind blown, steep glacier slopes. Turn radius wise the SC is a little longer than the SL or SX.

 

[MaryVA]

I have the SC and love it. I was always kind of underwhelmed by the MX for comparison. I have the SC in 156 and am 5'4" 120 lbs.
I had the opportunity to ski both the SL and the SX in Zermatt last season at the Stockli Test Center. I loved both of them more than the MX by far. Great grip on wind blown, steep glacier slopes. Turn radius wise the SC is a little longer than the SL or SX.

Good to know! Do you think I'd be overwhelmed by the SC in a 166 length given that I'm only slightly bigger than you (5'5" and 135 lbs)?

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I have the peregrine in a 167. I find it pretty snappy if I push it. Most of the time I am just making a basic parallel turn on them. The SC is I think the 165. It is snappier when pushed than the volkl. Possibly a bit more squirrely than the volkl when pushed.

 

[edelweissmaedl]

@MaryVA To me it seems a bit long for that type of ski, but always hard to judge someone else's preference. I ski Stockli Nela's in a 152 and the SC's in a 156.
Looks like they revamped the lengths this year and 152, 158 and 164 are the options for the SC. I would think 158 (or the old 156 would be a better target).
I have skied both the MX in a few length and never really liked it, as in the length didn't fix my underwhelm for the MX. For context I was then shocked to ski the (CX i think) in a 149 and love it, but think I could do the 156 just as happily.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

How do you find the AS vs. the MS

Can I ask your height and what length you ski in the AS and the MX? How does the AS compare to the MX in terms of stiffness, responsiveness and stability at speed and in longer turns? I've been finding that I overpower the MX when I try to ski it too aggressively (though the short length definitely contributes to this problem). Will the AS hold up better?

I’m 5’5ish and 145lbs. I’m also 66yo, so you should take that into consideration.

I ski short because I prefer maneuverability over stability since I no longer ski fast (30mph max in a runout). Both skis are in the 160ish length.

The AS is considerably more versatile than the MX which is a bit of a one trick pony. In fact, I bought the MX specifically to work on short radius slalom type turns which are its sweet spot. I wouldn’t bring it out for a “regular” day when I’m planning on skiing a mix of terrain. It definitely isn’t an all mountain ski by any stretch. That said, it isn’t overly stiff or demanding and it’ll do what is asked of it — but it is decidedly happier in the short turn world.

I’m finding the AS to be a solid, reliable partner. It is damp without being overly stiff. It likes a variety of turn shapes and is excellent on eastern ice. It is also heavy enough to plow through the slush we had at the start of the season. I’ve never had it in bumps because we haven’t had any, but I don’t think I’d hesitate to try it out since it is great with pivot slips and skidded turns.

Maybe not relevant, but my highest CARV scores have been on the AS. Also apropos of not much, my favorite long-time L3 instructor showed up for our first lesson this season on the same ski.

 

[marzNC]

Also apropos of not much, my favorite long-time L3 instructor showed up for our first lesson this season on the same ski.

If it's who I think it is, that instructor was using a Laser SC for several years when I was doing lessons with him fairly regularly a decade ago. That was why I demo'd Stöckli skis for the first time at a Whitetail demo day. Liked the SC but wasn't going to pay that much for an east cost narrow ski. But also demo'd the Stormrider 85 that day . . . and ended up with a pair after demo'ing as a rental at Taos later that season. Those skis are still going strong eight years later since I only ski them out west.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

If it's who I think it is, that instructor was using a Laser SC for several years when I was doing lessons with him fairly regularly a decade ago.

It is and it was.

 

[Jilly]

You might like my Forza 70's. They also come with a race plate as an option.

 

[mes2024]

Can I ask what length you ski them in? 13m radius is similar to the MX which, in my experience, is decidedly happier in shorter slalom-style turns and has a harder time holding onto longer turns at speed and on steeper slopes. But I think the Q14 may be stiffer than the MX, and it's also marketed as having a "multi-radius sidecut." Do you find it stable at higher speeds and longer-radius carves? Or is this more of a slalom specialist that might be redundant to the MX I already have?

I have only been on them twice so far and it is stable at high speeds and longer turns.

 

[MissySki]

If you can find it to try, I'd add the Kastle MX74 to the demo list. Make sure it's the newer model from the last couple of years as thy did an overhaul of the line a couple of years ago and they ski very differently (in a good way to me) from the predecessors.

 

[liquidfeet]

About Me: I'm 41 yo, 5'5", ~135 lbs, and and am an aggressive, advanced/expert skier who likes to carve and ski fast. I ski most weekends at my small home resort in Virginia or at other mountains in Virginia and West Virginia.

Current Carving Skis: My existing carving skis are the Stockli Laser MX (23/24 model, which has a 67mm waist) in the 152 length. In general, I love these skis. I bought them specifically for making quick, slalom-y turns to make the most of the short runs at my home hill, and they have delivered. All in all, they're responsive, nimble playful, and make short turns a lot of fun. But sometimes I want to make longer-radius turns at higher speeds or on steeper slopes, and the MXs feel super squirrelly when I try to do so. This is becoming even more of an issue this year as I've upgraded to a stiffer and more responsive boot. I know that the 152 length is a big part of the problem, but I wonder if I also need something a little burlier as well.

It sounds like you think longer-radius turns at high speed require a longer and burlier ski.
Longer, probably. A longer ski will offer more stability in front of and behind your CoM, at any speed.
Burlier? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know what the flex rating is for your current skis.
But you definitely need a ski with a longer turn radius. Your MXs only have a TR of 13m.

For the turns you want to make, my suggestion is to get a Stockli frontside carver (since you are already a Stockli owner and know their quality in holding a carve) with a TR around 18m and length around 161.

Generally....
--Slalom skis don't carve long radius turns well because they bend too much due to their shape. This means the tail just doesn't have an easy time staying in the groove made by the tip, no matter how "burly" they are, no matter how high an edge you get. An 18m turn radius should be a good step up for you and it will hold a longer radius carve than your current skis. If you bend it more using high edge angles that generate higher G-forces, it will also carve medium-ish radius turns. You will have more options than your current slaloms offer.
--The jump in ski length from 152 to 161 probably won't be too shocking to your system. That length will offer extra support for longer turns made at speed.

 

[mountainwest]

Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro - I used to own Black Pearls and loved them, and I had a lot of fun demoing some Sheevas out West a few years ago, but I've never skied on a Blizzard frontside ski. That said, I've seen these ones come up a few times in this forum, so curious what people think.

I own this ski in the 155 length (I am 5'3" and 115 lbs). If you are looking to make racer-style, hip to snow carved turns, this ski would be a great choice for longer-radius turns at speed. It's burly, heavy, stable, unforgiving and holds an edge really well. If you have more of an upright stance or don't want a ski that needs to be driven down the fall line then go for something else, because the R14 likes to be driven and can get squirrely on hardpack if it's not.

 

[MaryVA]

I own this ski in the 155 length (I am 5'3" and 115 lbs). If you are looking to make racer-style, hip to snow carved turns, this ski would be a great choice for longer-radius turns at speed. It's burly, heavy, stable, unforgiving and holds an edge really well. If you have more of an upright stance or don't want a ski that needs to be driven down the fall line then go for something else, because the R14 likes to be driven and can get squirrely on hardpack if it's not.

That's exactly the kind of skiing I like to do, so I'll keep the Phoenix R14 on my list!