Like prescription medicines, Stöcklis should come with a warning label, something along the lines of, “Requires skill, effort and commitment.” In lieu of this development, their price tag will have to serve as sufficient deterrent to prevent posers from accidentally acquiring a ski that will run the unskilled ragged.
“A pure skier’s ski,” summarizes Winks from California Ski Company. “Do not let it take control for a second, as this thing was built for one purpose: raw power skiing. But if you can handle it, it does everything you need it to.”
The trick to mastering Stöcklis is submitting to the fact that they want to go fast and you must learn that resistance is futile. “You need speed to feel the power,” affirms Beau from Footloose. Once the Stormrider 88 is rolling under a full head of steam, it’s like driving a Mercedes S Class at 120mph: inside the cabin the ride is so tranquil the speed feels inconsequential.
“Silky smooth, like 1942 Don Julio tequila. Happy, happy; Joy, joy. I felt like a super hero,” penned another ecstatic pilot after experiencing the Stormrider 88. Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy. Isn’t that what everyone wants from a truly great ski? Isn’t that why we ski in the first place?