[The test results for the Stormrider 107 are from 2016 & 2017; its only changes for 2017 are cosmetic.]

Average test scores don’t always align in lock-step with the on-snow behavior they’re intended to reflect, but if you look at the highs and lows of the Stöckli Stormrider 107’s scores, a clear – and accurate – image appears.

Looking at the lows, slow-speed turning has never been a Stöckli priority; you only have to ski a pair once and you’ll discover why. Short-radius turns are tough for any 107mm ski and the multi-level metal structure doesn’t make the Stormrider feel any quicker. It would be earlier to the edge if Stöckli hadn’t rockered the 107’s tip in a rare kowtow to conventional wisdom for the Swiss.

The subpar score for ease bears parsing. It’s the one score that sounds a dissonant note when compared to all the comments to the contrary. “Smooth as butter, super easy and I’ll be damned if you can’t still carve,” coos Kevin from Footloose, concluding, “Big performance from little input.” The words reveal a kindness – founded perhaps on its underlying iron-fisted power – which the scores suppress.

The highs are equally illuminating. “Stability and accuracy at speed” is synonymous with Stöckli, and its near-perfect score after two seasons of testing fits like a second skin. Great scores for carving accuracy and off-piste performance don’t normally overlap, but these attributes live side-by-side in the Stormrider 107. Like a great lover’s allure, the power and finesse of the Stormrider 107 are inextricable.