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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
Volant 7000 + MI 12 GW — advanced piste and frontside skiers who want a damp, planted, quiet carve on groomers and firm snow at moderate-to-brisk speeds, and longer-radius, gs-style cruisers who want a slightly wider steel ski that handles chopped-up, variable piste better than the narrow 9000. Laser SX — piste skiers who want one comfortable, wide-range carver and prefer all-day ease to race-build effort. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all skis on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | Volant 7000 + MI 12 GW | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 8🏆 | 8🏆 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 3 | 5🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 4 | 6🏆 |
| Stability | 8🏆 | 7 |
| Powder | 2🏆 | 2🏆 |
Advanced piste and frontside skiers who want a damp, planted, quiet carve on groomers and firm snow at moderate-to-brisk speeds, and longer-radius, GS-style cruisers who want a slightly wider steel ski that handles chopped-up, variable piste better than the narrow 9000. It also suits buyers who value hand-built stainless-steel craft and the brushed-steel look and will pay a luxury price for it.
Aggressive skiers who want snappy, ultra-reactive rebound and instant response: stainless steel trades snap for glide, and this ski has an upper speed boundary in character. All-mountain, off-piste and powder skiers should look elsewhere - full camber and a ~76 mm waist make it a piste-only tool that gives up float and gets shoved around in soft snow and crud. Budget buyers too: at $2,520 the system is luxury-tier for a mid-70s frontside carver, and the value is craft and damping, not performance-per-dollar against mainstream titanal carvers. Skiers after the lightest, quickest ski should pass as well - at 3,073 g per ski with the binding, it is heavy and slow to change edges. And true beginners: this is a heavy metal-laminate carver with an aggressive 87°/1.0° tune - the Volant 5000 is the line's entry model, not this one.
Piste skiers who want one comfortable, wide-range carver and prefer all-day ease to race-build effort. It suits medium-to-long-turn skiers at moderate-to-fast speed — the Laser SX runs the longest radius in the line — who value low-input, forgiving manners on groomed and variable hard snow over maximum edge bite. Stöckli's own brief calls it a genuine all-rounder among piste skis.
Powder and off-piste skiers: at 74 mm on a pure on-piste geometry the Laser SX has no float, and the wider range Stöckli talks about is range within the groomers, not off them. Short-turn and slalom-rhythm skiers: the radius bottoms out at 13.1 m, and quick edge-to-edge belongs to the Laser CX or the shorter Laser SL. Skiers chasing race-level grip and power: there is no Race Core, no carbon, and no racing sidewall here, and the 1.5° comfort base bevel is not the 1.0° race tune of the SC and WRT — that bite lives on those skis, not this one. Anyone who needs a published on-snow test before buying should wait: this generation is completely redesigned — every existing Laser SX review is of the older, narrower ski and does not apply. And Stöckli lists no skier level of its own; read this as an intermediate-to-advanced piste ski, inferred from its mechanics rather than measured on snow.
The Volant 7000 + MI 12 GW is best for advanced piste and frontside skiers who want a damp, planted, quiet carve on groomers and firm snow at. The Laser SX is best for piste skiers who want one comfortable, wide-range carver and prefer all-day ease to race-build effort. The right choice depends on your primary terrain, ability level, and riding style.
The Atomic Volant 7000 + MI 12 GW scores highest in Stability at 8/10, making it the strongest all-mountain option. It handles groomers, chop, and variable conditions without losing composure, so it's the best single-ski choice for skiers who want one pair for the whole mountain.
The Atomic Volant 7000 + MI 12 GW leads in Carving with a PTO score of 8/10. Its edge grip on hard snow and groomed runs is the strongest in this comparison.
The Stöckli Laser SX is the most forgiving option with a Forgiveness score of 6/10. It doesn't punish imperfect technique, making it the easiest ski to progress on among these.
Not sure? Ask us.
