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PTO Review
We skied them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (Freeride, Carving). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
Atris — advanced and expert freeriders at snow-rich mountains who want one everyday ski for powder, trees, steeps and chop — and who value pivot, pop and float over a locked-down ride. 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 | Atris | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 5 | 8🏆 |
| Park | 3🏆 | 1 |
| Playfulness | 8🏆 | 5 |
| Forgiveness | 7🏆 | 6 |
| Stability | 7🏆 | 7🏆 |
| Powder | 8🏆 | 2 |
Advanced and expert freeriders at snow-rich mountains who want one everyday ski for powder, trees, steeps and chop — and who value pivot, pop and float over a locked-down ride. A strong, progressing intermediate can grow into it: reviewers describe it as accessible and predictable for the width.
Groomer-first skiers — at 105mm with a 19-20m radius, carving is serviceable at best, and a Völkl Mantra 102 or Nordica Enforcer 104 grips and carves visibly better. Skiers who want to plow heavy, cut-up snow at full speed: without metal the Atris gets knocked around where those skis hold their line. Touring-first skiers counting grams — this is resort weight, and Black Crows' own Navis Freebird is the touring tool at nearly the same width. And anyone who needs a length below 172.1cm: that skier belongs on the Atris Birdie, which carries the platform into shorter lengths.
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 and no independent review of it exists yet — 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 Atris is best for advanced and expert freeriders at snow-rich mountains who want one everyday ski for powder, trees, steeps and chop —. 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 Black Crows Atris scores highest in Stability at 7/10, 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 Stöckli Laser SX 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 Black Crows Atris is the most forgiving option with a Forgiveness score of 7/10. It doesn't punish imperfect technique, making it the easiest ski to progress on among these.
Not sure? Ask us.