Loading...
Loading...
PTO Review
We skied them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (All-Mountain, Carving). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
Mentis Freebird — uphill-first ski tourers and ski-mo fitness skiers: multi-day traverses and big-vertical spring missions where low weight compounds day after day, and spring steep-skiing on firm snow where the long effective edge earns its keep. 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 | Mentis Freebird | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 5 | 8🏆 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 3 | 5🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 3 | 6🏆 |
| Stability | 3 | 7🏆 |
| Powder | 2🏆 | 2🏆 |
Uphill-first ski tourers and ski-mo fitness skiers: multi-day traverses and big-vertical spring missions where low weight compounds day after day, and spring steep-skiing on firm snow where the long effective edge earns its keep. It rewards experienced touring skiers with smooth technique who can pilot an ultra-light ski through mixed snow.
The vast majority of resort and lift-served skiers - this is a sub-1,000g touring specialist with no damping reserve for resort speeds or cut-up afternoon snow, and Black Crows builds its piste and all-mountain skis for those days. Powder skiers - 80mm of waist and minimal tip rocker add up to weak float; one independent review calls the surface area deficient for real float. One-ski-quiver buyers - it gives up too much downhill breadth and soft-snow range to be anyone's single ski. Skiers who want damp, high-speed charging - the ultra-low mass transmits vibration and chatters when snow is refrozen or cut up. Breakable-crust days as a habitat - it will get you down, but slowly and roughly. And World-Cup-level skimo racers chasing an absolute minimum: dedicated race skis are lighter still.
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 Mentis Freebird is best for uphill-first ski tourers and ski-mo fitness skiers: multi-day traverses and big-vertical spring missions where low. 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 Stöckli Laser SX 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 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.
; no CDN URL exists yet for handle stockli-laser-sx-2027)