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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.
E-TURN ET-9.8 — skiers whose season is genuinely mixed — sidecountry, trees and soft snow, then back onto the piste — who actively want a light ski at this width and would rather steer it than lean on its mass. 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 | E-TURN ET-9.8 | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 6 | 8🏆 |
| Park | 2🏆 | 1 |
| Playfulness | 7🏆 | 5 |
| Forgiveness | 7🏆 | 6 |
| Stability | 5 | 7🏆 |
| Powder | 5🏆 | 2 |
Skiers whose season is genuinely mixed — sidecountry, trees and soft snow, then back onto the piste — who actively want a light ski at this width and would rather steer it than lean on its mass. OGASAKA files it for sidecountry, touring and on-piste use, and scores it Powder 4, Piste 7.
Powder-first skiers. OGASAKA scores this ski Powder 4, and its own powder answers sit above it: the ET-10.8, which it calls a powder-based all-round ski (Powder 7, Piste 3), and the ET-11.5, the model it labels for deep powder (Powder 9, Piste 1). Skiers who essentially never leave the groomed run: the ET-8.5 is the same construction for the same $1,085, narrower, lighter and tighter in the arc, and OGASAKA scores it Piste 8 — paying the same money for width you never use is a poor trade. Short-radius carving specialists: this ski's shortest length still turns at 14.4 m, while OGASAKA draws the KS-CX at 9.5-12.5 m and the TC-S at 11.1-13.5 m. Skiers who want an aluminum sheet in the layup for damping on hard, fast, cut-up snow: there is none in this ski. OGASAKA chooses A7178 model by model, not line by line: the U-PE and the U-XX carry it, and so do the KS-UP, the KS-XX and the TC-S — while their own linemates the KS-CX and the TC-JS have no metal either. And anyone shopping on the strength of an older ET-9.8 review, because the ski was re-cut and re-cored and that review is of a different 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 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 E-TURN ET-9.8 is best for skiers whose season is genuinely mixed — sidecountry, trees and soft snow, then back onto the piste — who actively want. 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 OGASAKA E-TURN ET-9.8 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.
