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PTO Review
We skied them. Here's how they stack up.
KS-CX — skiers whose turn is short and whose snow is groomed, and who want the carve to arrive without driving the ski hard — ogasaka describes it as helping beginners and skiers with less leg strength build speed from low speeds, and backs that with the lightest build in the line. 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 | KS-CX | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 9🏆 | 8 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 6🏆 | 5 |
| Forgiveness | 7🏆 | 6 |
| Stability | 4 | 7🏆 |
| Powder | 1 | 2🏆 |
Skiers whose turn is short and whose snow is groomed, and who want the carve to arrive without driving the ski hard — OGASAKA describes it as helping beginners and skiers with less leg strength build speed from low speeds, and backs that with the lightest build in the line. It also suits the skier who wants KEO'S geometry at the bottom of the KEO'S price ladder, with a binding already mounted.
Anyone who wants a long or fast arc. The longest KS-CX, at 165 cm, still comes around in 12.5 m, and there is no aluminum in the layup to settle it: the one detailed tester on record, 70 kg on the 150, reported chatter and asked for more ski. A heavier or stronger skier pushing speed will find the ceiling early. At 66 mm this is not a powder or off-piste ski — OGASAKA's own words are that it shows its worth on groomed runs — and a skier who needs one pair for more than the piste should be looking at the 81 mm UNITY line instead, where the U-PC is $785 flat. If you want this exact shape with more body under it, that ski exists and it is the KS-CV. And if your boot sole is long, measure it against the SLR11GW's 255-338 mm window before ordering; the PRD11GW on the KS-CV and the PRD12GW on the KS-AP2 and KS-UP reach 378 mm.
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 KS-CX is best for skiers whose turn is short and whose snow is groomed, and who want the carve to arrive without driving the ski hard —. 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 OGASAKA KS-CX leads in Carving with a PTO score of 9/10. Its edge grip on hard snow and groomed runs is the strongest in this comparison.
The OGASAKA KS-CX 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.
