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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.
Montero AR — advanced-to-expert skiers who put speed into medium-to-large arcs on groomed and firm snow, and want a damp, quiet ski that keeps carving when the surface chops up. 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 | Montero AR | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 9🏆 | 8 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 4 | 5🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 3 | 6🏆 |
| Stability | 9🏆 | 7 |
| Powder | 3🏆 | 2 |
Advanced-to-expert skiers who put speed into medium-to-large arcs on groomed and firm snow, and want a damp, quiet ski that keeps carving when the surface chops up. It rewards an aggressive, committed style - angulation and pressure, run after run - and suits skiers whose season is mostly frontside, crossing cut-up or wet snow between runs.
Skiers who want playful, snappy, quick edge-to-edge turns: group testers called the AR stiff and not as playful or snappy as the AX - the Montero AS and AX own that end of the line. Off-trail-first skiers: 84 mm with generous camber and modest rocker floats poorly, float sat at the bottom of its group-test scores, and the on-snow review said flatly it is not a playful freeride carver - deep days belong to the wider Stormrider line. Lighter or less aggressive skiers wanting an easy ski at slow speeds: testers called it heavy-feeling and said it takes extra effort to engage, and it demands speed, angulation and commitment it will not supply for you. And beginners: Stöckli's page lists no skier level for the AR, the group test rates it Advanced-Expert, and nothing about a ski built on giant-slalom stability is a learning platform.
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 Montero AR is best for advanced-to-expert skiers who put speed into medium-to-large arcs on groomed and firm snow, and want a damp, quiet ski. 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 Montero AR scores highest in Stability at 9/10, 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 Montero AR 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 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.
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