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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.
FREERIDE 98 — advanced skiers who already own something narrow and want one wider ski for everything else at the resort: groomers in the morning, chopped-up snow by two o'clock, a run off the side of the piste when they find one. 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 | FREERIDE 98 | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 7 | 8🏆 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 3 | 5🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 3 | 6🏆 |
| Stability | 8🏆 | 7 |
| Powder | 4🏆 | 2 |
Advanced skiers who already own something narrow and want one wider ski for everything else at the resort: groomers in the morning, chopped-up snow by two o'clock, a run off the side of the piste when they find one. It suits skiers who ski fast enough to want two full sheets of metal working for them rather than against them, and skiers who want a flat ski and their own choice of binding. PTO stocks all four lengths, so you can come in and stand next to them.
Four skiers should look elsewhere. If deep snow is the point of the purchase, the FREERIDE 108 is what Van Deer built for that, at exactly the same price. If you are a beginner or a soft intermediate, 98 mm on two full Titanal sheets is a demanding platform - Van Deer states no ability level, so that read is ours, but it is not a close call. If you want a quick, tight turn on a groomer, 16 to 19 m at this width will not make it: go narrow, to the PRO or the H-POWER 68. And if you want something light and playful underfoot, a two-sheet metal build is not that. One more, and it matters at this price: nobody independent has published a test of how this ski skis, so if you want a ride report before you buy, there is none to read.
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 FREERIDE 98 is best for advanced skiers who already own something narrow and want one wider ski for everything else at the resort: groomers in. 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 Van Deer FREERIDE 98 scores highest in Stability at 8/10, 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.
