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PTO Review
We know them. Here's how they stack up.
SL WORLD CUP — racers and gate-day skiers who need a release value the sl cannot reach - no other van deer slalom ski takes a comp 20 (din 11-20) or a comp 30 (din 15-30). 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 | SL WORLD CUP | Laser SX |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 10🏆 | 8 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 1 | 5🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 1 | 6🏆 |
| Stability | 8🏆 | 7 |
| Powder | 1 | 2🏆 |
Racers and gate-day skiers who need a release value the SL cannot reach - no other Van Deer slalom ski takes a COMP 20 (DIN 11-20) or a COMP 30 (DIN 15-30). It also suits the expert hard-snow skier who wants a race system that arrives finished: plate mounted in the price, Marcel Hirscher's own factory tune already ground into it, and a binding list wide enough that the setup can be built around the skier rather than the other way round.
Anyone who is not running gates. If your release value sits below 13, the SL prints the identical sidecut and radius at both lengths, costs $100 less, takes a binding that costs $200 less, and gets the Corund surface and thicker steel edges this ski's page does not list - you would be paying the premium for an interface you do not need. Beginners and intermediates: a 12.5 m slalom race build works you, and unlike the SL's page, Van Deer does not reach for a line about everybody here. Anyone whose day leaves the groomer: 67.5 mm on a race construction has nothing to float on, and that is the H-POWER 89 or the FREERIDE skis, not this. And anyone who wants a long, fast arc - this ski ends at 165 cm and 12.5 m, while the PRO reaches 22 m, the GS PRO 28 m and the GS WORLD CUP 30 m.
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 — 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 SL WORLD CUP is best for racers and gate-day skiers who need a release value the sl cannot reach - no other van deer slalom ski takes a comp 20. 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 SL WORLD CUP 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 Van Deer SL WORLD CUP leads in Carving with a PTO score of 10/10. 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.
