Stöckli Montero AR
By PTO Team, Based on official Stöckli specs plus the cited group test and on-snow review · Spec analysis + cited independent ski tests on this ski
The take
“The GS end of the Montero line - a damp, quiet 84 mm carver that gets calmer with speed and asks for commitment in return.”
Stöckli's Montero AR is the long-radius end of the Montero all-mountain line: 84 mm underfoot, one 128-84-114 mm sidecut across all five lengths, and radii that climb from 14.2 m in the 165 to 18.4 m in the 185. Stöckli builds it around the stability of a giant slalom ski, designed for medium to large radii, and the construction reads that way: a poplar-and-beech All Mountain Core in a sandwich under an aluminum layer, S-shaped notches cut into that metal at shovel and tail. The notches are Tip and Tail Flex, leaving the ends softer in flex and torsion than the middle - the official mechanism that lets a firm ski enter the turn smoothly. Stöckli does not publish the sheet count or full layup.
A multi-tester group test led with the cost, then the payoff: the Montero AR is heavy and takes extra effort to engage - then it carves firmly, rides over soft, wet snow and bumps smoothly, damp and stable at speed, a feel the testers compared to driving a Lexus. A separate on-snow review went further: deadly silent, unwavering at speed, unbothered when the snow chops up. One sourcing note: 26/27 is a carryover - the article number is unchanged - so those tests ran on the identical construction.
The Montero AR's limits are the same character read backward. It demands speed, angulation and commitment; at slow speeds it does not do the work for you. Quickness, playfulness and float were among its lowest-scored axes in that group test - short-turn rhythm is not its language, and 84 mm with generous camber and modest rocker visits soft snow rather than living in it. Stöckli publishes no weight - the dealer workbook and stoeckli.ch both leave it out - so we do not quote one.
Within the Montero line the AR is the far end, not the middle. Group testers called it stiff and not as playful or snappy as the Montero AX (80 mm, 13.5-17.5 m radii), the line's versatile middle; the Montero AS (76 mm, 12.6-16.0 m) is the short-turn slalom end, its radius band barely overlapping the AR's. The Montero AR Pro shares this exact 128-84-114 shape but not the construction - Titec aluminum surface, Race Base, Flex Torsion Control - a premium trim, not the same ski. For soft snow, Stöckli's wider Stormrider line is the tool: the on-snow review was blunt that the AR is not a playful freeride carver by any stretch.
Sizing the Montero AR is simple because the sidecut does not change with length: the length you buy sets the radius. The 165 and 170 quicken the rhythm, the 175 is the middle ground, and the 180 and 185 stretch into the GS-style arcs the ski is drawn for. It sells flat, with a binding bought separately and mounted by a technician, or as a system with a Salomon Strive 13D blue demo on Stöckli's pre-drilled D20 plate - and the demo binding is GripWalk-compatible.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: Sold flat (binding purchased separately, mounted by a technician) or as a system with the Strive demo binding. Our pick: Salomon Strive 13D blue demo (the system option).
- Salomon Strive 13D blue demoThe system pick
The official system pairing on Stöckli's pre-drilled D20 plate, and the binding is GripWalk-compatible. It is the system variant of this product, not a separate purchase.
The pre-drilled D20 pattern also accepts Strive 11/13/14 MND demo bindings. Mounting and setup are done in-shop by a technician.
Common Questions
- Is the Stöckli Montero AR good for beginners?
- No. Stöckli's page lists no skier level for the AR, and the multi-tester group test rates it Advanced-Expert. Testers called it heavy-feeling and said it takes extra effort to engage - learning is easier on a ski that takes less effort to engage.
- What is the difference between the Stöckli Montero AR and the Montero AR Pro?
- The shape is the same 128-84-114 mm; the construction is not. The AR Pro adds a Titec aluminum surface, a Race Base and Flex Torsion Control as the line's premium trim. The AR uses Stöckli's Tip and Tail Flex - S-shaped notches cut into the aluminum at shovel and tail.
- What is the difference between the Stöckli Montero AR, AX and AS?
- Waist and turn shape. The AS is 76 mm with 12.6-16.0 m radii, the short-turn carver of the line; the AX is 80 mm with 13.5-17.5 m radii, the versatile middle; the AR is 84 mm with 14.2-18.4 m radii, built for medium-to-large arcs with what Stöckli calls giant-slalom stability.
- Is the Stöckli Montero AR a good powder ski?
- No. Float sat at the bottom of its group-test scores, and an on-snow review called it anything but a freeride carver. At 84 mm it crosses chopped and wet snow well, but deep days belong to Stöckli's wider Stormrider line.
- Does the Stöckli Montero AR come with bindings?
- Both options exist. It sells flat with no binding, or as a system with the Salomon Strive 13D blue demo on the pre-drilled D20 plate. The system binding is GripWalk-compatible.
- What lengths does the Stöckli Montero AR come in, and how do I choose?
- Five lengths: 165, 170, 175, 180 and 185 cm, all cut to the same 128-84-114 mm sidecut. Length sets the radius - 14.2, 15.2, 16.3, 17.3 and 18.4 m in order - so go shorter for a quicker rhythm and longer for stability in big arcs at speed.
- How much does the Stöckli Montero AR weigh?
- Stöckli does not publish a weight for the Montero AR - the dealer workbook and stoeckli.ch both leave it out - and we do not quote third-party scale numbers in its place.
