Review: 2027 Stöckli Nela 93 Skis

2027 Stöckli Nela 93 Specs

• Lengths skied: 170cm
• Lengths available: 156cm, 163cm, 170cm 
• Sidecut: 130mm-93mm-117mm (163cm)
• Radius: 14.2m (163cm)
• Weight: 1570g (163cm)

Shape, Flex, and Construction

The Nela 93 was made to offer female skiers something that performed on groomers and hardpack as well as off-piste, that was lightweight and came in a range of sizes suited to women/smaller skiers. The ski’s 93mm waist width puts it on the narrower end of the all-mountain category (the waist width changes slightly based on size). However, the Nela 93 differs from the old version in that both the tip and tail got wider, making the sidecut of the ski a bit snappier. The tip of the Nela 93 has camber that runs nearly the full length of the ski and Stöckli uses what they call the Freeride Tip Technology, which consists of using a light, stiff material in the tip of the ski to reduce chatter, float better in deep snow and reduce the ski’s swing weight. The tails remain nearly completely flat with just a touch of turn up at the very end.

The Nela 93 has a size-specific turn radius that lands in a nice middle ground of “can make big turns but is still responsive in tight terrain.” Notably, the ski only comes in three lengths, all of which are on the shorter side and limit the demographic of the ski a fair bit.

In an effort to keep the Nela 93 lightweight, the ski is constructed with Stöckli’s Light Core and Super Light Core, using a mix of beech, poplar, and paulownia for a mix of soft and more durable woods. The wood core is then sandwiched between two sheets of Titanal to strengthen the ski. Stöckli also opts not to use a traditional polyamide topsheet, and instead does away with a topsheet completely, instead opting to powdercoat the top layer of metal to save more weight. 

As a whole, the individual layers used to construct the Nela 93 are a bit thinner and use lighter materials, such as a robust polywall, and lighter version of their solid metal edge that isn’t inserted as far into the ski in order to save weight. The combination of thinner individual layers and lighter materials creates Stöckli’s Softflex, which makes the ski flex, you guessed it, softer. However, the flat shape of the tail means that while the Nela 93 might be softer, relatively speaking, it’s still a Stöckli and is going to maintain a fair bit of stiffness through the length of the ski. 

On-Snow Performance

Between the shorter length, shorter turn radius, and emphasis on lightweight yet damp construction, it’s not surprising that the Stöckli Nela 93 is a pretty cushy, all mountain ski. When cruising around on groomers, even icy ones, the Nela 93 remains stable and easygoing.

While the combination of metal with an otherwise light construction means that the Nela 93 performs beautifully without testers feeling like they really had to drive the ski super hard or like it lacked composure at lower speeds, it is still a metal ski, made by ski racers, so it doesn’t quite have the same “hangover ski” quality as some others. Rather, skiers with good technique will find this ski’s sweet spot fairly quickly, and feel its intuitive nature once they’re locked into a turn. 

With that in mind, it’s not shocking that the easygoing nature of the Nela 93 definitely doesn’t negate it from allowing you to rip big, sweeping, turns on steep groomers. Just as it allows skiers to relax and cruise on mellow terrain, it doesn’t back down from being taken up to speed.

The flat tails and surprising propensity for big turns doesn’t make the Nela 93 our tester’s first pick to bop around moguls or tighter terrain on. A skier with good technique in these types of terrain wouldn’t have too much of an issue, but it’s not necessarily the ski’s strong suit. Perhaps the only other negative thing to say about this ski is simply that it doesn’t have more going on, but for a lot of skiers, that isn’t a bad thing. 

Comparisons 

In contrast to another mid-90s women’s specific ski, the Nordica Santa Ana 97, the Stöckli Nela 93’s easygoing nature might entice some skiers that the Santa Ana 97 could feel too aggressive for. Despite a fairly similar sidecut and radius, the Santa Ana 97 is a bit heavier than the Nela 93 and uses an added layer of elastomer to dampen the ski, along with Titanal. The result is that while both skis will rip a turn on a good groomer with probably a pretty similar feel, the Santa Ana 97 might take more energy to get it to come alive than the Nela 93, but also might have more return. The Santa Ana 97 is also available in a wider range of sizes than the Nela 93, which could cater to a wider variety of skiers.

Also in the same realm, the Dynastar M-Free 94 Open trends towards a bit more of a freeride shape than the Nela 93, with its tip and tail rocker and has a slightly shorter turn radius, although it has a similar sidecut. However, this combo gives the M-Free 94 a similarly intuitive feeling to the Nela 93. Like the Santa Ana 97, skiers will find more size options in the Dynastar M-Free 94, however, the ski itself may feel a bit less alive than the Nela 93, due to the dense wood core construction. 

What type of skier is the Stöckli Nela 93 best for?

Sometimes ski brands like to try on new personalities with new skis, but Stöckli isn’t doing that with the Nela 93. This ski is built by European ski racers, for ex-racers or lifelong skiers who want something nice and light to cruise around a wide open piste on like those found at Sun Valley or shocker, in much of Europe. Bonus points if your ski kit is one-piece, designer, or form-fitting.