2023 Elan Ripstick 102 W

With slightly different graphics for 2023, the Elan Ripstick 102 W returns structurally unchanged, and that’s great news for skiers who loved the playful, light, and floaty feel of the ski from years past. Since Elan is able to build skis in an asymmetrical manner, it frees up the engineers to do some fun stuff with the construction and shape. Built with a tubelite wood core, the ski has a light and energetic start, and then uses two carbon rods that run alongside the edges of the skis. These rods are placed in the core under pressure, so there’s latent energy built in to the ski as they’re pre-loaded with snap and pop. Carbon Line technology places a partial carbon laminate on the top of the core, and this laminate is found over the inside edges of the ski to give it more grip and responsiveness. The smoothness of the turning and floating is boosted by the amphibio rocker profile, which puts more rocker on the outside edges and more camber on the inside. This gives skiers a great blend of grip and energy on the downhill ski while the uphill ski remains playful and floaty. The Ripstick 102 W is not hooky or grabby, rather it floats seamlessly down the hill in a variety of conditions and terrain. They’re light, too, tipping the scales at 1750 grams per ski in the 170, also producing a 17-meter turn radius in this size.

On that 170, Alli Ruschp noted that “it’s a good length for powder” but likely not as useful in tighter spots like we find ourselves in a lot here in Vermont. She scored high marks of 4 out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, playfulness, stability, and flotation. A 3 for versatility is likely due to the width and length. For Alli, “The Ripstick line is one of my favorites but the 102 does not fit for me personally. I got to ski it in the powder and it's not exactly what I needed for a powder ski or even a couple inches of snow. The tails are relatively stiff, which helps with torsional stiffness and allows you to hold an edge on ice but takes away from the playful feel that would be helpful in deeper snow. For a lady looking for a bigger mountain ski, that is only occasionally skiing powder this would be a great option, it's got amazing edge hold and power for not having metal in the construction.” The carbon rods certainly have a lot to do with the edge grip here.

Carly Monahan was also on the 170, and she likes slightly longer skis, so it’s not surprising to hear her favor this length. She gave it 5’s out of 5 for flotation and stability, with 4’s for torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. Versatility, forgiveness, and playfulness all got 3’s. Carly states that “This ski is all there! Definitely a powerful choice for a big mountain ski; plows through all sorts of crud without hesitation, all with a super damp, smooth ride. Clearly has a place and a skier type - I personally like a lighter, nimbler ski for skiing glades or powder here on the east coast - but this ski would definitely elicit some sh*t eating grins from someone who wants to charge hard and not let any conditions get the best of them!”

It’s great to get these ladies on a high-performance ski like this, and we’ve noticed that about the Ripstick line as well. As they get wider, they get a lot more high-octane and ready to rip. Even with the lighter weight, it still holds true to the terrain and snow conditions, allowing you to take aggressive lines with the utmost of confidence and poise.