2023 Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition

We’re pretty stoked to see the Elan Ripstick 106 Black return for 2023, allowing another season of skiers the opportunity to get on and enjoy these amazing skis. When we first got on them in the winter of 2021, we were pretty blown away with what Elan had done regarding the construction. They already had the regular Ripstick 106 to base the shape and profile off of, but adding the Black Edition construction to the mix takes the performance to the next level. We get four carbon rods in this ski, the two along the sides that are found in regular Ripstick, and two in the central chord of the ski, one in front of the binding and one behind. In addition, the Ripstick 106 Black has Carbon Line Technology, but this laminate is longer and wider than the one found in regular 106, putting more pressure and emphasis on both the inside edge and the central portion of the ski. Overall, this leads to a very damp and stable ski that mimics the use of metal better than anything else out there. The fact that it’s a 106 and carves really well is just icing on the cake. In the 180 cm length, the skis are just over 1900 grams per ski and produce the same 18.1-meter radius that the regular 106 does.

Hans von Briesen skied the 188 and found it to be right on the money. He gave it 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. Flotation, playfulness, and versatility all got 4’s while forgiveness got a 3. It sounds like Hans liked this one: “First one that when I got to the bottom I was hollering out in excitement. Really confidence inspiring and it invited me to go faster and stand on it harder. I'd call it the tuned Tesla where it's fast and planted but two-wheel drive.” A very nice analogy there from Hans for sure. Also on the 188, Marcus Shakun called the 188 “perfect” and scored it pretty much all 5’s across the board with the exception of a 4 for versatility. That’s a pretty high spread of scores for a wide ski to be sure. Marcus calls it “Such a butter smooth ski and lots of life. All-mountain, does it all. You can drive the ski or just let it do its thing. It’s playful, it’s forgiving, and stable. Elan put all the right ingredients into this one. Advanced to expert skier. Could be a less aggressive skier or a skier that appreciates good feedback from a ski. Even at 106 it’s more versatile than most in the category. Overall, such a blast.” It is a whole lot of fun indeed.

On the 180, Brad Moskowitz noted that it felt right for him, but skied slightly shorter but similar to other modern freeride skis. He scored it top marks of 5 out of 5 for overall impression, playfulness, and flotation, with 4’s for stability, quickness, maneuverability, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and versatility. Like Marcus and Hans, Brad has a pretty high spread of scores to bestow upon this Ripstick 106 Black. Brad notes that the 106 “Felt so much lighter on my foot than when I simply picked up the ski and carried it. This ski was eager to make quick edge to edge jump turns and maintained enough stability to ski at higher speeds in variable terrain. While piles of crud might deflect any ski this wide, the Ripstick was able to get back on course without difficulty. Moderately forgiving, I could easily adjust my stance from an aggressive forward stance to a more balanced centered one and the skis simply stayed put and ready for input. I’d love to take these into the trees, powder and proud steep lines in the side- and backcountry.”

With great feedback to bolster the ski’s reputation for being a very strong and fun-loving performer in the ~106 mm bracket, the Elan Ripstick 106 Black is certainly worth a strong look from advanced and expert skiers who know what they are looking for in a ski. While it is likely going to be used as a wider ski in the quiver for a lot of skiers, the fact that it’s such a strong groomer ski makes it totally accessible for skiers looking for a wider one-ski quiver.