Elan’s Wingman 82 CTi is a great example of a narrower all-mountain/wider front side ski that has a ton of grip and stability, but also has some width and off-trail capabilities for balance and versatility. Built with Elan’s tubelite wood core, the skis get the two carbon rods that run alongside the edges, making for an energetic and snappy ski. We get one sheet of metal, and Elan’s TruLine technology, which places additional material over the inside edges of the ski. Since they are asymmetrically constructed, the engineers at Elan are able to fine-tune and alter different materials in different parts of the ski, making the inside edges of the downhill skis more engaging while leaving the uphill edges more rockered and flexible. This method leads to a smooth and intuitive feel to the ski, and we’re all about it here at SkiEssentials.com. In the 178, we get a pretty turny 15.5-meter turn radius, so while it falls more to the slalom-style of carving, it’s still capable of opening it up and making longer and faster turns. Due to the stiffness, it’s a great choice for advanced and expert skiers, but the maneuverability of the ski opens it up to higher intermediates who are looking to progress and advance.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber
CORE MATERIALS
Amphibio TruLine Technology, Carbon Rods
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers, All Mountain
Quenten Jones was on the 178, noting that it felt a little short for him. As a result, he noted that the Wingman 82 CTi and it’s 15.5-meter arc was “Very quick turning. Prefers to be on edge making short turns vs big sweeping turns.” He gave top marks of 4 out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, playfulness, quickness, and maneuverability. Versatility and stability got 3’s while flotation, unsurprisingly, got a lowly 2. Fellow carving enthusiast Michael Rooney found the 178 to be true to size, and he scored the ski all 5’s out of 5, right across the board, showing his impression that this 82 CTi was a very well-rounded ski indeed. He states that “The rocker on the Wingman 82 CTi makes this ski a great advanced ski. When you really put it on edge with good forward pressure, it turns more like a GS ski. When you are being lazy, it skis like a great higher intermediate ski. The only downside of the ski is you have to remember your right from your left.” Likely a small price to pay for a ski that gets all 5’s on the card.
Matt McGinnis liked his 178, scoring it 5’s out of 5 for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, playfulness, and stability. Versatility, quickness, and maneuverability each got 4’s, while we see another lonesome 2 for flotation. In Matt’s words: “Welp, these skis are fun. They’re super playful and up for pretty much anything. At the start of my run where speeds were slower, I found it incredibly easy to rock back and forth, edge to edge. I have to think the amphibio rocker had something to do with this. Having a good time at mellow speeds, I was curious to see how they’d perform at top speeds. As it turns out, *that* is where they really shine. Despite being easy to ski at slower speeds, these skis love to go fast and are incredibly capable of long carves with a high edge angle. This combination of experiences gives me confidence in recommending these skis to a wide range of abilities, and particularly skiers who are ready to bring their abilities to the next level. On mellow days, these skis are fun, but when conditions are excellent, they’ll easily inspire confidence in whoever is riding them.”
The range and capabilities of these skis stand out for sure. There’s a lot to like about a ski in the low 80’s that has this type of character and personality. If you spend most of your time on groomed terrain and are looking to progress your skills and let your skis run, this is a great choice. Conversely, if you’re looking for something quick and agile and willing to make short, carved turns, the 82 CTi will do that as well. It’s a great blend of attributes in a front side/all-mountain ski.
