2025 Elan Playmaker 91

Returning unchanged for this year, the 2025 Elan Playmaker is an amazing ski that blends the freestyle with the freeride. We’ve said this a lot recently, mainly because ski companies are getting better and better at boosting the performance of what was formerly considered to be a park-specific shape. The addition of modern profile and construction to a previously successful twin tip style of ski goes a long way in creating a new and different type of product. The Playmaker 91 keys in on many of the current trends in freestyle ski shaping while holding on true to the attributes that have made the Ripstick series of skis so incredibly successful. When we first heard that Elan was coming out with a twin tip last season, we were more than excited. While the original hope was that it’d simply be a Ripstick 96 Black with a twin tip and a more symmetrical build, we got something entirely different. They still use a lot of the same types of methods of construction and shape, but also added many creative and useful aspects that help out in the twin tip world. We’re stoked to see the continuation of these amazing twins.

For 2025, Elan simply hits repeat on the build process. The construction of the Playmaker 91 certainly takes some queues from the Ripstick series of skis, but also adds its own spin to the mix. The tubelite wood core built with poplar and paulownia remains the same, blending a light weight and snappy energy with a smoother and damper feel. While the Ripstick skis have an asymmetrical shape and build, the Playmaker does not. This allows them to make a directional twin tip that can be used in many conditions and terrain. Rather than using full-length carbon tubes in the wood core, Playmaker uses partial rods that run along the sides in the mid body of the ski. It’s less carbon overall, but it still helps with torsional stiffness and edge grip underfoot while allowing the front and back of the ski to be more flexible and playful. This ends up creating dual-float technology that gives the ski a more consistent flex in the zones that require them for playful skiing. In the 180 cm length, this ski is pretty darn light at 1630 grams per ski. We also get 360-degree sidewalls in this ski that provide excellent grip and energy as well as predictability. It literally turns on a dime. Tester Phil McGrory backs that up, noting that the Playmaker 91 is “very light and nimble. Felt exactly as I thought it would.”

Twin tips are incredibly fun and useful, and this 91 is a prime example of that. Dual float technology isn’t just limited to the build, it also factors into the profile and shape. By taking the upper portion of the ski and angling it in a trapezoidal shape, they’re able to increase the quickness without taking away from grip—tough to put this tech in one category or another. Elan is calling their new profile Surf Rocker, which is a good way of saying that the ski is floaty and smeary at both ends. While the ski itself feels like more of a directional twin, it’s also got a lot of similar qualities in both tips and tails, and this includes the rocker profile. The rocker is there, but it’s not overly dramatic. The taper falls to the spoony side while the twin tip splay is noticeable enough to allow for creative skiing both forwards and backwards. The 180 produces an 18.1-meter turn radius, and this is a bit on the long side, but given the flex and taper shape, it’s also capable of making shorter and quicker turns. We’ve found that the build of the ski puts more creativity to the skier, allowing them to dictate the shape, style, and duration. This is a good thing for creative skiers.

There’s a wide realm of skier here for the Playmaker 91. Since the ski is available in a bunch of different sizes, ranging from 156 to 188, this ski is open to a big range of skiers and skier types. It’s light and quick enough to be approachable for intermediate skiers, but it’s also got a high range as well as a park application, so those that find themselves hitting big jumps and rails will also find a lot to like about this amazingly fun ski.