2027 Elan Ripstick 88

It’ll be interesting to see where we go with the Ripstick 88 now that Elan also makes a Ripstick 88 Black Edition and a Wingman 86 Black Edition. This ski ends up being left alone for 2027 save for a graphic change, but we are hoping it doesn’t get lost in the weeds as a result of Elan’s other offerings as it’s got a lot going for it still. This ski is equally at home on a groomer as it is in the bumps and trees, making it a truly versatile all-mountain option for skiers in the intermediate range and above.

The construction is still the same, with a Tubelite wood core consisting of poplar and paulownia. Elan adds two carbon rods along the sides, milled into the core, and two strips of uni-directional carbon under the core running lengthwise along the ski. These are asymmetrical to increase the edge grip on the downhill ski and the driftiness on the uphill ski. These skis are quite light, sitting on the scale at a stated weight of 1600 g/ski in the 182 cm length. If you wanted to use this as a hybrid or a touring option, we wouldn’t talk you out of it. Tester Jeff Nathan says it “Felt like a happy medium between the carving width skis and the big frontside skis. Light weight but not floppy this is a great frontside Stowe ski. Frontside stable carver with enough width to perform well in the woods and bumps. I started out on a very firm upper Nosedive where the ski felt stable and secure. On the groomed section they felt most stable at moderate speeds. Wrapped up the run on some enjoyable firm moguls where the ski was nimble and fun.”

At 88 mm underfoot, this ski is squarely in the all-mountain realm. It can be quick from edge to edge and work great on-trail while also having enough rocker and taper to be used effectively in a more adventurous format. The 182 uses sidecut measurements of 127/88/106 to generate a 16.8-meter turn radius, although it’s quite happy both longer and shorter than that, but especially shorter. Matt Stromecki notes that it’s “Super light, quick, agile, and shocking amount of grip underfoot. Lots of energy and reactiveness here making for a dynamic feel. There isn't the top end performance of some others in this category but for the majority of skiers, it's enough for sure. It doesn't like very firm surfaces because they are so light. But for me being around 200 lbs., I tend to push it to the limit of its capabilities. Lighter skiers will have more success. A lot of skiers would benefit from a ski like this that isn't super demanding and encourages progression.”

There’s definitely a broad appeal here as many skiers simply don’t know what they’ll get into during a given day. It could be all groomers, or it could be sloppy powder and choppy snow. It could be a mix of everything. That’s where the Ripstick 88 comes in handy—it's truly an all-day ski that won’t wear you out and still delivers energetic and crisp performance from turn 1 to turn 1000.