Elan continues its success in the Ripstick line with the 86 W. Ladies who rip will love the lightweight feeling and playful nature of the skis. Featuring a wood core with carbon tubes, the skis are quick and snappy. They are energetic and have lots of pop, yet somehow they remain stable and solid underfoot. Our testers’ general consensus was that the quickness stood out above all else, and there is a strong overall impression of the skis. Elan uses similar construction techniques as the wider 94 W version, but without the Amphibio technology. As a result, they are not left/right specific.
Mar Kuhnel is an Elan superfan. She loved the Ripstick 94 W and has similar fuzzy feelings about the 86 W. She scored the 170 cm skis 5 out of 5 for stability, quickness, torsional stiffness, and overall impression. She had a lot to say about the Ripstick 86 W, and here it is: “Great all-mountain one-ski quiver for the skier who wants to do it all. This ski is all there. They’re turny, solid, nimble, and stable—all the things I like in a ski. Easy to ski. I felt very relaxed at all times. If I still worked at a ski shop, I’d recommend this ski to advancing intermediates up to experts. Very versatile, engages quickly, easily, and felt reliable and responsive.” Sounds like all good information to us!
Chloe Wexler skied the 159 cm Ripstick 86 W and found them to feel a bit short. As such her average mark for stability is unsurprising. She probably should be on a longer length. Given the lightweight nature of the skis, she did score them high for quickness and playfulness. She also gave them 4 out of 5 for overall impression and versatility. It sounds to us like the Ripstick 86 W really spoke to her: “This is the kind of ski I like to ski on. Soft and playful for bumps and jumps and can hold an edge and carve!” What a great combination to be able to be playful and strong in the turns. For Chloe, there’s a lot to like about the Ripstick 86 W.
Skiing the 170 cm Ripstick 86 W, Katie Perlmutter loved the quickness, maneuverability, and playful nature of the skis. She found them to be on the soft side, but she’s a pretty aggressive skier, so that’s not a huge shock. She called them “playful and forgiving. Super soft.” In regards to flotation, she noted that for the width, they were “probably pretty floaty.” At 86 mm underfoot, nobody’s going to mistake them for pure powder skis, but the rocker profile and tip shape can certainly go a long way in determining a ski’s final worth in the fresh snow.
Emily Crofton also skied the 170 and appreciated the quickness and maneuverability of the skis. The easy-going nature of the Ripstick 86 W stood out for her and she diagnosed the audience as “perfect for a beginner to intermediate skier looking for an all-around ski to rip the whole mountain.” As a result of the wood core construction, she commented that “for a ski with no metal, it was very light!” Fittingly, she believed the skis to perform better at slower speeds and in shorter turns.
Ariel Aidala thought the 159 cm length was actually pretty stable. She also gave good marks for quickness and playfulness. “This ski was very light but still skied like they had some metal in them with a decent edge hold even in sloppy conditions.” Ariel goes on to recommend the Ripstick 86 W “for someone looking for a ski that could get through some crud without being too powder specific.”
Elan covers a lot of bases with the Ripstick 86 W. Many skiers with diverse abilities will enjoy these skis in a variety of snow conditions and terrain differences. By utilizing a wood core with carbon tubes, Elan has maintained lightness and stiffness without bulking up the skis. The end result is a lightning-quick ski with a tremendous ability to satisfy a broad range of skiers.
Editor’s note: you may notice that the action shots we’ve included of this page are actually of the men’s Ripstick 86. Unfortunately we didn’t have the women’s version available at the test, but the two models are identical for 2019!
