2022 Elan Ripstick 106

The Elan Ripsitck 106 is unchanged for 2022, ushering in the same amount of fun and playfulness as the ski did last year. What a great shape and build for a wider-bodied all-mountain ski like this, as it blurs the edge between all-mountain versatility and freeride flotation and fun. One of the coolest things about the 106 is that it really likes to get up on the higher edge angles, allowing for deeper carves than most skis at this width. Thanks to the construction, shape, and profile, the Ripstick 106 makes for a great ski in soft snow that’s surprisingly agile and incredibly fun for true all-mountain skiing. Elan’s Amphibio technology is much to thank here, as the skis have a rockered outside edge and a more cambered inside, allowing for very smooth transitions between turns, especially on softer snow, but it actually works quite well on firmer stuff as well. Built with Elan’s Tubelite wood core, the use of carbon tubes that run the length of the ski on the sides makes for a fun, playful, and energetic feel that a lot of skiers are going to gravitate to. The spoony tip shape is tapered perfectly for initiating turns on a lot of different snow types, and the vapor tip inserts keep the shovels nice and light—great for floating as well as absorbing bumps and chop in less-than ideal snow conditions.

On the 180, Jeff Neagle noted that it was a good length for him, especially in this width. He scored the ski 5’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, and overall impression. All other scores, including those for flotation, versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge grip all got 4’s so this ski got some very consistent top marks from Jeff, and that’s certainly a nod to the strong build and fun-loving shape of the 106. Jeff notes that while “the Ripstick 106 isn’t really a ski I would buy for myself due to its directional nature, it’s a ski I thoroughly enjoy every time I get a chance to ski it. Checks a lot of boxes as a versatile freeride or wide all-mountain ski. Can hold an edge on firm snow when you need it to, but the highlight is its playfulness, maneuverability, and overall fun-factor in soft snow and un-groomed terrain. Think about how Glen Plake skis. He likes to be in the air a lot and likes to make a lot of quick movements. Glen helped design this ski, so it’s no surprise the ski’s performance and feel matches his skiing style. That’s how I think about the ski and that’s how I feel when I ski it. It’s also kind of a sleeper-AT ski. Elan doesn’t really put a lot of emphasis on that in their marketing, but maybe they should. Skin attachment point on the tail, the 180 cm length is just 1790 g per ski... and it’s super versatile for different snow conditions. That’s pretty much the perfect recipe for a hybrid AT/resort ski. Good candidate for a Shift or the new Duke PT, although I’ve seen a few with Kingpins and other more tech-focused bindings too.” That certainly adds to the versatility of the ski as well.

Also on the 180, Dana Allen is kind of caught in the middle, noting that while it “Does not ski long for a 180. I wouldn’t size up to the 188.” We have found that these Ripstick skis do measure about 1.5 cm short, so if you’re in between sizes, we usually recommend going up. Like Jeff, Dana had some very consistently high scores for the 106, but his were mostly 4’s for categories like flotation, forgiveness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, versatility, and overall impression. He did find the tails to be on the stiffer side, hence his low score of 3 out of 5 for playfulness. Dana states that “This would be a pretty comfortable daily driver for a lot of skiers especially if you size down slightly. It’s not overly stiff or wide, so it’ll handle soft or hard conditions, though it definitely skews toward soft snow. The slightly stiffer tail makes it a bit less playful than some skis, like the Atomic Backlands, but with a neutral stance it’ll still pop and play. Also, if you’re looking for a crossover ski (resort/backcountry) this isn’t a bad choice as it’s pretty light.” Nice to hear the agreement between the testers that this 106 makes a great dual-use ski for both in and out of bounds skiing.

Fun, floaty, and light, the Elan Ripstick 106 continues the growing trend for wider-bodied all-mountain skis being able to handle a wide variety of conditions and terrain. For advanced skiers looking for a ski that’s easy to use in soft snow while still retaining strong performance on groomed and firmer terrain, the Elan Ripstick 106 is a fantastic option in the wider shape.