2022 Elan Ripstick 88

On the narrow side of the Ripstick spectrum, the 2022 Elan Ripstick 88 is light, fun, quick, and incredibly agile. The 88’s are some of the most versatile and usefully shaped skis for an all-mountain format, and for us here in northern Vermont, they are well-served as a one-ski quiver. You don’t need wider than this for most days of the year, and any narrower and you’re losing a bit of versatility. Either way, Elan makes a great ski, and the Ripstick 88 has a lot of components that make it incredibly useful. Built with a tubelite wood core, Elan uses carbon rods that run the length of the sides of the ski, and these energize the ski when it’s in a turn, giving a ton of feedback into the next turn. The tube/rod design is a very successful use of carbon, but they do not stop there. Carbon Line technology was new last year, boosting the stiffness and response of the inside edges of the ski, allowing for better grip on the groomers without adding weight. The Ripstick 88 also uses Elan’s Amphibio rocker profile, placing more rocker on the outside edges and more camber on the inside edges. This creates an incredibly smooth transition between turns, with seamless maneuverability and endless fun. If you’re looking for a ski that’s equally at home in the bumps and trees as it is on the steeps and groomers, the Elan Ripstick 88 should certainly be on the list.

On the 188, Ryan Daniel noted that it skied short. As the longest length, he’s got no other options, but we have noticed in our measuring of skis that the Ripstick models do run about 1.5 cm shorter than indicated, so it’s not surprising that he’d feel this way. Also, given the softer flex of the ski, they do trend to the shorter side of the spectrum. Ryan’s low score was a 3 out of 5 for stability, with 4’s given for flotation, torsional stiffness, edge grip, versatility, playfulness, and maneuverability. His top score was a 5 for overall impression, giving us the impression that Ryan’s a fan of this useful and fun-loving ski. “I really enjoyed this ski. Found the tip to be a bit supple but that allowed the ski to be very versatile and make lots of different turn shapes. Ryan liked.” The suppleness in the tip does mean that there’s a bit of a learning curve, and since it’s not meant to be driven like a race ski, like Ryan usually does with skis, you do have to ski it from the mid-foot back if you want the most performance in a carved turn. The more formidable tail makes up for the more flexible shovel.

Josh Wolfgang skied the 180 and noted it was a good length for him and felt true. Josh’s top scores of 5 out of 5 were given for quickness, maneuverability, and playfulness, just as we’d expect. A low score of 3 for flotation is also not a surprise. 4’s for the rest of the categories, including versatility, stability, and overall impression. Like Ryan, Josh also noted the flex of the tip, especially in more aggressive skiing. “Great fun ski. Has a bit of a speed limit as it starts chattering but for in and out of bumps and quick side to side turns at slow speed it’s an absolute blast.” It does respond better when on edge versus flat, and is a great choice for skiers looking for that fun-loving ski that can handle a wide variety of conditions, terrain, and speed. Just that top-end lacks a bit, but there aren’t a whole lot of skiers who spend all of their time in that realm, so I think it still works great for a huge swath of the skiing population.

Bumps, trees, groomers, whatever. The 2022 Elan Ripstick 88 is unparalleled in its ability to be various things at the same time. You can make a huge number of different turn shapes and styles, all while keeping control and having fun. They’re not terribly demanding, so legs won’t get as tired after a long day on the hill. Elan keeps coming at us with these great skis, and the Ripstick 88 is a prime example of that excellence.