2022 Elan Wildcat 82 CX

Unchanged for 2022, the Elan Wildcat 82 CX is a quick turner with fun on the brain. At 82 mm underfoot, we’re getting to the narrow end of the all-mountain spectrum, with edge grip and torsional stiffness being brought to the forefront. Built with Elan’s Tubelite wood core consisting of two carbon rods that run the length of the ski along the inside of the sidewalls, the 82 CX has a surprising amount of energy, snap, and pop, for what is billed as more of an intermediate cruiser. While experts and more aggressive skiers may be able to find and surpass the top-end of these skis, most intermediate and advanced skiers will get all they need out of these skis, especially on firmer and more groomed surfaces. When it comes to shorter and quicker turns, these 82’s have all you will need. Great for bumps and tight trees when there’s no fresh snow, these agile carvers have a bit of a free spirit to them, but are mainly best-suited to groomed and smooth terrain, and that is not a bad thing. The asymmetric build and rockering of these skis give them a unique feel that simply cannot be replicated with symmetrically-constructed skis.

On the 164, Carly Monahan found that it skied true to size and was just right for her. She loved the torsional stiffness and edge hold of the ski, with those categories earning a coveted 5 out of 5 on the scorecard. She had some 4’s as well, given for stability, versatility, and overall impression. These are some nice and consistent high scores from Carly for a relatively narrow ski, and we’re all about it. She notes that the 82 CX is “Nice and damp. Wants to see turns through to the end and pop you into the next one. Would be a fun, lively ski for an energetic skier who wants their tails to be all-there while carving turns.” For that narrower all-mountain ski, this is a great quality to have, and we love how Carly picks right up on that.

Also on the 164, Nifer Hoehn notes that it was too short for her, but still skis true to size. Two scores of 4 out of 5 were given for torsional stiffness and versatility for Nifer, with the rest of her scores in the 3-range. These are some fairly high and consistent scores, so it’s pretty safe to say that she had a favorable impression on the 82 CX. “Love the graphics for the Elan Wildcat 82. They're stealth looking, and the blues and gradients look awesome. Elan is definitely one of the better-looking women's lines. I don't know if I would have given these skis the name "wildcat", since they're more like a dependable house cat. The Wildcat 82CX's hold an edge nicely, especially given their incredible lightness, and are stable throughout the turn. These babies are super light. Super. They're also easy to ski - you don't need to work too hard to get them to initiate, and they are steady throughout the turn. I think these would be good all mountain skis for someone that's not an aggressive skier and wants a ski to play in the bumps, cruise the groomers, and flirt with some powder.” Easy to ski and a lot of fun, while looking great? Sign us up!

Skiers looking to get into that narrower all-mountain ski, or wider front side ski will love the overall composure of the Elan Wildcat 82 CX. These skis have a unique build and shape thanks to the asymmetric Amphibio rocker profile, so they certainly stand out among other skis in the category. As a result, intermediate and advanced skiers have a very strong option on their hands with this ski, allowing for a well-rounded and fun-loving character of a ski to really shine through. Our testers were all big fans, and we bet you will be too.