2022 Elan Wildcat 86 C Black Edition

Another winning formula from Elan with their Black Edition skis, this time in lady-form with the Wildcat 86 C. At 86 mm underfoot, these skis blur the line between the front side and all-mountain categories, and they do it with style and grace. On the feet of a skilled pilot, these skis can carve some of the cleanest and roundest turns to be had, but even if you’re on the other end of the spectrum, they’re easy and fun and light and energetic—all qualities that are important for all-mountain skiing. Whether you spend all of your time on the groomers, or none at all, this is a great shape and build for ladies who are looking to shred. Built with Elan’s laminated wood core and carbon reinforcement, the asymmetric construction of these skis gives Elan the ability to enhance the stiffness and stability of the downhill edge of the downhill ski while keeping the uphill edge of the uphill ski largely unencumbered by unnecessary material. The end result is an incredibly smooth personality with seamless transitions. Edge to edge, these are some of the quickest and smoothest 86’s out there on the hill today.

Alli Ruschp got to ski both the 158 and the 164, and at different times of the year, so she got a pretty fair shake at both skis on varied conditions and terrain. It’s worth including both review sheets included, as her experience was quite different. The first time, in January conditions, she skied the 165 and noted it skied true to size. She gave the skis 4’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. The rest of her scores were 3’s, and this is pretty good for a ski like this for sure. She notes that “The black top sheet is fitting, it's a stealthy front side carving ski meant for an athletic lady that likes to carve. With hint of Swarovski crystals on the top sheet, this unassuming lady's ski packs a powerful punch. Mostly for groomers, it makes precise turns with style and grace. Confident edge grip that will stay confident on ice.” We did have some firm, frozen, and chalky conditions that day, so it was great for what the ski was intended for. Fast-forward to sunny and warm late March, and Alli was on the 158. This time, we see 5’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, and maneuverability, with mostly 4’s on the rest of the card. Softer snow didn’t really change her overall opinion of the ski, as she definitely holds it in high regard. “Another classy front side carving ski for an advanced lady looking to stick to on-trail skiing. Quick edge to edge control, stable at speeds, and tip shape helps get through crud when necessary. Swarovski crystals add a little sparkle to the black top sheet, very subtle flair.” We still see the quickness and precision shine through, and that’s all good stuff when it comes to these skis.

Danielle Nichols only got to ski the 158, and while she notes that it was true to size, she’d likely prefer the longer length. Her top score, much like Alli’s experience on the 158, was a 5 out of 5 for stability. Lots of 4’s to go along with it, given for quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, playfulness, versatility, and overall impression. I don’t think Danielle really expected this type of performance out of these skis, as evidenced by her feedback. “Pleasantly surprised. Super stable. Pretty beefy but on the friendly side. So would be great for an intermediate to advanced groomer skier.” Since we’ve had some top-shelf skiers on this ski, I wouldn’t shy away from it as an expert or more advanced skier for sure.

Lots to like here about the Elan Wildcat 86 C Black Edition skis. From the sturdy build to the Swarovski-embossed topsheet, these skis are classy and poised and ready for action. One of the other cool things we saw on this ski was our long-time Elan sales representative absolutely shredding on these things back in January. He didn’t have a personal pair of skis at our media day, so he took these out, and it was about as impressive as it gets in terms of slalom-styled turns on the hard pack. Very high ability limit to these skis, but also an impressive range.