2022 Elan Wingman 82 CTi

The 2022 Elan Wingman 82 CTi returns unchanged for this year, offering that narrower shape in the Wingman division while retaining the top-level build. Thanks to Elan’s ability to build asymmetric skis, with right-left specific sides, they can vary up the levels and amounts of material in a very non-traditional format. Built with Elan’s Tubelite wood core, they start with a lighter core and add carbon rods to the sides that run along the sidewalls of the skis. These rods function in a 360-degree format, offering a ton of performance and precision in a variety of situations. Since they’re under tension when inlayed into the core, they have built-in energy available for your disposal. Elan then adds a single layer of titanal to the mix as well as additional material that creates their amphibio true line technology. This places more material over the inside and downhill edges of the skis while leaving the uphill and outside portions of the skis largely unencumbered by this additional material. As a result, the skis end up having a ridiculously smooth transition between turns, making this one of the easiest skis to get from edge to edge, while maintaining an incredibly high level of performance. With a bit shorter of a radius versus the wider 86 mm version of this ski, the 82 CTi is best suited for groomed trails and in a carved turn, but that doesn’t mean it can’t do other things well, one of the bright spots of this narrower ski is its versatility.

Sam Freund was on the 178 and noted that it felt just right. He had some high scores for the ski, with 5’s out of 5 for playfulness and forgiveness, showing that even though this ski is on the stiffer end, it’s shorter arc and lighter weight make it a whole lot of fun. 4’s dominated the rest of his scorecard in categories such as versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression. These are some consistently high scores for an 82 mm underfoot ski, and we love to see it. Sam notes about the 82 CTi that it’s “A little slower than expected edge to edge, but stable and fast when opened up. Amazing new England resort ski for sure. I would own this is front side groomer ski.” We do peg these as being great skis for our region in Vermont, and we also recommend them highly for places in the mid-west that don’t see a lot of, or consistent, snowfall.

Also on the 178, Brian Cooke did note that it was on the short side for him and he’d likely size up to the 184. As a result, Brian’s top mark of 5 out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability is not shocking in the least. What is nice to see are scores of 4 for versatility, playfulness, and overall impression, giving the 82 CTi a good span of high scores to go along with its high-end personality. There’s a whole lot to like about these skis and Brian clues in on a lot of them. “I skied this after some stiffer carving skis and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't need to stay on top of this ski as much. The softer tips and light-ish weight makes this ski a little more approachable for a frontside carver. It held an edge well on the hardest snow I could find. The snow was getting a little soft on a warm spring day when I took this ski out and it wasn't exceling at pushing through the soft piles. It would be a great ski option for a frontside skier who doesn't want to push the speed limit all the time.” Mostly front side, it sounds like from our testers, and I couldn’t agree more, mostly due to the narrower waist and shorter turn radius—these things are built and shaped to be on edge and in a carved turn.

Quick, nimble, agile, and grippy, the Elan Wingman 82 CTi has an upper-level build and performance to match. These carvers love to leave deep trenches in their wake on any firmness of snow. With more versatility than one might expect, the 82 CTi is a great bump ski and not a bad tree ski, just so long as there’s not a ton of fresh snow. At any rate, they excel in a variety of conditions and terrain, and have the added bonus of being able to make a wide range of turn shapes and styles, optimizing the amount of fun that you’ll have on the hill, and that’s just the way Elan wants it.