2022 Elan Wingman 86 CTI

For the best of on-trail performance with some versatility built in, look no further than the Elan Wingman 86 CTi. A fantastic carver with a wider body, the 86 CTi can lock into a turn like no other, and its agility puts it on par with the quickest race skis out there. All the while, they do not lose any versatility, only that the responsiveness of the tails is on the stiffer side of the equation. All in all, these skis have a very well-rounded nature for advanced and expert skiers who are looking to get the most out of their ski day. This is a blur-type of ski in that it blurs the line between front side and all-mountain, depending mostly on you and how you want to utilize the ski. Built with Elan’s Tubelite wood core, the skis have the carbon rods that are found in the Ripstick skis, allowing for responsive and stable performance at a lighter weight. A single layer of titanal does a lot of the heavy lifting in the ski, and the SST sidewall takes care of the rest. This additional material over the inside portion of the ski (since they’re right/left specific) allows for tremendous edge grip and carving control while leaving the outer portions of the ski largely unencumbered by that extra heft. This creates a seamless and smooth transition between the turns, giving the skier a bit more allowance to get both creative and aggressive on the way down the fall line.

One of our resident fall-line experts, Ryan Daniel, found the 178 to be on the short side, but that didn’t diminish his findings that this is a ripping ski. His top scores were 5’s out of 5 for versatility and forgiveness, with 4’s given for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, quickness, and maneuverability. With a strong racing background, Ryan will tend to see this more as a front side carver, and that’s good enough for us. He notes about the ski that it’s a “Great do it all ski for anyone. Had no problem pushing around the corn.” Our feeling is that he’d like to get it on some firmer snow to really feel the ski come around, but a lot of the time we’re stuck dealing with the conditions that we have, and in that case, Ryan still notes that it’s a great ski in the spring time snow.

Also on the shorter 178, Reuben Jalbert noted as well that it felt on the short side. His top marks were 4’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, edge grip, playfulness, and versatility. All other scores were 3’s and like Ryan, this shows a versatile and well-rounded nature to this more carving-oriented ski. Reuben calls the Wingman 86 CTi “A lightweight, forgiving, frontside ski. It felt a bit wobbly and unstable when I tried to push it. But, they had good energy and pop with somewhat smaller turns, and the tails came around no problem. This ski would be best for advanced intermediates all the way up to experts who want something for mainly for carving that doesn't require too much effort.” The lighter weight of the ski certainly has a lot to do with that.

For skiers who know what they’re doing, and spend most of their time on groomed terrain, the Elan Wingman 86 CTi is a fantastic choice. With a bit extra width for true all-mountain skiing, the Wingman loves to be pushed to the edge and beyond. Their asymmetry has a lot to do with the success and strength of the smooth feeling that these skis create, and we loved every minute we spent on these great skis that blur the line nicely between front side and all-mountain.