2026 Elan Playmaker 111

With a carryforward build and shape for this year and a fresh new graphic, the 2026 Elan Playmaker 111 has continued the reins as Elan’s widest ski, and that’s great news for fun-loving fans of pure freeride skiing. Creative skiers who spend a lot of time in the woods and the deeper backcountry will find a ton of success and happiness here. By building off the character of the narrower Playmaker models, the 111 brings with it an added width and greater reach. While the overall style of the 111 is very similar to that of the narrower models, just the overall footprint is increased. This gives Playmaker fans the option of reaching for the wider ski when the snow gets deep or a narrower one if it’s lower tide. If you loved the mobility and playfulness of the 91 or 101, the 111 will carry that torch into the deeper days of winter and provide surfy and smooth powder performance all day long.

Keeping things light and fun are what Elan is all about. The construction of these skis is the same as the narrower Playmakers, making it a light and agile ski for fresh and deep snow. Starting with their tubelite wood core, the Playmaker 111 uses a blend of poplar and paulownia to power the ski. On the sides, running about half the length of the ski, Elan uses their carbon rod technology to give the ski more energy and zest. The skis also get Elan’s 360-degree sidewall to provide power to the edges, even though that’s not a huge priority for this wide-bodied twin. Amazingly, in the 180 cm length, this ski hits the scale at 1790 grams, which is pretty darn light for a powder ski. Josh Phelps noted that the “Skis felt great on our pow day and floated in pow effortlessly, very surfy..! They will hold an edge and like big high-speed turns too! Catching air was fun very light as well.” Josh notes that the surfiness of the ski was a highlight, and we always like to point out that a big part of the profile is what Elan refers to as “Surf Rocker,” so it totally makes sense. It’s no secret that a lot of their inspiration was drawn from surf technology.

Elan does a great job at marrying the build and the footprint to create a specific character. That filters into the profile and shape discussion, where these twins hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to freestyle creativity. While most other Elan skis feature an Amphibio rocker profile that’s asymmetric in nature, the Playmakers do not—this is more of a straight shooter, but the flex allows for easy contortion of the tips and tails to mimic the same response. Speaking of straight, the 111 gets a slightly longer turn shape as well, with the 180 registering a 19-meter arc and the 188 hitting 23.5-meters per turn. This is longer than Ripstick and fits in with the drifty nature of the ski. Steve McKenzie notes that “They’re nimble enough to party in the woods and stable enough to really open it up on trails in all shapes. I found myself riding on top of moguls on the Chin Clip run out with minimal worry about getting caught up.” He loved these skis, as he found a lot to like about the 101 as well. Again, it’s tough to dicount a surfy feel here in terms of shape, taper, and profile.

This Playmaker 111 offers a lot of fun and engagement in deeper snow. While it’s an accessible powder ski, it’s still quite wide, specific, and particular. It’s not like you’d get this ski by accident—it's more of a purposeful approach. That said, the weight and mobility make it perfectly acceptable for progressing intermediates and early advanced skiers who are looking for their first wide twin. In addition, experts who know what they are looking for in a ski when it comes to freestyle influence and lighter weight will find a ton to like about the Playmaker 111. Surfers, who spend the off-season finding waves, will also find a lot to like here.