2027 Elan Wingman 83 TI

The 2027 Elan Wingman 83 Ti is a carryover ski featuring the same shape and build as last year. The Elan Wingman 83 Ti is a crisp all-mountain carver that draws influence from both the carving-oriented (now outgoing) Primetime series in the tip as well as the all-mountain fun-loving tail style from the Ripstick. As such, this ski blurs lines between front side and all-mountain in terms of application, but it will function better and be happier on groomed surfaces and in some form of carved turn. It sits squarely in the intermediate and advanced realm but has the capacity to punch above its level so if any experts are worried about overpowering this ski, it’ll hold up to some aggressive use, just so long as you’re not too harsh on the shovel of the ski.

Elan has a wonderful obsession with lighter weight skis, and this one is no different. Built with a laminated core and one sheet of titanal, these skis have a fairly simple build. Elan, though, is not satisfied with simple. They use asymmetry and a right/left-specific ski to make their skis stand out from a crowd. The titanal band is placed on the inside portion of each given ski, putting more emphasis on the downhill ski’s carving power and performance. It’s a small and simple thing, but since no other skis are built asymmetrically like this, they just can’t do it. We get a system binding and a reasonably supportive flex. The shovel isn’t too stiff, but the tail is quite responsive. For a carving-specific ski, there are stronger ones out there with multiple metal laminates, but then they’ll lack a bit of the energy found in Wingman 83 Ti. Pete Fox notes that: “Out of the box 1st run, the ski is an absolute blast. It was very quick from edge to edge but with great control and stability. A lot of fun for a front side carver. Definitely a front side groomer Ski, any sort of hard or firm terrain. The Ski will excel at as well as groomers. For a one Ski front side system, this is it. The only concern is that you have a specific left and right Ski so if you had a rocky yard out of luck.”

When you’re looking at a carver like this, you want to see a somewhat traditional shape, but again, Elan is not entirely satisfied with traditional. With basically zero tip taper, these skis start their turns with ease. The flex, shape, and amphibio rocker profile make it smooth and simple to begin a carve. The skis use a sidecut of 131/83/112 to generate a 15-meter radius in the 174. This is a nice short to mid-range arc that works great for many intermediate and advanced carvers. If you’re an expert, you’re probably looking more intently at this number as a shorter carving ski. Tester Landel Cochran states that “Wingman is a great name for this ski. If you are looking for a companion that has your back from first chair to last, don't sleep on this buddy. Hit the gas and this ski will rail around at a good clip. The shape and flex characteristics are intuitive. The ski feels strong without feeling beefy. Hard snow grip is great and it likes to be on edge. Slow things down if your legs get tired and you are still going to have a good time. The signature Elan shape makes for easy low-effort skiing.”

This Wingman 83 Ti has a huge range and will satisfy a lot of skiers who frankly may not really know what they’re looking for. We’ll see a lot of happy intermediates on this ski, especially on groomers. While there’s a bit of an off-trail and versatile component here, it’s certainly happier on firmer snow and in smoother terrain making clean and round arcs. While it’s not overly demanding, it does have a quick hook in to the turn so if you don’t have a ton of carving experience, it’ll feel like you’re very attached and connected to the snow. Advanced and expert skiers will be able to manipulate this ski easier and make it turn how they wish due to the flex and taper in the tail. Since lighter weight skis are easier to turn, you can get a lot of mileage on these skis with minimal effort.