2021 ELAN WINGMAN 86 CTI SKI REVIEW

In recent years, when discussing Elan skis, one word has come up a lot: fun. That might seem like a vague word to use to describe ski performance, but it’s true, their skis are just fun. We talk about it a lot with the Ripstick all-mountain/freeride skis. In a lot of ways, those skis aren’t chasing superlatives like “most powerful, best edge grip, lightest, softest…” the list goes on and on. Plenty of other manufacturers like to make those claims. “Our skis are the best at ____.” That’s an understandable assessment of your own skis, but what’s refreshing about Elan, is they don’t seem particularly worried about things like that, rather are focused on making well-rounded skis that are, plain and simple, just fun to ski. We’ve spent a good amount of time talking about the Ripstick models over the past couple years, and the Wingman skis have been featured in our Ski Tests, but we’ve never done a deeper dive into what makes them special, until now.

If you follow our channel and are familiar with Elan skis over the past decade or so, you’re equipped with a good understanding of some of the company’s technology and ideas. Like the Ripsticks, and like most of Elan’s skis, the Wingman 86 CTI uses their Amphibio profile. That means the skis themselves are asymmetrical, not in sidecut shape, but rather in rocker profile and construction. We get more rocker along the outside edge of the ski and more camber along the inside edge of the ski. It’s not as pronounced as in skis like the Ripsticks, so it’s kind of hard to see with the human eye when you’re just holding a pair, but you can definitely feel it. There’s also just less rocker in general compared to the Ripsticks, as well as less early taper. The shape is more inspired by a race carving ski, which makes sense as the Wingman skis lean more towards firm snow performance.

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Then comes construction, which unlike the Ripsticks, utilizes a partial sheet of metal along the inside edge. If you recall, the 2021 Ripstick skis get a layer of carbon along the inside edge, but here we have metal. It’s full width underfoot, then about half of the ski through the forebody, then tapers, then juts out a little, then tapers again before the tip. The same is true in the tail, without that little extra triangular piece that sticks out. Then we also get Elan’s Tubelite construction. Three dimensional carbon rods run longitudinally through the core of the ski, giving is really good energy, and as we’ve talked about before, better vibration damping than you get in most skis that use carbon. Those carbon tubes are relatively unique to Elan, which when combined with the asymmetrical shape and construction, gives them a relatively unique feel as well.

The Wingman 86 CTI has some serious competitors to go up against. Skis like the Brahma 88, MX 88, RC One 86 GT, and plenty of others, are pretty heavy hitters in this category. These mid-80 skis are designed with carving performance as their main focus, and I think it’s fair to say that about the Wingman as well. The difference is the feel. For one, this ski has a slightly shorter turn radius than most in this category. The 178 cm length that I tested over the past 2 days has a 16.5 m radius. That’s a touch shorter than what we usually get, which is fun. Also, the construction of the ski allows for a little more energy, or rather that energy is more easily accessible at slower speeds or when making more moderate radius turns. Heavier, stiffer skis with more metal can feel like they need to get up to speed before they really come alive, but the Wingman 86 CTI feels great from the moment you get off the lift.

Does it have the raw power of those heavier skis? No, but that’s fine, and is in line with Elan’s offerings in other categories. Is the stability, edge grip, and power still good? Heck yeah it is. The Wingman 86 CTI asks for more and more and more and is very hard to push past its limits. Can you do it? Yeah, there is a moment on really firm snow where the ski might slip a little but, but it’s honestly something that not many skiers will even get to. We’re talking really firm snow, really high speeds, and a really high edge angle. Even then, the times I felt the ski slipping in a turn, it quickly recovered and grabbed the snow again without even giving me time to feel worried. That, in my opinion, is really good. It performs at a super high level, but there’s a touch of forgiveness even when making really precise, fast carving turns.

The other side of their carving performance is how fun and responsive they are. Like we said, you don’t have to go a million miles per hour to enjoy them. That 16.5 turn radius and the slightly softer flex pattern compared to some of those heavier skis allows the ski to come across the fall line really easily. That means a couple things. You can make rewarding carving turns on moderate pitches, and you can also keep carving when it get steeper as the shorter radius allows you to more easily control your speed. It’s one of those skis that almost feels like it’s going back up hill as you finish your turn, which is a very rewarding experience. There’s also something to be said about that asymmetrical shape and construction. It promotes proper technique as if you’re weighting your outside ski properly in a carve, the metal really holds and gives it a strong feel. Then, when you’re ready to transition to the next turn, the outside edge of your downhill ski is already kind of flexed into a position ready to make the next turn. It gives them a very smooth, intuitive feel when linking turns.

When we’re talking about these high-performance, mid-fat carving skis, we generally talk about some amount of unforgiveness, or a lack of versatility. The Wingman feels a little easier when making shorter, skidded turns and in tight terrain than most skis in this category. Is it as easy as something like the Ripstick 88? No, but an advanced/expert level skier will love how quick and easy it is to throw them side to side. Moguls? No problem, as long as you have the technique. Trees, little chutes, other off-piste terrain? Again, it can handle that stuff, it just requires good technique. What’s nice about it is it’s not as jarringly stiff as some skis, and it’s lighter, so less fatiguing when you have to make a series of quick movements and quick turns.

Overall, I think there are a lot of skiers who would really enjoy skiing the Wingman 86 CTI, and I think it would be a beneficial ski for a lot of skiers to own as well. It made me feel like a better skier than most skis do. It’s so rewarding the way it comes across the fall line and feels like it has a super high performance ceiling, while also not requiring me to ski as hard and fast as I can at all times. I like that, and I think a lot of other skiers would too.

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Written by Jeff Neagle on 12/30/20