It’s been almost four years since we got on the first edition of the Elan Ripstick 88. In that time, it’s been an extremely solid contender in the ~88 mm all-mountain ski category, and for quite a few good reasons. It seems like yesterday that Jeff got to ski with Glen Plake and pick his innovative ski brain in regards to these new skis, and since then, the philosophy has largely remained the same. The 2023 Ripstick 88 features a bit more carbon and a new graphic than the older one, but they still are insanely fun, versatile, and totally well-rounded.

Starting with the construction, we’re still seeing their Tubelite wood core that allows for the lightweight personality to firmly shine through. By adding two carbon rods to the sides of the ski, the Ripstick gets the crux of its character. These rods, tubes, actually, are placed in the ski under tension, so there’s energy already built in. Additionally, the tubes are formed in a 360-degree format, and as we’ve talked about a lot around here, anytime you’re putting materials like carbon, metal, fiberglass, etc. In a 3-dimensional shape, you’re increasing the stiffness and performance. Since carbon isn’t heavy, the power to weight ratio is very impressive, leading to a unique feel and set of characteristics. The main build difference from way back in the day is the addition of Carbon Line Technology which places an additional horizontal laminate of carbon along the inside portions of the forebody of the ski. Since the skis are built asymmetrically, this gives the Elan engineers a ton of leverage in terms of where and how they place different materials. They also use their Vapor Tip inserts in the shovels of the ski, which are advanced composites that dampen vibrations and reduce weight. For a ski this light, it’s incredible how little chatter there is, even though the tips are relatively soft.

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In addition to the placement of materials in the ski, Elan also has some tricks with the profiling. By utilizing their Amphibio Profile, they’re able to combine smoothness on the outside edges with precision on the insides. This works extremely well in both firm and soft snow, creating a smooth and seamless transition in between turns. You can see it on the base, where the rocker profile changes, and it’s interesting how they’re able to basically twist the profile of the ski in order to achieve this effect. There’s not a ton of splay in the tail, but there is a skin notch, so if you’re looking for a ski that has that hybrid resort/tour capability, the 180 cm length clocks in at 1550 grams per ski—well within reason for uphill adventures. There’s a pretty big jump in turn radius between sizing, so while that 180 generates a 17-meter arc, the 188 bumps it up almost two meters to 18.9.

Bob’s Review:

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For me, on the 188, this ski is right in the sweet spot of length to weight to width. I love the lighter, more carbon-powered skis, and since this review is fresh on the heels of the Head Kore 93, it makes this experience more comprehensive. The Ripstick is a bit lighter, but about half as stiff, and the fact that it seems like a robust ski makes the Ripstick all the more impressive. The fact that I can lean in and stand on the Ripstick in the same way as the Kore is incredible. Credit is due, at least in my mind, to the carbon tubes. There’s no other way to explain how a lighter and more flexible ski is as sturdy as something heavier and stiffer. The tubes just work. We’re in a pretty standard Northern Vermont early season conditions stretch right now, and that makes these 88’s jump off the page as fantastic options for the “snow” and terrain. The edge grip is all there, the light weight energy is top of the class, and the overall fun factor simply oozes out of the ski. I’ve taken the Ripstick into the bumps and trees before, and it ranks right up there with other super-playful skis like Atomic Bent 90 and Black Crows Captis in terms of agility and maneuverability. They’re great floaters due to the lighter weight and spoony tip shape, and while they’ll get bounced around in crud and chop because of it, at least they are smooth about it. There’s no hooking or grabbing from these skis due to the Amphibio Rocker profile—it definitely works the way it’s supposed to, so for Elan, I feel that they’re 2 for 2 in terms of their technologies working the way they’re intended to. While there aren’t many negatives, I’ll nitpick about a few: I’ll take a half of a point off for the Vapor Tips. I’m not sold on that tech quite yet—I keep saying that I’ll have to ski a Ripstick without Vapor Tips in order to make my final decision. Another half-point off for not offering a Ripstick 88 Black Edition yet—seems to work pretty darn good on the 94W, 96, and 106 from what I can tell. Other than that, we’re looking at a pretty perfect ski for a huge range of skiers. If I can feel comfortable and confident at high speeds on very challenging conditions on these things, then I think a lot of skiers will find solace in these scenarios as well. Overall, I’m just really impressed that ski companies can make such light skis that perform at an incredibly high level, and the Elan Ripstick 88 is definitely a benchmark ski in this category.

Jeff’s Review:

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I’ve liked the Ripstick line from the first day I skied one, which interestingly, I think was the previous version of the 88 alongside Glen Plake. I could be remembering wrong, although that’s what sticks out in my mind. Since then, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the Ripstick 96, 106, and their Black Edition counter parts, but you have to go all the way back to that review with Glen Plake to get a longform review of the 88. When it presented itself as an option over the past few weeks, and realizing it had been that long since we talked about them, I was excited to jump on the opportunity.

I just love the way these skis turn. It’s as simple as that. Over the past decade, my enjoyment from skiing has been shifting from landing new tricks in the park to making that perfect turn. The reward from generating lateral acceleration on skis is addicting. While the Ripstick 88 certainly isn’t the world’s strongest carving ski, by a long stretch, it allows me to get that visceral reaction and rewarding ski really, really easily. We just talked about the Kore 93 in our latest review, and it’s almost the opposite story with the Ripstick 88. I can bend it so easily, which makes carving incredibly fun, and I can even bend it at slower speeds and on more moderately pitched slopes. That makes skiing, the whole entire experience of skiing, just very dynamic and very fun compared to other heavier, stiffer skis. Because of my lighter weight build, I don’t have many limitations on it either. Bob talks about over-flexing the tip sometimes, which I can totally understand, but it’s very rare for me to feel the same thing. The only real limitation find it a slight lack of torsional stiffness when you’re on really firm snow. We’re talking icy slopes here. That classic east coast ice. If you ski the Ripstick back to back with a more focused, narrower carving ski, you’ll feel it too. Skiing it this week there were 2-3 turns total where I felt the ski slip a little bit. That’s 2-3 turns out of hundreds, so it’s really not that big of a deal, and I only find it happens for me when things get really firm. If you have perfect snow conditions, the skis grip very well. So, it’s not a huge limitation, but it’s there. I suppose the other would be overall stability at speed. I wouldn’t want to just straight-line a steep pitch on these skis, as the softer flex pattern and light feel would get a bit nerve-wracking, but there are a million other skis that can do that, and none of those skis provide that same easily-accessible, rewarding feel at more moderate speeds.

The other thing I really like about the Ripstick 88 is how nimble it is. Anyone from an intermediate to an expert skier can get on it and immediately benefit from its quickness. It’s most noticeable in bumps and trees to me. It’s so easy to flick it around in short turns. It’s probably most beneficial for an intermediate, or just a less aggressive skier, who might struggle on a heavier, stiffer ski. Someone like Bob who’s well adept in mogul skiing can make quick, dynamic, impressive turns on almost anything. For us mere-mortal mogul skiers, the Ripstick is such a beneficial tool. It’s easy to put it where you want it to go, and if you’re timing gets messed up and you start making late turns, it’s easy to get them back. The ski never feels like it’s running away from you, which is why I think it’s such a good ski for someone still progressing.

Is it for everyone? No, I don’t think so. There are still a lot of skiers that would prefer a heavier, stiffer ski. I think that’s especially true in the 88. The 96 and the 106 (not to mention Black Editions) feel more sturdy to me, so would be more supportive of those heavier, more aggressive, more powerful skiers. Bob has frequently asked Elan for a Ripstick 88 Black Edition without vapor tip. Elan has repeatedly said no, we’re not going to do that, but I, and I think Elan would agree, can understand why someone who’s 6’2” and 225 lbs might say that. It’s a fringe situation at best, so not something that Elan probably feels they need to cater too, but I also think it’s important to point out. With the width and weight of the Ripstick 88, there are certain skiers that will over-power it and push it past its limits. I do, however, think it’s very fair to say that’s a small, if not miniscule, percentage of skiers in the world. For most skiers, myself included, there are far more benefits to a ski like the Ripstick 88 than there are limitations.

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Written by Bob St.Pierre & Jeff Neagle on 12/13/22