2025 Elan Ripstick Ski Preview

For years, Ripsticks have been absolutely automatic in the recommendation department. This is such an incredibly easy answer to give a skier. Want something fun that you can ski around the mountain on mainly groomers? Ripstick 88. How about a mix between on and off-trail, but still light and maneuverable? Ripstick 96. What if I spend most of my time in search of something deeper and more adventurous? Ripstick 106. When Black Edition was introduced a few seasons back, this also allowed for the caveat of: What if I want to ski more aggressively with no loss of stability or dampness? This has been the way for almost half a decade now, and for 2025, we get the first wholesale changes in the lineup that pertain to shape, build, and sizes. The whole family has been altered, still delivering on the promise of good times and endless versatility.

While two of the model names will return (three if you include 96 Black Edition), we get two new widths of skis to ride for next year, the 102 and the 108. The 116 has been discontinued, and while that’s a bit on the sad side, we do get a new Playmaker 111 that takes the official spot as Elan’s widest ski. The 102 gets a Black Edition while the 108 does not. We see similar movements on the women’s side but we’ll cover those in a separate article. For the most part, a Ripstick is still a Ripstick, but there are certainly changes to the line that make them unique and interesting both among each other as well as in the industry as a whole.

From a construction perspective, Elan continues to use their tubelite wood core consisting of poplar and paulownia in all skis, basing their build on what they call Carbon Deck Technology. The carbon rods have been slightly shortened and are now making additional room for the Uni-directional carbon strips that give the ski its added smoothness overall. Additional carbon strips are found along the sides of the ski under the core, and this follows their Amphibio lines as the longer strip is found along the inside edge while the shorter strip follows the outer portion of the ski. Elan has always had a leg up on the competition with their left/right specific construction, and this is a great example of how that applies to the new Ripstick line. In the shovel of the ski, while we’ve all grown accustomed to the Vapor Tip inserts that dampened vibrations, the ski is now full wood all the way to the tip. On top of the ski in the shovel, we get a flax fiber layer, taking the smoothness of the ski to the next level while adding some stiffness to increase the response time when it comes to turn initiation. The other thing we noticed is that the core profile is thinner overall—when Vapor Tips were removed, that lead to more room for flatter laminates like the flax. This, in turn, allows for greater mobility while the denser wood material is still the primary driver of the tip of the ski. For the new Black Edition 96 and 102 mm widths, the same Carbon Deck Technology carries through, but we get the Black Edition’s Quad Rod additional tubes. There’s a bit of a change in weight, but it’s neither dramatic nor particularly noticeable. These skis still come in at well below average in the category of high performance all-mountain and freeride skis. Elan does a nice job adding in some creative influence here thanks to Playmaker’s success, using their Surf Rocker design to make the edges of the skis more beveled and agile.

There’s kind of a lot to cover when it comes to shape changes. While the 88 and the 96’s return as names, pretty much everything is new. First, the sizes are a lot truer than they were before. We’ve always noted that Ripsticks measure about 1.5 cm short on average, so the 180 was more like a 178.5, and so on. For 2025, all lengths are now true, so the 182 is a 182 and skis like a 182. The sizing now breaks every 7cm as opposed to 8, tightening the span and increasing accuracy when choosing lengths. The only misnomer now is that the new 88 measures 90 mm underfoot. While this isn’t putting the ski into another category by any stretch, it is worthy of note, and it’s the only one that measures slightly different than the name claims. The 88 used to run 130/88/105 with a 17-meter turn radius in the 180. Now, in the 182, we get a 130/90/108 split that generates a 16.8-meter arc. In the narrower versions of the ski, like the 88, the taper in the shovel is a bit more dramatic and different, lowering the widest spot and making the ski turnier and more responsive. In the wider 102 and 108, the shape is a bit different than the 88, with a spoonier overall look that’s better for powder and soft snow. The 96 still stays in the middle—capable of both easy maneuverability on-trail and in a carving format, while also remaining floaty and smeary in the deeper stuff. We noticed the extra few mm in the tail as being more engaging and energetic at the finish point of the turn, and this is a welcome change for those that wanted a more turny feel out of the ski. Rocker lines remain mostly the same, effectively blurring the line between all-mountain and freeride.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick 88 Skis

For skiers looking for the narrowest Ripstick, the 88 offers a tremendous amount of quickness and agility while maintaining strong underfoot grip and energy. This ski works great for lower snow areas, but the additional taper in the shovel adds to the soft snow capabilities and smeary character. In the mid-body and through the tail, these skis totally shred. There’s a lot to like here when it comes to varying turn shapes and styles, from quick and poppy carves to longer and more drawn-out arcs. It’s all about having fun and mixing it up out there on the hill, from the bumps and trees to the steeps and corduroy. Thanks to Elan’s commitment to blending light weight and high performance, these skis sit at the top of the category for a huge range of skiers, from early intermediates all the way through skilled experts. If you’re searching for light, quick, fun, and exciting, this is the place to be.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick 96 Skis

You don’t need to search too far to find a compelling argument for this being the most versatile and useful of the Ripstick clan. There’s so much energy and fun here, making it hard to overlook what this ski really does best. We’ve found that the 96 makes incredible short and medium radius turns while also keeping the faster and more aggressive lines fully within reach. Since this ski falls squarely in the lightweight mid-90's zone, the usefulness is off the charts. Great in bumps, floaty in soft snow, deft in the trees, and totally engaging on a groomer, this ski has a huge range of capabilities, and the fact that it does it at a pittance of the weight of a dual-metal laminate ski makes it all the more impressive. This is a testament to the engineering and design of these skis and the real-world functionality of the three-dimensional nature of the carbon tubes.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick Black Edition Skis

Take everything we just said about the 96 and add two more carbon tubes in the forebody and through the tail, and you’ve got a smoother, faster, stiffer, and damper version of an already amazing ski. Turn initiation is a bit crisper, the speed limit is a bit higher, and the overall composure is slightly elevated. While the regular 96 is more amenable to flexing through bumps and crud and powder, these are happier to blow right through them. With increased stability at speed, this Black Edition makes quick work of choppy and broken snow, allowing them to maintain a more direct course down the fall line. If you’re a slightly heavier or more aggressive skier, the 96 Black Edition will likely be a better pairing. Amazingly, these skis still fall into the 1640 gram range in the 182, and that’s a huge testament to the technology and engineering involved in these skis.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick 102 Skis

This is where things take a bit of an interesting turn. While the 88 and the 96 now have a bit more dramatic of a taper shape, the 102 looks a bit more like the older 106 with the wider and spoonier shovel. This is creating an interesting dynamic, as the ski’s flex pairs well with the shape of the tip to create a floaty, smeary, and fun-loving ski. These are incredibly nimble and agile in all sorts of snow, and even when we take them into tighter woods around here in Vermont, they hold up incredibly well. The flotation is off the charts thanks to the blend of light weight and smooth rocker, and that’s what we’re looking for in these 102’s. The on-trail performance takes a bit of a hit here, but it allows for a huge boost when it comes to soft snow performance. If you are the type of skier that loves a smeary and playful ski for mid-velocity skiing, this one is a perfect fit.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition Skis

The older 106 Black Edition was a fan favorite for sure, and these 102’s follow in their footsteps quite well. While the previous iteration was more amenable to straighter line skiing and higher end performance, the new 102’s fall more to the smooth and fun-loving side of the spectrum. Versus the normal 102, the Black Edition benefits from those two extra carbon rods that increase the overall stiffness and performance of the ski. Best for wider spaces and higher speeds than the normal 102, the Black Edition will satisfy the most demanding of freeride enthusiasts. It’s difficult to make a light ski feel sturdy, but that’s exactly what Elan has done here with the new 102 Black Edition. Their use of carbon in this format allows for a ski that’s 1720 grams in the 182 to feel quite a bit more substantial than those numbers let on, and that’s a huge part of the charm and allure of the 102 Black Edition.

At a Glance:

2025 Elan Ripstick 108 Skis

Now the widest of the Ripsticks, the 108 is built for deeper snow and more interesting lines. The amazing part is that the 108 still falls under 1800 grams in the 182, making it an incredibly mobile and engaging ski for powder enthusiasts who are consistently seeking out softer snow and adventure. With a massive 143-mm shovel, this ski is tough to sink, making it an excellent option for fresh powder and deeper terrain. The Amphibio rocker profile is noticeable on this ski as it makes for a smooth and cohesive transition from turn to turn, making it feel like you’re on one specific piece of ski gear rather than two independent entities. Some skiers will find this width to be a great place to be for one ski at the resort, but most will settle into the notion that these 108’s are better served as the wider ski in a quiver, with narrower options for lower snow days and zones.