2027 Elan Ripstick 88 Black Edition Introduction & First Impressions

It’s no secret that we’ve been asking for this one for years. The all-new 2027 Elan Ripstick 88 Black Edition sure scratches us where we itch in terms of having a light, capable, energetic, and versatile performer for various abilities, terrain, and conditions. When the first Ripstick Black Editions came out in the 2022 season, we were very impressed at the difference between the normal 96 and 106 versus the Black Editions in similar widths. The added carbon certainly boosted the power and smoothness of the skis. In the 106, especially, it seemed like they did a fantastic job at mimicking the damping properties of metal through the use of carbon—something that doesn’t usually happen. As eastern skiers, though, we couldn’t help but wonder where the 88 Black Edition was. Five years later, we finally get our answer, and it’s every bit as fun as we thought it always could be.

At a Glance:

2027 Elan Ripstick 88 Black Edition

The new 88 Black Edition follows the same steps and ingredients as the wider counterparts, but in a narrower footprint. It’s built with a tubelite wood core blend of poplar and paulownia to keep things light. The Black Edition features Elan’s Carbon Deck Technology which leans on six different pieces of carbon. The first two are the ones we always talk about—the rods that live along the sidewalls of the skis which provide energy and pop from tip to tail. The next two fall in line with the Quad Rod Tech that the other Black Edition skis contain. By placing two additional rods, one in front of the binding zone and one behind, they dull the noise of the ski and boost the pop. These two central rods, we think, are the main culprits behind the success and advancement of the Black Edition lineup. Below the wood core, the Ripstick 88 Black Edition gets two strips of uni-directional carbon and on top of the core we get a full width carbon plate under the binding zone which extends towards the tips and tails but tapers to accommodate the ski’s asymmetrical construction. As with the other Ripsticks, the 88 Black Edition uses asymmetry in both shape and build, making it smoother and cohesive and just plain easier to ski. We didn’t get a chance to put these on our scale, but we’re assuming a similar weight to the normal 88 at about 1600 g/ski in the 182. 

The shape and footprint follow the existing Ripstick 88, with measurements of 130/90/108 mm in the 182 cm length. This produces a relatively short turn radius of 16.8-meters. We get their Amphibio profile which places more rocker on the outside edge and more camber along the inside edges of the downhill skis. This helps keep the skis parallel and functioning as one system rather than two independent skis. With the lighter weight and more tapered shape, it’s extraordinarily easy to turn these skis, just as it’s always been. We got a chance to get on these new skis at our first industry demo, and while we didn’t have the whole mountain to test the versatility, we did get a good first look at the groomer, firm snow, and loose granular performance, and it’s safe to say we were all pretty impressed. 

Bob's Experience:

It was interesting going from the normal 88 to the Black Edition during our on-snow testing because you can certainly feel a difference in the power of the ski. I think it’s more pronounced in the 88’s versus the 96 and 102 these days, adding to the 88’s firm-snow allure. There’s still not a whole lot of stiffness in the shovel, and I do think the older Ripstick 88 would have fared better/stronger with a Black Edition versus the new/current one. The main thing that you still notice is just how darn quick and agile these skis are. If anyone’s looking for agility and ease of use mixed with high performance, this is the place to be, no questions asked. The stability at speed was notably more comforting than the normal 88, and the edge grip is impressive for a ski this light and without metal. While it’s not going to win any power contests, especially versus hefty skis like Nordica Enforcer 89, it’s nonetheless quite impressive. When you’re going fast and the snow piles up, you feel it, rather than an Enforcer which will simply drive through it. On the firm snow, though, when smooth, the Ripstick 88 Black Edition held its own. While we didn’t get a chance to get in bumps or trees, it’s safe to assume that the mobility will once again be a highlight, and I’d guess that it’ll be more supportive in the bumps than the normal 88. Overall, this is a more than welcome addition to the Ripstick family, and I personally look forward to expanding the ski’s boundaries as we get more time on it.

Matt's Take:

This was my first time on the 88 regular and the 88 Black Edition. I have logged a good amount of time on the 96 and 102 in both the regular and the Black, so it was great to get on the 88 and see how they all differ. Going from 88 regular to 88 Black, you absolutely notice a difference in stiffness and edge grip underfoot. I did not feel a huge uptick in smoothness, but there is some added smoothness here. We had some pretty challenging, variable, conditions when testing these, and they surpassed my expectations for sure. There isn’t a crazy amount of power in the 88 Black Edition, but what I did find was some decent supportiveness. This allowed me to stand on them with more confidence, mid-turn, and see where the edge grip boundary was. That boundary was further than expected! In terms of firm snow grip, as long as it is smooth, they do just fine. Once the surface gets more variable, the light weight of the ski tends to break traction more than the torsional stiffness. The tips are still quite soft in flex, which makes turn initiation super easy and intuitive. That combined with the Amphibio Rocker really makes turning effortless. For context, I was on the 182 cm, so I think if I went up to my typical 188 cm length, they would be an all day effortless carver that has all the maneuverability I’d need for the bumps and off-piste dabbling. If you are looking for a special combination of light weight maneuverability, intuitive turning, and shockingly good carving performance, the Ripstick 88 Black Edition is for you.

Jeff's Response:

Bob and Matt are like giants compared to me and our experiences on skis often differ because of it. It’s easy for me to assess that Ripstick skis have a limit in terms of overall stability, edge grip, how fast you can ski them, etc. On the other hand, it’s actually quite hard for me to physically find that limit at my size and for how I like to ski. That’s genuinely true even on the normal Ripstick 88, but especially true on the Black Editions. Because of that, for me, they become exceptionally useful and versatile all-mountain skis as you can’t ignore how light they are, how much rocker and taper they build into the shape, and ultimately how fun, maneuverable, and capable they are in un-groomed situations. While we didn’t really get to do much of that on our first runs on the Ripstick 88 Black Edition, it’s obvious they didn’t take anything away from its performance in that regard, so it was more of an exercise to test their capabilities on a groomer than anything else. I’ve always thought I make some of my prettiest turns on Ripsticks, and felt that was on the Ripstick 88 Black for sure. It’s so easy to generate a high edge angle and get your hip down to the snow. I fully understand the shovel is a bit soft for bigger skiers like Matt and Bob and it makes them feel a little less confident, but Matt was getting pretty darn low too. I think the industry in general has been shifting away from pure longitudinal stiffness to create power and more into shape and more precise placement of different materials. The Ripstick skis feel like a good example of that. They’re not stiff, nor have they ever been, but their performance, especially for a lighter weight skier such as myself, can match some much stiffer, heavier, and more cambered skis.

I think it’s fair to say that among Bob, Matt, and I, I like Ripsticks the most. They can tell me I’m wrong if they want to, but it’s always seemed that way. As a our resident Ripstick aficionado, I’m happy to report I give this new 2027 Ripstick 88 Black Edition my full stamp of approval.