On the wide side of front side, the Elan Wingman 86Ti is a fantastic choice for advanced skiers who are looking for a wider platform for mainly on-trail and groomer skiing. This does not mean that they’re looking to close off the rest of the mountain. The 86Ti, with a slightly more forgiving flex than the CTi version, or the Black Edition of this shape, allows for more all-mountain capabilities for advanced skiers who still spend most of their time on the corduroy. The grip is all there, the precision is tight, and the versatility opens up a lot of opportunities and applications for a wide range of skiers. This ski is also beneficial for progressing intermediates who are looking for a strong and capable ski that’s not overly demanding. Built with a high-performance ceiling to go along with a fun-loving personality, the 2024 Elan Wingman 86Ti is the perfect companion for mixing on-trail abilities with off-piste acumen.

Elan uses their laminated wood core in this ski—that's the main difference between this and the CTi version of the ski. Without the carbon tubes, these skis are more solid and dense overall. While we miss the energy and power of the tubes, the Ti version becomes a bit quieter and more silent overall. With a single metal laminate, this ski creates a damp overall feel that leads to excellent edge grip underfoot and a smooth and stable ride. Since Elan’s skis are built in an asymmetric manner, the engineers are able to put more material over the inside portions of the ski where it’s needed while leaving the outside edges more flexible and playful and easier to get from turn to turn. This TruLine technology gives this Wingman 86Ti a unique overall feel that provides more pressure and mass over the downhill ski while leaving the uphill edge of the uphill ski more amenable to maneuvering through the arcs.

At 86 mm underfoot, this ski is right in the sweet spot for mixing front side and all-mountain properties. The flex allows the ski to move to the more versatile side of the spectrum, while in the CTi, the stiffness keeps it a bit more squarely in the carving realm. As such, the 86Ti still has the shape to make it a great turner, but the character to offer off-trail performance and versatility. In the 178, the ski generates a 16.5-meter turn radius, which is right in the middle for mixing carving and all-mountain. There’s not a whole lot of taper and rocker in this ski, the tail has a bit of early taper just to make it not so demanding, while the rocker falls more into the asymmetrical category with their Amphibio rocker profile. By following the same theory as the build, the rocker is longer on the outside edge and shorter on the inside edge. This makes the ski hook into the turn easier while making it smoother on the other side. As such, even in softer snow, this ski is catch-free and super simple to link turns.

For many skiers, most of the time is spent on groomed and smooth terrain. Most skiers are carving, or trying to carve, clean and round turns in this realm. Having a ski that has a wider platform for balance, a slightly more flexible nature, and still the metal underfoot for grip and stability makes a whole lot of sense. For a wide range of skiers, going from intermediates all the way through the lighter weight expert zone, the 2024 Elan Wingman 86Ti makes a whole lot of sense.