There’s nothing like swaddling an already excellent ski in a rich coating of creamy carbon. We skied an Amphibio Black Edition last season that finished tops among Technical skis, and in the past we’ve skied Kästles that were also encapsulated in a carbon sheath. They, too, won their category, so the Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition came with high expectations.
It did not disappoint. It snaked all around the mountain like a fat, black mamba, coiling around a medium-radius turn as if it were alive. The Ripstick 106 on which it’s modeled is already a fairly soft ski; slathering it in carbon didn’t change it compliant nature but complemented it. The carbon coat calms everything down, muffling shocks before they can cause any trouble. If your mind aches to go off-trail but your body aches if you do, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition is a brilliant buffer between heavy snow and balky joints.
The Enforcer 110 has taken possession of the top spot in the Big Mountain class, and not just based on its metal-charged power. Its edge is so stable that even at low edge angles the skier never has to fight to hold on, a common woe on hard snow with double-rockered, super-wide skis. Its performance envelope is as big as your imagination. It has the strength to batter through the stiffest crud, edge grip that can cope with hard snow and a shape that moves with ease through the deep stuff. “True to the Enforcer line, the 110 has an uncanny blend of big-ski float and directional fortitude, with a quickness and rebound that will have you tap dancing in the tight spots,” notes Boot Doctors’ indefatigable Bob Gleason.
Dynastar’s Legend X 106 bears a family resemblance to the Cham 2.0 107 that preceded it. Its tip and tail rocker, 5-point sidecut and relatively skinny tail are all traits of the Cham clan, but it’s the new addition to the gene pool, Powerdrive, that elevates the Legend X 106 above its ancestors. Powerdrive is a 3-piece sidewall that extends into the core in the forebody. The TPU section closest to the core isn’t bonded to it, allowing the laminates in the Legend X 106’s sandwich construction to shear, or move relative to one another. The easy-bowing action of the forebody allows the Legend X 106 to follow terrain instead of fight it.
