Elan created the Wingman series to bridge the worlds of on-trail and off-trail skiing, planting a flagship model in both the All-Mountain East and Frontside genres. The top of the latter ladder is the Wingman 82 Cti, a strong ski with such a gentle disposition we classified as a Finesse model. Based on the TNT Technology that originated with the off-trail Ripstick series, the Wingman 82 Cti is reinforced both with a central topsheet of Titanal and twin carbon rods near the base, which mirror the shape of the sidecut. To create a step-down model, Elan eliminated the expense of the carbon rods and the cost of carving out their CNC-created channels, resulting in the Wingman 82 Ti.
Drum roll, please. The Wingman 82 Ti will most likely sell for $399. That’s without a binding, but still, $399. Does it ski as well as the Wingman Cti? No, and if you’re an already skilled skier you shouldn’t spare the shekels when buying a ski you may have tor the next decade. But if you’re buying your first pair of skis after having served your time on rentals and hand-me-downs, the Wingman 82 Ti is one of the best deals you will ever find.
Wingman is a new series from Elan that’s a hybrid of the Slovenian brand’s Frontside Amphibio collection and its off-trail Ripstick series. This formula makes the Wingman 86 CTi behave like a carving ski with a penchant for off-piste forays. It owes its hallmark tenacious edge grip – stunningly evident in all conditions – to a variety of interrelated factors.
First, its relatively deep sidecut (16.5m @ 178cm) combines with its asymmetric shape to create early edge contact that never lets go. Second, the rearbody and tail are also biased to the inside edge, so instead of whimping out at turn finish as so many rockered tails do, this Wingman drives through the arc on a solid platform. Third, Elan loads up the inside edge with more material so force concentrates there, improving stability. Finally, a brace of end-to-end carbon rods work in harmony with a sheet of Titanal to suck up shock and convert it into rebound energy that keeps the Wingman motoring even when the snow gets clumpy.
Enrobing a ski in a coating of carbon is like dosing it with Xanax; it calms the nerves and helps it focus on the task at hand. The inescapable comparative adjectives are “silkier” and “smoother.” With no metal underneath its ebony hide, Elan’s Ripstick 96 Black Edition needs something other than Titanal to give it the sangfroid required to batter crud aside. Its carbon sheath muffles the rough edges caused by crud-busting without hauling around the extra ounces Titanal entails.
In lighter, softer, generally more congenial off-road conditions, the Ripstick 96 Black raises its game. It doesn’t matter if the depth of the latest layer is 3 centimeters or 3 feet, put any kind of cushion under it and it will practically purr with gratitude. Because it skis narrow, it’s also easier to find a high edge angle, which helps keep its rockered tip from getting twitchy and makes negotiating tight gaps in trees dependent more on the science of technique and less on the power of prayer.
The Elan Ripstick 96 is in the vanguard of the Lighter is Better movement. The core combines vertical laminates of two lightweight woods, poplar and Paulownia, sandwiched between sheets of fiberglass. To dampen the ride and add energy out of the turn, two 3mm-diameter carbon rods run the length of the ski near the edge, tracing the path of the sidecut in CNC machined grooves near the base of the core. Inlays made from a synthetic dampening agent, called Vapor Tip inserts, are integrated into the shovel to boost the lightweight chassis’ ability to absorb shock.
Another major contributor to the Ripstick 96’s high scores for ease of operation is Elan’s unique asymmetric Amphibio design that abbreviates edge contact on the outside edge – i.e., adds rocker to it – while maximizing snow contact on the inside edge. For practitioners of continuous carving in which two edges are always riding on an unbroken, parallel path, the Amphibio design makes carving feel as natural as walking.
