2019 Elan Ripstick 86 W
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Ski Stats

Sidecut 127/87/106
Radius 15.4m @ 159cm
Lengths 152,159,166,173
Weight 1360g @ 159cm
MSRP $700
FIND
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Most of our feedback on the Ripstick 86 W came from eastern skiers who had no chance to test it in western off-trail conditions. Considering it was somewhat a fish out of water, its scores are even more remarkable. “I felt very comfortable and confident on this ski, writes one of Willi’s Divas. “For an 86, it carved well on hard pack. Perfect ski for cruising down soft groomed powder as the ski would do most of the work. Nice, light weight too.” A major benefit of a lighter ski is energy conservation, a point not lost on the Diva who wrote, “This was the last ski of the day I tried and I really liked it. Despite being 86 underfoot, I found it skied like a more traditional sidecut ski.”

The Elan Ripstick 86 W has an off-trail baseline married to a carving shape willing and able to connect at the top of the turn. Its Power and Finesse scores are bit misleading, for the highest Power aggregate in the category overshadows brilliant Finesse scores that more accurately describe its best traits. For example, it scores below the category average for Off-Piste Performance when actually it’s core competence is its adaptability to off-road conditions.

Most of our feedback on the Ripstick 86 W came from eastern skiers who had no chance to test it in western off-trail conditions. Considering it was somewhat a fish out of water, its scores are even more remarkable. “I felt very comfortable and confident on this ski, writes one of Willi’s Divas. “For an 86, it carved well on hard pack. Perfect ski for cruising down soft groomed powder as the ski would do most of the work. Nice, light weight too.”

“It’s nice and light so you could ski all day in it,” agrees a fellow Diva. “It is a great confidence booster for anyone who is looking to get into a fatter ski without going too fat.” A major benefit of a lighter ski is energy conservation, a point not lost on the Diva who wrote, “This was the last ski of the day I tried and I really liked it. My second favorite of the day. Despite being 86 underfoot, I found it skied like a more traditional sidecut ski.”

More than one tester commented that the Ripstick reminded them of the Black Pearl 88, high praise indeed. “This ski could be good on good days and bad. Could go through crud but could also be pleasant when there is some new snow, even over groomed,” says another Diva. Skiers who want an easy-handling, all-terrain ski that’s mellow enough to nurture developing skills while stout enough to cope with crud, the Ripstick 86 W is more suitable for a broad range of abilities than its lofty Power numbers might suggest.

While we didn’t get enough data to support its inclusion here, the Ripstick 94 W impressed the few who tried it. “Light and stable, even at high speeds,” notes Amy from Footloose.

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Test Score Data

Total Score: 87.24
Early to Edge:
Continuous Carve:

Rebound/Turn Finish:

Stability/Accuracy @ Speed:
Short-radius Turning:
8.82
8.88
8.59
8.59
8.76
Off-piste Performance:
Low-speed Turning:
Forgiveness/Ease:
Drift/Scrub:
Finesse/Power Balance:
8.41
8.82
8.88
8.65
8.82

Women’s Test Data Advisory

Please be advised that our 2022 women’s ski reviews do not show any test data, on either our public or members’ sites. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we haven’t been able to collect sufficient test results to justify showing a statistical summary.

While Realskiers members won’t be able to see stats on women’s reviews, they will see a longer, more in-depth narrative than what’s posted on our public site.

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