Expert Review: 2023 Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition Skis [with Video]



Curated Ski Experts Hayden Wright and Thomas Harari tested the 2023 Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition this spring at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different. If you have any questions about the Ripstick 96 Black Edition or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Ski Expert here on Curated.
One final point before we dive in: It's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.
Brand Claims
What does Elan claim about this ski? [Thomas] Elan made this ski as a lightweight, all-mountain ski with Amphibio technology (the left and right ski is different) for smoother turns, which is super cool.
Overall Impressions
What is your overall impression of this ski? [Hayden] Once I get a little older, and I want to show the youngins who can still tear it up on the groomers, you might catch me ripping like Glen Plake on these Elans, but until then, this is just not quite for my style of skiing. But, if you love ripping turns, these things go edge to edge for a 96 underfoot ski. Super easy. And again, they were super fun for that.
[Thomas] If you want to throw a touring binding and make this a 50/50 backcountry touring ski, or even a lighter tech binding, they're going to ski in the backcountry really well. These are not going to be great for the park. They're going to be too much for a beginner. This is not a great first ski out of rentals. I would say, someone who is upper intermediate through advanced, who looks to ski somewhat aggressively, this is a ski that you can learn to ski, and it'll ski really well for you.
How is its flex? [Hayden] Yeah, so touching base on the flex on these, they are stiff. Elan's got carbon rods tip to tail just about, and that makes this thing responsive and burly. It is crud-busting and has minimal chatter. If you end up catching some speed and you get into some rough stuff, these are going to hold up for you.
Carving
How does it turn? [Hayden] The inside edge is a little bit longer. There's more contact to the ground, and then the outside edge has some early rise. So initiating that ski edge to edge is effortless and like a dream.
How is its edge hold? [Hayden] As we're riding new skis, these things have very, very good edges right now, which is a nice change for me. But like I said, the inside of these skis have more edge with that Amphibio technology. So these inside edges, there's more contact. And you can see, too, that there is tons of camber underneath them, which is awesome for gripping and ripping.
Freestyle
How playful is it, and how is its pop? [Hayden] The playfulness factor of this ski is definitely, in my opinion, designed to be on the ground, on contact. We were able to catch some air off some knuckles with this ski, but it's definitely built for just holding those edges and just carrying from turn to turn.
Recommendations
What terrain would these skis be ideal for? [Hayden] If you were ripping these all around the mountain, they would definitely excel on groomers the most. We didn't get to take them into too many bumps. I'd be curious to see how they would be. They are pretty easy, edge to edge, so I would guess that they would do pretty well in the bumps. We were able to go into some trees. They were pretty nimble. We rode the 180 length today, and that's pretty much my standard length, too. So I did feel comfortable going in and out and initiating quick turns.
What terrain would you not recommend them for? Obviously, I would stay out of any kind of terrain park with these. It's just not its cup of tea for boxes, rails. If you are looking for little side hits, they're stiff. So I wouldn't say they're the poppiest ski, but I wouldn't say avoid it. But yeah, definitely, a groomer-oriented jammer.
Any general recommendations? [Thomas] I also would be really interested in putting a 50/50, or build a 50/50, touring binding set. This ski would tour really well. So if you wanted to put a Salomon Shift or a Kingpin or a Marker Duke or some sort of touring binding that can also go inbounds, this would be a really good ski for that. And you could also even put a lighter touring binding on it and make this a 100% backcountry setup.
Who would you recommend this ski to? [Hayden] I'd recommend this ski to anybody who is intermediate to advanced. If you're a new skier, this could be a little bit intimidating and just too much ski with those carbon rods. This is a burly ski. That being said, back to intermediate and advanced riders, if you're looking for a quick ski edge to edge, to tear up groomers, and maybe go off pisty a little bit, this is definitely a ski to consider. Today, it was pretty hardpacked conditions in the morning. I still had a great time on these. Low amount of chatter. It started to soften up, so we got a little bit of corn with them. Overall, it is a super fun ski, and yeah, I would recommend this to intermediate-to-advanced riders.
[Thomas] So this ski is going to be great for anyone upper intermediate through advanced. Either someone skiing the West as an everyday, all-mountain ski or someone who, on the East Coast, is skiing a lot more off-piste moguls, bumps, powder. This would be really good, honestly, as an East Coast powder day ski.
Who should avoid this ski? [Hayden] So skiers that should avoid these are newer skiers. If you're a new skier, this could be a little bit intimidating and just too much ski with those carbon rods. This is a burly ski. If you're not confident getting those quick edge-to-edge turns, it might be too much ski for you. We'll definitely recommend some other skis that might be more suited for a beginner skier. That being said, if you're intermediate, and you're looking to get a little bit better and want to push yourself, this one would be a little out of your range. But you could progress with it, and then you wouldn't outgrow this ski. Because, like I said, intermediate-to-advanced skiers will love the Elan Ripstick Black Edition 96.
[Thomas] If you're just getting out of rentals, this is not going to be great. This is a pretty stiff, aggressive ski. You should also avoid these skis if you're looking to ski in the park, you don't like carving groomers, or you don't like having fun.
So there are many skis out there. Every ski has little different things that make them better for certain riders, different levels, different styles, and this can be really scary and intimidating when you’re trying to find the right skis for you. If you want help finding the best skis for your needs, reach out to Hayden, Thomas, or any other Ski Expert here on Curated. They’ll help dial you in with the perfect setup. Note that the 2024 version of the Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition is linked below - same tech, just different graphic:
Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition Skis · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable