Curated Ski Expert Thomas Harari tested the Elan Ripstick 106 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 106 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.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this ski? This is a very unique ski. Elan has a 106mm underfoot ski that's relatively stiff and it's also really light. Not very many skis are this light and this stiff and stable. And then it also has Amphibio technology, which means that it has a left and a right ski with different turn radiuses and a little bit different rocker profiles in order to carve better and be like a more natural turner.

Carving

How is it for carving? This ski for how wide it is, carves like crazy. It's one of the best carving 106 underfoot skis that I've ever skied. Also for being really light, it's really easy to throw around. I would also kind of compare this to the Head Kore a little bit as a light stiff ski. The Kore is a more pivoty, quick-turning ski, whereas this is a little bit more of a carver.

How is its edge hold? This ski has tip to tail carbon rods, that's supposed to lighten it and give it more responsive edges. I did spend some time with swapping the skis, so I had the left ski on my right and the right on my left just to see how the Amphibio technology really worked and see if I could tell the difference on the wrong ski. It wanted to pivot more. It was not as good at holding an edge. And so while that's kind of the complete opposite of what the ski’s supposed to do, it does show that the technology does allow this ski to be able to lock those turns in the way that it does.

Freestyle

How playful is the ski? This is definitely not a playful ski, it's not a park ski. It's not going to be something where you can bounce around the mountain. It wants to carve turns and it wants to be really locked in and solid.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you want to find out if the Elan Ripstick 106 skis are right for you or get recommendations on the best skis for your needs, reach out to Thomas or another Ski Expert here on Curated. They’re happy to help you out.