The Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition are incredibly versatile skis that can handle just about any condition you’ll encounter on the mountain. Whether you’re skiing deep powder, variable snow conditions, or tight tree runs, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition is a ski that’s built to excel.
At first glance, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition stands out with its sleek black design. But it’s what’s under the hood that really sets this ski apart. The Ripstick 106 Black Edition features Elan’s “Amphibio” technology, which combines rocker and camber in the same ski to create a truly versatile and high-performance platform. The ski has a cambered inside edge and a rockered outside edge, which provides stability and edge hold on hard snow, while allowing for easy turn initiation and floatation in soft snow. The result is a ski that’s incredibly responsive and agile, with a smooth and predictable ride.
This smooth ride is thanks to QuadRod, which features four carbon rods placed in the core of the ski that make it stable without the additional weight of metal.
Additional edge grip comes from a carbon weave placed along the inside edge from tip to tail. Elan dubs this Carbon Line technology and it enhances the left/right profile.
Regardless of the length, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition has a 106mm waist, which provides excellent floatation in deep powder, while still maintaining edge hold on harder snow.
So how does the Ripstick 106 Black Edition perform on the mountain? In a word, it’s outstanding. This ski is incredibly versatile and can handle just about any condition you’ll encounter off-piste. In deep powder, the ski is a dream to ride. The rockered outside edge provides excellent floatation and makes it easy to stay on top of the snow, while the cambered inside edge provides stability and edge hold when you need it. The result is a ski that’s incredibly maneuverable and easy to control, even in the deepest snow.
On groomed runs, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition is still a great ski. The skis are such a solid platform you can really push into them. However, we found them to be sluggish edge to edge which is expected in a ski at 106 underfoot.
One thing to keep in mind with the Ripstick 106 Black Edition is that it’s a ski that’s designed for advanced skiers. It’s not the easiest ski to ski on, and beginners and intermediate skiers may find it challenging to control. However, for advanced skiers, these boards are a dream.
We mounted our pair up with a pair of Armada shift bindings. We found this setup perfect for our trip to Japan, which was 80% resort skiing and 20% ski touring in primarily powder conditions. Â A real testament to the ski is that at no time did we give them much thought. They just performed the way they should, allowing us to concentrate on the skiing and not how our gear was performing.