Elan Ripstick 88 Black Edition Review | 2027 Forecast Ski Test @ Red Mountain Resort

Video coming soon!

ELAN RIPSTICK 88 BLACK EDITION
Category: Freeride
Gender: Male
Ability: Advanced / Expert
Lengths: 154, 161, 168, 175, 182, 189
Length Tested: 182
Dimensions: 127/88/106
Turn Radius: 16.8m @ 182
Weight (Per Ski): 1,715g +/- 50g @ 182
Construction: CarbonDeck Technology / Carbon Frame / Flax Fibre
Core: Quadrod Tubelite Woodcore
MSRP: $899.95
More Info: elansports.com

Like the Playmaker 101, I tested Elan’s Ripstick 88 Black Edition in spring conditions, with icy snow in the mornings that morphed into slush during sunny afternoons at Red Mountain Resort. And being that the Ripstick 88 Black Edition is an all-mountain ski that excels on piste, and Elan has a long and storied history of producing skis that rail turns, it came as no surprise how superbly it carved on bulletproof snow, while also being super fun to ski off piste when things softened up. It’s a very responsive and stable ski that held a strong edge in a wide spectrum of snow conditions, but most of all when it was firm, and it impressed me in every type of terrain I had the opportunity to ski it in. As a result, the Ripstick 88 Black Edition would serve as a fantastic choice for a strong intermediate to expert skier who’s on the hunt for a solid, dependable and reactive all-mountain ski that’s on the narrower side of things. —Jordie Hall

About This Reviewer

Jordie Hall
Age: 55 / Height: 5’9” / Weight: 140 lbs
Occupation: Arborist @ 3 Tree Contracting
Years Skiing: 53
Preferred Ski: 180-186cm Length / 90-110mm Underfoot