Elan Ripstick 96 review 2020
PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments
The Ripstick 96 from Elan is well known and appreciated by the Proskilab reviewers.
The ski is always "easy and pleasant" off-piste. It "floats straight away" in powder snow, pivots well in all conditions, including in the more difficult types of snow. Transitioning to choppy snow is good. It's a real treat in 20 centimetres of fresh snow.
On the piste, its behaviour is good. The Ripstick 96 is playful and safe as long as you don't go too fast and the terrain isn't too hard. If not, it can be more difficult to handle.
The Ripstick 96 from Elan is, according to the reviewers, a "super ski" to discover off-piste gently. At 1,680 g per ski, it is a good choice for freeride touring.
Review: Pros
- Playful behaviour, agility
- Get to grips with it right away
- Off-piste ease/behaviour
- Buoyancy in powder
- Easy to pivot
Review: Cons
- Poor behaviour on-piste, especially on hard snow
The ski review scores
| Turn initiation | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.8 |
| Stability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| Stability/turning performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
| Grip | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.3 |
| Short turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.8 |
| Long turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.3 |
| Skid turn performance | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.5 |
| Handleability | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.2 |
| Comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.0 |
| Snow contact | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.8 |
| Soft snow fluidity | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.0 |
| Freeride - Flotation quality | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 15.6 |
| Handling in powder | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 16.0 |
| Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 12.8 |
| Freeride - Performance on hard snow | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 13.0 |
| All-terrain comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.2 |
Who's it for?
Manufacturer's remarks
Praised by both magazine reviewers and professional skiers, the Ripstick 96 proved to be the ultimate freeski, designed to be lightweight, versatile and regular in all snow conditions.
Features of the Ripstick 96
| Brand : | Elan |
| Model : | Ripstick 96 |
| Year : | 2020 |
| Family : | Freeride touring |
| Size tested : | 181 cm |
| Tip size : | 134 mm |
| Waist size : | 96 mm |
| Tail size : | 113 mm |
| Radius for the size reviewed : | 18 m |
Your review
Reviewed by PROSKILAB™
in La Clusaz, France, March 2019