GEARSCORE review partner
World's best outdoor gear reviews
GEARSCORE selects and publishes the world's best outdoor product reviews.
All Ripstick 96 2020 reviewsAll ski model reviewsElan Ripstick 96 review 2020
PROSKILAB™ reviewers' comments
The Elan Ripstick 96 is well-known and liked by the Proskilab testers.
The ski is still “easy and fun” off-piste. It “floats immediately” in powder, pivots easily in all conditions, even in difficult snow. It cuts through crud well. A total blast in twenty centimeters of fresh powder.
On groomers, performance is good. The Ripstick 96 is playful and confidence-inspiring as long as you don’t go too fast and the snow isn’t too hard. If it is hard, it can be difficult to control.
According to the testers, the Elan Ripstick 96 is a “super ski” to try some easy backcountry skiing. Weighing in at 1680 grams per ski, it is a great choice for freeride touring.
Review: Pros
- Playful, agile
- Easy to control from the get-go
- Off-piste performance
- Flotation in powder
- Easy to pivot
Review: Cons
- Mediocre performance on groomers, 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 |
| Any ground comfort | ☆☆☆☆☆ | 14.2 |
Who's it for?
Manufacturer's remarks
Praised by magazine testers and professional skiers alike for its unique blend of lightweight performance, versatility, and smoothness, the Ripstick 96 is proven to be the ultimate freeride ski 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