I picked up the Black Edition (BE) in a 181 a couple of weeks back and have a few days on them. this is a superb ski it can be serious or a ton-o-fun depending on how you ski it. It has a even, moderate flex in the tip, stiff underfoot and a moderate + flex in the tail. I mounted them with Elan attack 13 demos. After skiing a variety of conditions from hero snow groomers to knee deep Fresh to broken 10-18" I ended up at mount point of -1.5.( I have found every Elan to have a suggested mount point that is too far froward). Skiing the BE is a blast, I loved this ski from the first turn, even with the mount point too forward, I loved the feel of the ski. It's has the unique combination of being able to rail groomers at speed with stability but can also be skied flat and schmeary like a fat, tapered ski in powder. Although I'm on Injured Reserve this season, I skied them in knee deep blower in some easy trees and they pivoted on a dime which I didn't expect. I dont typically ski powder on anything wider than a 100 so the 96 is plenty wide for me. I had ample float from the BE's. The BE also rips (hence Ripsticks for sure) groomers too. Very stable and the ski engages smoothly but positively. A lot of fun with SR turns; the ski can be loaded up and popped out of turns. The BE also does extremely well in broken snow/crud and bumps. The Unique shape of the tail and just the right amount of tip rocker certainly helps this ski slither through bumped and tracked out snow.
Who's it for? I really can't recommend this ski enough to just about any skier but its best enjoyed by advanced skiers and up. I dont think it's demanding but it will respond best to those who have an understanding of edging and how to work a ski. Intermediates just wont get the benefits out of this ski.
Who's it not for? Hmm, as stated its best enjoyed by those who have some skills and probably lightweight skiers may find it too stiff (but Skiers like
@Tony S who have skills can overcome this)
Insider tip: Demo or ski with a demo binding first. Elan mount points are notoriously too far forward. This is not a park ski so unless you spend a lot of time in the air, you dont need it so close to center.
More on Amphibio, yeah its a pain but I do think it works and you just use the ski that has the "96" on the outer edge. Dont let it stop you from buying the ski (if you can still find one).
Mounting point and stack height. I am a big advocate of skiers finding the mount point that best fits their skiing ability and style and I typically use demo bindings. In the case of Elan and the BE, I started out at the factory recommended point (the ski has 1 cm delineations on the ski ) but skiing 300 yards down to the lift, you could feel they were too forward resulting in a twitchy, squirrelly feel. I moved them back one CM and then another 5mm before they felt balanced on both groomed snow and off piste., Since part of the BE is the light weight, I am putting on regular Attacks to shave off a pound of weight. I also felt the ski would benefit from a lower stack (the demo's are 32mm IIRC) of 17mm.