We are starting to see some of the 2021 gear trickle out either in the consumer graphics or in this case a "prototype" graphic that is supposed to create some buzz. Well, advertiser Elan just sent me one such pair. Elan is sticking to its guns with the Amphibio construction with these new Ripstick RCs, but the sizing is a bit different than the outgoing model. Without having a current Ripstick 96 to compare this ski against, I am assuming it is a new mold. (We might see a correction here if I am wrong). This new RC measures 135-94-110 in a published 180cm length where the current Ripstick 96 is a 181 with dims of 134-96-113. So we are seeing a bit slimmer waist with a touch more taper in the tail. Weight comes in at 1644g, which is within a few grams of the current Ripstick 96. Overall flex feels pretty darn balanced.
The out-of-the-box tune is pretty darn good, especially for such an early production ski. This really shouldn't surprise me because when go to ski tests, Elan usually has one of the better tunes. These measured a consistent 1-1.5* on the base and a 1.5-2* on the side. That is about as good as we can expect from any ski out of the wrapper.
I am putting a placeholder for the next post so I can report back with my first on-snow impressions.
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