Elan Ripstick 106 vs. Volkl Blaze 106 vs. Armada Tracer 108 (or ARW 106?)

[RodneyBD]

Appreciate if anyone could help my shopping efforts - getting ready to head out West and want to take a playful/fun ski for steep side-country trees and bumps. I am anti-charger, want something to pivot. 5'11 and 160 and shifty skier, noodle end of the spectrum ok by me. My eastern ski was a Ranger 90 and now a 98. Focused on 106-109 width, if there is an epic dump I'll demo.

I have never - never - looked at an Elan ski because I can remember the 80's but it seems this 106 ripstick fits the bill.

And I never would have considered a Volkl but apparently the Blaze is "un-Volkl" like.

The Armadas seem interesting but I haven't found much info on these skis.

Would include the new QST One Oh Six but price tag is a killer, maybe next year. Many thanks for any perspective!!

ps was interested in the Line Vision but put off by the delam/defect problems

 

[cbryant]

I ride the Ripstick106 black edition and they are perfect for me and what I wanted from them. Even better to be honest. Given what you said about anti-charger and pivoting, I would say the Ripstick 106 regular fits what you want perfectly. The only difference in the black edition and the reg is in the amount of carbon rods in the ski. The BEs aren’t a burly ski but they are strong. The Regs require a little less from the driver. I too would not even give Elans a chance until these came out. I took a few runs on the green Elan Ripstick 96 a few years ago and did not like them at all. The new line is much better. Can’t really speak to the other skis beyond what it appears you already know. I think of big powerful turns at 50mph when I think of Volkl.

 

[GregK]

182cm Dynastar M-Free 108 is the most surfy, easy to pivot ski out there but not a noodle and still has decent weight that it doesn’t mind when things get rough. The longer 192cm length gets more serious and more planted.

Most of the other skis on your list actually have too little taper(especially the Blaze) so they are actually more grippy and precise than you seem to want.

 

[bitflogger]

Appreciate if anyone could help my shopping efforts - getting ready to head out West and want to take a playful/fun ski for steep side-country trees and bumps. I am anti-charger, want something to pivot. 5'11 and 160 and shifty skier, noodle end of the spectrum ok by me. My eastern ski was a Ranger 90 and now a 98. Focused on 106-109 width, if there is an epic dump I'll demo.

I have never - never - looked at an Elan ski because I can remember the 80's but it seems this 106 ripstick fits the bill.

And I never would have considered a Volkl but apparently the Blaze is "un-Volkl" like.

The Armadas seem interesting but I haven't found much info on these skis.

Would include the new QST One Oh Six but price tag is a killer, maybe next year. Many thanks for any perspective!!

ps was interested in the Line Vision but put off by the delam/defect problems

I'm sorry and have no experience with those and am happy with my taking a gamble on Shaggy's Ahmeek 105. They don't seem too aggressive or "charger" as I was warned some skis might be. If anything they make me comfy charging at stuff. They are the most capable and fun skis I've ever had in 51 years of skiing. People I know and teach with with different width Salomon QST like them all.