Introductions
I met the Wingman 82 CTi last spring, as part of the Phil and Tricia skibrary (tm) program. We hit it off immediately, and this fall I acquired a pair. I mean, I bought the skis.
So it is that I'm in a position to put up the first of what I imagine will be several posts over the season, comprising a long term review.
Me, 5'7" 140lbs 57yo, beer leaguer, east coaster. I've been accused by several Pugs of being a "finesse skier." Whatever.
Introductions II
Aesthetically the skis are much more attractive on the snow than they are on the ski wall at the shop. The nicely-done textured finish doesn't come through under the shrink wrap. The day-glo orange sidewall pops, in natural light, contrasting cheerfully with the demure rust lettering and matte navy background of the topsheets. Do graphics matter? Hell yeah.
The bases were judged by my trusty tuner to be pretty good, but not perfect in the flatness department. We elected to give them a light grind to get them really flat. Along the way I had him put a 3 degree side edge on them.
The bindings are new Attack 13s, mounted on the standard line. Their minor green accents look good against the orange theme of the ski.
In Practice
I got my first proper day out on them at Sugarloaf recently. Obviously I was anxious to see if they performed as well as I'd remembered. They did.
This is not meant to be a "comparison review." Buuuuuut ... it just so happened that I took the 82mm Wingman out on the exact set of terrain I'd been on less than a week earlier on my 2017 Kästle MX 84s. The MX is an iconic, universally lauded ski of essentially the same width and intended use as the Elan. The temptation to contrast it with my new boards is pretty much impossible to resist. When you read my notes, keep in mind that the Kästle retails for almost double the price of the Wingman.
There is one area where I think the MX is clearly a stronger ski. It feels quieter and more reassuring at GS speeds. Many have noted that the Kästle "wants you to go faster." Acknowledged. Beyond this, it's a matter of taste, imo.
I'm going to claim immediately that the Wingman's grip on hard snow is at LEAST as good as the Kästle's. It doesn't feel or sound like it's going to be, but that's your old prejudice against light skis talking. You're carbon-dating yourself. Just trust it and go. It has your back.
Also - and this is huge for me - the engagement at turn initiation is better on the Elan. I know some people prefer the "don't do anything until I tell you to" aspect of the MX design, but I don't. To me, after being on a ski that has more solid hookup, the MX just feels like an old car without power steering. You can have your antique plates. (NOTE: Those of you like Josh M. who claimed that there was more of a difference in this regard between the original attitude-rich MX 83 and the subsequent MX 84 than Kastle let on ... I've come around to thinking you were probably right.)
Once you're into an arc'd turn on the Elan, it bends, and bends easily. However, it doesn't bend too much or too abruptly; there is no sense of "folding," even when you really push to tighten the radius. This is such a great quality, and is one of the things that would make this a great instuctor's ski, IMO. There is no need for crazy speed or thighs of steel to get the thing to perform. Rebound is available, but controllable. It's a slice-y ski, but it's not ONLY a slice-y ski.
Brushed turns on steeps - easy. Soft emerging bumps - easy. Light crud - easy. In future episodes, we'll see how they fare in serious moguls, on proper ice, in the glades, on après-ski decks, under an inebriated pilot, and elsewhere. Maybe we'll even come up with some video. Stay tuned.
Postscript
It's very validating to observe, after my initial demo and subsequent purchase, that several respected ski review teams have had similar reactions to this super-fun ski. Both Ski Essentials and Real Skiers have notes that align remarkably well with my impressions. Proskilab awarded its 86mm sibling with the same construction a "best in category."
(Wait, does that mean I'm slipping somehow? Am I becoming ... normal? Crap.)
I met the Wingman 82 CTi last spring, as part of the Phil and Tricia skibrary (tm) program. We hit it off immediately, and this fall I acquired a pair. I mean, I bought the skis.
So it is that I'm in a position to put up the first of what I imagine will be several posts over the season, comprising a long term review.
Me, 5'7" 140lbs 57yo, beer leaguer, east coaster. I've been accused by several Pugs of being a "finesse skier." Whatever.
Introductions II
Aesthetically the skis are much more attractive on the snow than they are on the ski wall at the shop. The nicely-done textured finish doesn't come through under the shrink wrap. The day-glo orange sidewall pops, in natural light, contrasting cheerfully with the demure rust lettering and matte navy background of the topsheets. Do graphics matter? Hell yeah.
The bases were judged by my trusty tuner to be pretty good, but not perfect in the flatness department. We elected to give them a light grind to get them really flat. Along the way I had him put a 3 degree side edge on them.
The bindings are new Attack 13s, mounted on the standard line. Their minor green accents look good against the orange theme of the ski.
In Practice
I got my first proper day out on them at Sugarloaf recently. Obviously I was anxious to see if they performed as well as I'd remembered. They did.
This is not meant to be a "comparison review." Buuuuuut ... it just so happened that I took the 82mm Wingman out on the exact set of terrain I'd been on less than a week earlier on my 2017 Kästle MX 84s. The MX is an iconic, universally lauded ski of essentially the same width and intended use as the Elan. The temptation to contrast it with my new boards is pretty much impossible to resist. When you read my notes, keep in mind that the Kästle retails for almost double the price of the Wingman.
There is one area where I think the MX is clearly a stronger ski. It feels quieter and more reassuring at GS speeds. Many have noted that the Kästle "wants you to go faster." Acknowledged. Beyond this, it's a matter of taste, imo.
I'm going to claim immediately that the Wingman's grip on hard snow is at LEAST as good as the Kästle's. It doesn't feel or sound like it's going to be, but that's your old prejudice against light skis talking. You're carbon-dating yourself. Just trust it and go. It has your back.
Also - and this is huge for me - the engagement at turn initiation is better on the Elan. I know some people prefer the "don't do anything until I tell you to" aspect of the MX design, but I don't. To me, after being on a ski that has more solid hookup, the MX just feels like an old car without power steering. You can have your antique plates. (NOTE: Those of you like Josh M. who claimed that there was more of a difference in this regard between the original attitude-rich MX 83 and the subsequent MX 84 than Kastle let on ... I've come around to thinking you were probably right.)
Once you're into an arc'd turn on the Elan, it bends, and bends easily. However, it doesn't bend too much or too abruptly; there is no sense of "folding," even when you really push to tighten the radius. This is such a great quality, and is one of the things that would make this a great instuctor's ski, IMO. There is no need for crazy speed or thighs of steel to get the thing to perform. Rebound is available, but controllable. It's a slice-y ski, but it's not ONLY a slice-y ski.
Brushed turns on steeps - easy. Soft emerging bumps - easy. Light crud - easy. In future episodes, we'll see how they fare in serious moguls, on proper ice, in the glades, on après-ski decks, under an inebriated pilot, and elsewhere. Maybe we'll even come up with some video. Stay tuned.
Postscript
It's very validating to observe, after my initial demo and subsequent purchase, that several respected ski review teams have had similar reactions to this super-fun ski. Both Ski Essentials and Real Skiers have notes that align remarkably well with my impressions. Proskilab awarded its 86mm sibling with the same construction a "best in category."
(Wait, does that mean I'm slipping somehow? Am I becoming ... normal? Crap.)