102 mm Freeride Ski, Carbon Reinforced
Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition Alpine Ski
The Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition is a freeride ski for advanced and expert skiers who chase soft snow at the resort and want a wide ski that does not feel like a barge on the groomer home. A 102 mm waist on a 138-102-118 mm shape floats in new snow, while four carbon rods through the Tubelite wood core and a C-Ply carbon layer through the mid-body keep the shovel from folding in cut-up snow. At 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm, on a radius map from 16.8 m at 168 cm to 19.8 m at 189 cm, the Ripstick 102 Black Edition is built for storm days first and long fast turns second.
Expert Review
Specs verified against the Elan 2026/27 article number for this ski.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Advanced and expert skiers in soft-snow climates who want a 102 mm freeride ski with carbon stiffness at 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm.
Consider Another Ski If
You ski firm groomers most days, want a quicker ski edge to edge, or need a length under 168 cm, since the run starts there.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Downhill Performance
Four carbon rods plus a C-Ply mid-body layer
Soft Snow Float
102 mm waist on a 138 mm shovel
Firm Snow Grip
Cambered inside edge, 18.8 m radius at 182 cm
Playfulness
1,720 g per ski (182 cm) on a stiff carbon layup
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
Specs at a Glance
Waist Width102 mm
Dimensions138-102-118 mm (one geometry published for all lengths, 168 to 189 cm)
Turning Radius16.8 m (168 cm), 17.8 m (175 cm), 18.8 m (182 cm), 19.8 m (189 cm)
Weight1,720 g per ski (182 cm)
Lengths168, 175, 182, 189 cm
ProfileAmphibio Profile: rockered tip and tail with camber underfoot, rockered deeper on the outside edge than the inside edge, so the skis are left and right specific
CoreTubelite Woodcore with Quadrod, a laminated wood core carrying four carbon rods rather than two, plus a flax fibre layer in the tip
ConstructionCarbon Frame Reinforcement: a CarbonDeck layup of carbon bands over both edges, a C-Ply carbon layer through the mid-body, and SST slanted sidewalls
Why We Like It
- A 102 mm waist under a 138 mm shovel planes early in new snow, and the rockered tip and tail let the ski come around when a line closes down.
- 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm is 80 g more than the 96 mm Black Edition, which is a small price for 6 mm of extra waist and a wider shovel.
- Four carbon rods in the wood core and a C-Ply carbon layer under the binding hold the ski flat in chopped-up snow, where a light wide ski normally starts to deflect.
- Amphibio, the asymmetric profile, cambers the inside edge so a 102 mm ski still has a real edge to stand on when the run home is hard and fast.
Best Uses
- Storm days and the two days after them
- Resort powder laps that end on a firm groomer
- Open bowls and big terrain where 18.8 m at 182 cm suits the turn
- A second ski alongside a narrower daily driver
- Skiers in soft-snow climates looking for one wide ski for the season
Ski Specialist’s Advice
Length choice here starts higher than on the narrower Ripsticks, since the run is 168, 175, 182, and 189 cm with radius from 16.8 m to 19.8 m. A wide ski gains float from length as well as width, so a skier who takes 175 cm in a 96 mm ski often stays at 175 cm or moves to 182 cm here rather than sizing down. Skiers who want a wide ski for tight trees are better served by the 96 mm Black Edition at a shorter length.
Elan pairs the Ripstick 102 Black Edition with an Attack 14 carrying a 110 mm brake, which is the narrowest brake we would fit on a 102 mm waist. 110 mm to 120 mm is the working range. Match the binding to your boot sole norm rather than to the ski, and bring the boots so the mount is set against your own sole length.
The asymmetric profile makes these left and right specific skis, and both are marked. That matters more on a wide ski than a narrow one, because the cambered inside edge is what gives a 102 mm ski grip on a firm traverse. We check the marks at mount and again at pickup.
Length and mount guidance from CCBB staff. Final mount position should be set in the shop against your boot sole length.
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Technical Specifications
Manufacturer specs · Click to expand
Shape and Dimensions
- Waist Width
- 102 mm
- Dimensions
- 138-102-118 mm (one geometry published for all lengths, 168 to 189 cm)
- Turning Radius
- 16.8 m (168 cm), 17.8 m (175 cm), 18.8 m (182 cm), 19.8 m (189 cm)
- Lengths
- 168, 175, 182, 189 cm
- Profile
- Amphibio Profile: rockered tip and tail with camber underfoot, rockered deeper on the outside edge than the inside edge, so the skis are left and right specific
Build and Setup
- Weight
- 1,720 g per ski (182 cm)
- Core
- Tubelite Woodcore with Quadrod, a laminated wood core carrying four carbon rods rather than two, plus a flax fibre layer in the tip
- Construction
- Carbon Frame Reinforcement: a CarbonDeck layup of carbon bands over both edges, a C-Ply carbon layer through the mid-body, and SST slanted sidewalls
- Base
- Sintered race structured high speed gliding base
- Brake Width
- 110 mm to 120 mm clears the 102 mm waist
- Recommended Use
- Freeride and soft snow, with resort duty on firm days
Compare the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Ripstick 102 Black Edition and the Ripstick 96 Black Edition
The Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition carries the same carbon package on a 133-96-114 mm shape at 1,640 g per ski at 182 cm. The 96 is quicker edge to edge and better on firm snow; the 102 floats earlier and holds a longer turn. Skiers who ski more groomers than powder should take the 96.
Shop the Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition
Ripstick 102 Black Edition and the standard Ripstick 96
The Elan Ripstick 96 is the lighter, more forgiving ski in the family at 1,640 g per ski at 182 cm with two carbon rods and no C-Ply layer. Skiers who want one ski for a whole season of mixed conditions take the 96, and skiers who already own a narrower ski and want a soft-snow partner take the 102 Black Edition.
Shop the Elan Ripstick 96
Ripstick 102 Black Edition and the Atomic Bent 100
The Atomic Bent 100 is a twin-tip freeride ski at 100 mm underfoot, built to be skied loose, slashed, and landed switch. The Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition is directional and carbon-reinforced, so the Ripstick 102 holds a line at speed while the Bent 100 rewards playing with the terrain.
Shop the Atomic Bent 100
Common Questions
Who should buy the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition?
The Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition suits advanced and expert skiers who live somewhere that snows and want a wide ski with structure. A 102 mm waist and a 138 mm shovel float in soft snow, and four carbon rods plus a C-Ply carbon layer keep the ski composed in cut-up snow at 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm. Skiers who ski groomers most days want something narrower.
Is the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition really a one-ski quiver?
That depends on where you ski, and we would answer it more narrowly than the marketing does. Elan positions the Ripstick 102 as the one-ski quiver for freeride needs. At 102 mm underfoot with an 18.8 m radius at 182 cm, this ski is genuinely a one-ski quiver in a soft-snow climate. On a mountain where most days are firm, a 102 mm waist is more ski than the conditions ask for, and the 96 mm Ripstick is the better single ski. We would rather sell you the right width than the wider one.
What bindings and brake width work with the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition?
The ski ships flat, and the brake has to clear the 102 mm waist, so 110 mm to 120 mm is the range. Elan pairs the ski with an Attack 14 and a 110 mm brake, which is the narrowest we would fit here. Match the binding to your boot sole norm rather than to the ski, check the boots against the binding maker's chart, and have the mount set against your own boot sole length.
Are the Ripstick 102 Black Edition skis left and right specific?
Yes. The Amphibio Profile is asymmetric, with camber on the inside edge and deeper rocker on the outside edge, so each ski is marked for one foot. On the wrong feet the rockered edge sits under the turn, which costs grip, and on a 102 mm ski that grip is already working harder on firm snow. The pair also cannot be rotated between feet.
What length Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition should I ski?
Four lengths: 168, 175, 182, and 189 cm, with radius from 16.8 m to 19.8 m. Width adds float, and so does length, so most skiers should not size down from their usual number here. Skiers who ski open terrain fast suit 182 cm or 189 cm, mixed terrain suits 175 cm, and 168 cm is the pick for lighter skiers or tighter lines.
How much does the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition weigh?
1,720 g per ski at 182 cm, published with a 50 g tolerance either way. That is per ski rather than per pair, and it describes 182 cm only, since weight rises with length. For scale, the 96 mm Black Edition publishes 1,640 g per ski at the same 182 cm, so the wider ski costs 80 g.
What does the Black Edition carbon package add on a 102 mm ski?
Three things stack up: the CarbonDeck layup of carbon rods and unidirectional carbon bands over both edges, Quadrod, which adds two more rods in the tip and tail for four in total, and a C-Ply carbon layer through the mid-body under the binding. On a wide ski that matters most in chopped-up snow, where a soft shovel deflects. All of it is carbon rather than metal, which is how the ski stays at 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm.
Our Verdict
The Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition is the storm-day ski for a skier who does not want to give up structure to get width. A 102 mm waist under a 138 mm shovel floats early, four carbon rods in the Tubelite wood core and a C-Ply carbon layer under the binding keep the ski from deflecting in cut-up snow, and 1,720 g per ski at 182 cm is 80 g more than the 96 mm Black Edition for 6 mm more waist. Four lengths from 168 to 189 cm run 16.8 m to 19.8 m of radius, which is a big-turn map, not a slalom one. Skiers whose home mountain is firm most days should buy the 96 mm ski instead.
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