Elan Ripstick 106 vs. Renoun Citadel 106 Review
Elan Ripstick 106 vs. Renoun Citadel 106 Review
The Elan Ripstick has become a staple on the “best of” lists in the ski industry. The Ripstick 106 is no exception, this ski is a deep snow/resort animal. If there is one ski that can keep up, the Renoun Citadel is there utilizing new technology to stay ahead of the pack.
Stability
Known for its stability, the Citadel shines with innovative technologies like VibeStop™, providing a stable and smooth ride in any situation you can throw at it. The Ripstick offers good stability but might not match the Citadel's exceptional dampening capabilities, especially in variable conditions or diverse terrain.
Playfulness
Despite its stability, the Citadel retains a playful nature due to its design, allowing for responsive turns and a lightweight snappy feel. Emphasizing playfulness and maneuverability, the Elan's offer a lively feel and easier turn initiation, which might be considered playful in a slightly different style.
Edge-to-edge:
The Citadel excels in edge-to-edge transitions, providing a responsive feel and quick turns due to its aspen core and VibeStop™ inlays. The Ripstick 106 offers excellent edge-to-edge performance, with a design that aids in smooth transitions between turns, but might not match the Citadel's precision.
Versatility:
The Renoun Citadel 106 is versatile across any snow conditions and terrain types, suitable for carving groomers, navigating through trees, and handling backcountry challenges. Also highly versatile, the Elans are catering well to a variety of conditions, though some users may find it slightly more biased towards more freestyle skiing.
Powder:
Shining as bright as they can, the Citadels offer the best possible experience in powder. From the resort, to big backcountry couloirs, the Renouns deliver confidence anywhere it is needed. The Ripstick handles well in deep snow, and tends to lean a bit more towards playful turns. This potentially sacrifices a bit of power compared to the Citadel.
Conclusion:
There’s no question that you will have a blast skiing on the Elan Ripstick 106, or the Renoun Citadel. With ski touring on the rise, it makes a lot of sense to throw an uphill binding on either of these skis. After realizing the Citadel is a solid 200g lighter per ski, it’s a no-brainer to pick the lighter ski that can outperform the rest.