 Poster: A snowHead
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Head definitely now in shiny new toys mode after the ski demos .... 
I do love my existing little old Elan piste skis, but it is time to upgrade or at least add to the quiver. Definite ideas from the ski test, but I don't want to discount a brand which I've really found very good, and which at the time had very good reviews which I actually wholeheartedly agree with (as opposed to some which I've tried...).
I've seen and read some very good reviews of the newer Elans, too, but the construction of the skis has changed totally since I got mine in 2009 (don't start - yes, it's time for new ones), and a lot of people in the UK seem to slag them off for some reason, so I don't know whether I'd still like them or not. (Obviosuly their race skis are still in favour.)
Can buy them in or through a UK dealer but can't demo them and not seen any of the higher-spec models for hire. So, any feedback appreciated, just to add to the whirling thought process. Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My 2 cents, and speaking as someone who hasn't set foot on an Elan ski, would be to go with something that you have tried and liked. Skis are changing at such a pace ie. getting lighter and often with more rocker, that it would be a risky assumption to make, that current Elans would still have the same feel.
Volkl Mantra would be such an example, where many have found the newer version too squirrely.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 11-10-16 21:37; edited 2 times in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Elan Himalaya gets good reviews. The other touring / all mountain skis are not expensive but maybe a bit too classic for today's skiers.
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@Grizzler, I am afraid I cannot answer your question but I have always had a soft spot for elan skis as my first skis were a pair that I won in the end of week slalom competition on a Thompson learn to ski week in Slovenia, which was still in communist Yugoslavia then. I have since had a couple more sets from elan and the ones at the moment are not much newer than yours to be honest. Colorado Ski / Ski Warehouse or whatever they were called occasionally had some good ones in, lot of cheapy stuff too, at a good price if you caught them at the right time. Now they have gone to sports direct I have seen some strange offerings of Elan Skis, eg. Elan Skis without the specific Elan Bindings, and not necessarily cheap either. There was somebody down south that used to deal in them too I think. I believe they are much bigger in the states so you might have to go there to try them  . I just missed a free test of the ones with specific left and right skis when I was in Alpe d'Huez year before last and have not had the opportunity since so if you do get anywhere I would be interested to know.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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http://elanskisales.co.uk/
Keith is still selling in Kent. I got a pair of slalom skis for my daughter a few years back and they have been very good. Mainly used on plastic with a couple of weeks on snow.
If you can win the para Olympics on them they must be ok
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mate of mine who according to a few Mountain Guides I know, who say he is well above most average Brit FreeRide skiers, skis Elan, and in fact before I saw this post I was having a chat with him earlier today and he was telling me about his new Elan skis that he's gone for this season - I suppose I better find out which ones now 
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I skied some Elan slalom skis a couple of years ago at Easter. Not really fair to rate them because the snow was so soft, but I have some Head WCRs now and love them.
[edit]I'm big and heavy and the V stiff Heads are ideal for me.
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Kooky still loves her Elan SL skis, and last season I spent a fair bit of time on a pair of older proper race GSs. Fantastic skis 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Problem is the brand has been all over the shop in the UK from the bargain buckets at Sports Direct to the stuff that still seems to be being sold online reffed above which looks a few years old to me. Plus I demoed the Spectrum 105 a couple of years ago and found it comfortably the worst ski of that size I took out all day.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, Everyone I've met who has loved Elans have been on their piste / race skis. In fact I hadn't seen anyone in my circles skiing anything in their wider offerings.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I rented some for the afternoon at Grouse Mountain. Not really impressed, but as the equivalent of bowling shoes I figure any ski rented day in day out in that way would end up similarly disappointing.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Elan make great race skis.
They also make great other skis - for other brands who design them better but can't/don't want to build them themselves.
Plake'll tell you it's all about the skier not the skis though...
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You know it makes sense.
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@jogi, The FIS Elans I know were from several years ago, but even then nowhere near as popular as the Atomics.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@jogi, interesting about the race skis!
Personally I think the freeride skis they build for 4FRNT (and Black Crows? Not 100% on that, they might be built in the Blossom factory..?) are much more interesting than their own!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have Elan WC skis SL/GS and love them, (yes jogi they are *proper*race skis not punter skis)
I have had them about 8 years, son was a sponsored racer so they are his ex race skis, they are getting a little long in the tooth now though, and after he switched to Atomic I inherited all his Double Deckers too but I still prefer the Elans. They are a little on the heavy side but I love their nimbleness.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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^^ That is the expert I was looking for
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 12-10-16 23:46; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Black Crows are awesome, I love those skis.
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@Scarpa, there were quite few changes in Elan in recent years, and their race department is nowhere near this what it was years ago. Quality of their race stuff is all over the place, which is normal for the way they handle things. For example, race department doesn't have their own ski press anymore, but they use ski presses from production. For real race skis consistency is really important thing, as it's impossible to have real race stuff, when you don't know what you can expect from next pair that comes out of press. And with their race skis, they lack any kind of consistency.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@jogi, That's quite sad, and sounds rather silly of them. Elan were one of the pioneers of carving skis were they not ?
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For the average holidaymaker up to advanced level elan offer a great range and have been at the forefront of new technology. i have the alan amphibio witheh early rise which are excellent one ski is left foot and the other is right foot. i have a set of off piest which work well
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@skitow, yeah they invented carving skis. Regarding if it's sad or no it's tough question. Considering they still have racing department, it is sad, silly, stupid and god knows what else, as you seriously can't produce good race skis in such conditions. If they would just cancel who race department completely it would be just fine. I mean Elan doesn't need to have race department to survive. Considering their race team is basically non existing (I somehow doubt they sell much of skis because few ski cross guys run them), yet they are still doing relatively fine. So for doing fine in general ski business, they would need to innovate like they did till now, and do what they are currently doing, and they would just need to drop race department completely (like they did with ski jumping skis this spring). You can sell skis without having World champion, which they are proving for last 15 years. But if they keep it, they basically make bad name for them self the way they are dealing with race skis. And at least personally I think they do more damage to them self having race department run this way, then they would do without having real race stock skis at all.
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Hang on @clarky999, is that right? Elan make skis for Black Crows?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@LukeRibs, as I said I'm not 100% about Black Crows, but they def make (most of) 4FRNT's skis, and I believe a few others.
You might be surprised how many brands get their skis made in other factories! Eg I believe Blizzard now make Black Diamond, both Whitedot and Down and made in the Noble factory, I think Armada are made either by Atomic, Head or Fischer...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I own a pair of Elan slingshot twin tips and can honestly say I love them! Had them 2 years and are so easy to ski on even to the point that I did a swap with my mate for one day I went on his volkl and he went on mine because his legs were aching, I literally had to prise them from his boots at the end of the day as he loved them so much and asked if he could borrow them for an upcoming trip that I'm not attending
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If they are good enough for Glen Plake they are good enough for everyone.Demoed Ripstick 96 last winter and they awesome.
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FAQ
Elan makes quite crappy race skis (talking about real race skis not "race" skis you get in stores and have nothing in common with race skis). But for normal people and their holiday skiing, Elan does make great skis, no matter if they are on piste or off piste skis. I have been skiing their Ripstick (116 and 96) last season few times and they are actually super nice skis, but as I'm not on Elan otherwise, I can't tell how were their previous off piste models. So if nothing else, they have great off piste skis with this year collection if they didn't have them before 