Fast As A Porsche
Porsche builds fast, refined cars. Elan builds skis that make our sport more fun. And when the two companies work together on a product, we get excited about the potential. The Porsche Design Elan Amphibio takes all the premium on-piste technology Elan’s got and adds Porsche’s panache for style and excellence. Part of Elan’s high-performance Black Edition Series, the ski uses a 73mm Amphibio ski as a base and then piles on the Fusion X binding system with a single connection point for smoother flexing, a carbon plate to increase precision, RST sidewalls for power transfer and two layers of titanium to increase edge hold. It promises to ski true to its Porsche name.
$1,496; elanskis.com
BEST FOR: Advanced to expert ladies who like to carve.
LENGTHS: 146, 152, 158, 164, 170
DIMENSIONS: 121/73/104
RADIUS: 14.5@164
If you’re going to ski beautifully you might as well look it, too. That’s at least some of the thinking behind the new Insomnia, which comes with an all-black topsheet studded in Swarovski crystals. It’s part of Elan’s Black Edition collection, an upgrade to existing skis. In this case, the company took the regular Insomnia shape and added Amphibio Truline Tech. This is Elan’s proprietary dedicated left- and right-ski design that puts more structural material over the inside edge of each ski, powering up grip and dampness, and lightening the outside for easy transitions and turn initiation. The Insomnia was already a high-performing ski, and our testers found the new design upped the ante a little further. “Quick response in short turns and stable at high speeds,” said Jen Young at Mount Washington. “Great all-round, advanced ski.” The 73mm waist performed best in firmer snow conditions, though there was plenty of power for charging through the slushy afternoon conditions in the bumps. Several testers noted it took them a few turns to figure out the sweetspot. “You need to be on it,” noted Deanna Papineau. “Once you’re balanced it goes.”
