Elan's offering to the SkiDiva?

[SnowHot]

Elan is a ski that I've never thought much about. Maybe because the local ski shops don't seem to carry Elan. I do, however, see Elan on the hill occasionally, and now that Glen Plake is with Elan, and knowing his wife has had an influence on the K2 Women's skis, I'm wondering if she'll have some of the same type of influence on Elan.

I tend to ski unisex skis but really want to give the advancements in the women ski lines a fair chance.
What is elan offering right now that would make aggressive woman skier say Whooo hoooo?

The only one in the women's line that intrigues me is the Speed Magic, and yet, I'd prefer to have something a bit wider in the waist. 116/69/105

The Speed Magic is a ski for dynamic women favoring precision carving and slalom turns. The racing sidewall technology and a slalom geometry offer perfect edge grip and control.

Is there anything coming out in 08 that will advance the women?

 

[ski diva]

I'm like you, SnowHot, I never considered Elans before, but I'm intrigued. This is a problem -- when it comes time to demo skis, I'm going to have a list as long as my arm!!!! It'll take me all season just to get through it (oh, the agony! :D )

BTW, I think the Wave Magic looks interesting, too.

 

[Elangirl]

Five years ago, I joined Big Mountain's Ski School and discovered that I did not ski like a ski instructor. My turns were not up to the fluid little round turns that everyone else was making.

One of the ski instructors, who was very supportive of me in the beginning, told me that I needed some softer and shorter skis so that I could flex them properly and use the arc of the ski to finish my turns.

So, I bought my first pair of Elans. The shop where I was working at the time sold them---and the prices were usually about $100 less than Volkl or Atomic.

I bought my first woman's ski--the Whisper---and could not believe the difference!! I could initiate my turns so much easier--I called them my dancing skis because it felt like I was dancing as I came down the hill.

I ski over 100 days per year---and attend training clinincs every Thursday and Friday. Once they saw that I was serious, I got a lot of support from my school. I skied the Whisper for one year, then got the Elan S8---which had a narrow waist--68mm. I loved that ski too--and began making some cute little turns.

I skied the S8 for a year and one half and then got the Elan 666 which has a 76mm waist--which was very nice for our mountain. I used them to take (and pass) my Level II exam. Last year I skied a Magfire 8---and I still miss those skis---they were so easy to ski that I just floated down the mountain. I loved them in powder--the tip was so big 119, waist 76, tail 105. I skied them in a 152 and they took my skiing up a click---they might still be my most favoite skis.

Snowhot, the Magfire 8 or 10 is a unisex ski and they are awesome, there is lots of side cut and the turns just make themselves. There is a lot of float in powder and yet they carve beautifully on hardpack. I prefer a softer ski, so use the 8, but you might prefer the 10 which is a little stiffer. Just talking about them makes me miss them even more!! I might have to buy some!!!

This year, I am skiing the upper level woman's ski---the SpeedMagic---and wow--it makes me laugh. Every time I ski, I find myself laughing. The corregated top sheet makes the ski torsionally stiff--it is the most stable ski I have every skied---and yet, the flex is easy. I like the 69 waist since it is so easy to turn them. I am 5'4", weigh 155--I ski the 152. For the first time, I have angles out the window---yesterday on packed powder, my hip was two inches off the slope. Whooooie!! Today I skied them in 16 inches of new powder and I skied off groomed all day. The SpeedMagic is a little stiff for powder--but, I did ski all day. Ideally, I would have maybe liked a little softer ski more in the powder---wawa I want my Magfire 8's back!!! But the Speed Magic is just so much fun!!!

Yes, the Wave Magic is an interesting ski too. I skied the ski last spring and loved it---I thought I ordered it---but got the Speed Magic instead (my mistake--too much magic in my life). The wave Magic is a little softer flex, and the tail is 2mm smaller---which means it will release earlier to make the turn easier. The Speed Magic is an expert ski and the Wave Magic is an advanced ski. So, Snowhot, I challange you to find some and let me know if you have fun!!! Or come out to Big Mountain and I will let you use mine in 16 inches of new powder--and it is still snowing!!!

This is a long answer to a simple question, but I have loved my Elan skis for six years now and so admit freely that I am prejudiced. I make a point of skiing most of the women's skis at demo days and in the spring when the reps bring the new stuff out. I am known as GearGirl in Ski School---I love gear and do keep notes on all the skis that I try.

I really like this website--it is so much fun to talk gear with women!!

 

[ski diva]

Thanks so much for that informative and detailed response! To be honest, it's been your posts about Elans that have piqued my interest! I can see it's going to be a tough choice.

I thought the Speed Magics were more or less racing skis, but it seems like I'm incorrect. I'm not a racer, but I do love some measure of speed. I'm 5'1-1/2" and 110 lbs; a pretty advanced skier mostly on eastern hardpack (i.e. ice), not much on moguls. Which Elan do you think would be best for me?

 

[SnowHot]

............So, Snowhot, I challange you to find some and let me know if you have fun!!! Or come out to Big Mountain and I will let you use mine in 16 inches of new powder--and it is still snowing!!!

That's not much of a challenge for me! I like gear! I like trying new gear! I like buying new gear!

This is a long answer to a simple question, but I have loved my Elan skis for six years now and so admit freely that I am prejudiced. I make a point of skiing most of the women's skis at demo days and in the spring when the reps bring the new stuff out. I am known as GearGirl in Ski School---I love gear and do keep notes on all the skis that I try.

I tried some women skis a long time ago and was totally disapointed in their performance. In the past year I've gotten a new taste for trying them "again" for the first time because the industry is beginning to take the serious woman skier Serious!
I really want to give the womens lines a fair shake, for a few reasons, but not the least of which is being able to be helpful on SkiDiva and Epic.

I really like this website--it is so much fun to talk gear with women!!

This Site is amazing, and the contributors like you lend to its credibility and quality!

 

[Jilly]

Elangirl I was waiting for your post about these skis. I tried both the Speed Magic and Fire Magic's last year (2007models). And again I think I missed something about these skis. I thought the Speed Magic had a speed limit. The Fire Magic were a softer version of the MagFire 8's. My fav was the SLX. I've got maybe 5 lbs on you and I tried the 160cm. So at NSIA this year I'm going to try these guys again, if I don't see Pierre (elan Tech rep) before that. By the by, Hubby is on the SpeedWave 10 and loves them. He's 5'6, 165lb and getting old. ie - he could retire if he wanted to. They have demo bindings on them, so some day when he wants to take out his old Salomon's I try them. As for marketing, Elan and Nordica could use some help. They both have great skis, but aren't available in too many places. Our local shop had Elan last year, but they didn't sell too well, so he didn't bring in any new this year.

 

[BatGirl]

I nearly swiped Comprex's MO2s from him last year. They were wider than what I had been skiing, but shorter and just felt like they floated over the snow. They turned so easily, which spooked me, and my lack of skill tended to send them in different directions because they were so responsive to every move I made, intentional or not. I did love using them, but felt they were a bit more than I could really handle at the time. He offered them to me at the end of last year, and I'm kicking myself now for telling him to sell them.

 

[Elangirl]

Dear Jilly,

Frankly I am amazed that you think the Speed Magics have a speed limit---I have been ripping on them this season and have not found that at all. But then, I live in the west and don't really ski much hard pack--mostly packed powder and pow---but I have loved these skis because they DON'T have a speed limit.

I agree with you on the Fire Magics---I think they are too soft for an advanced/expert skier too. I loved the Mag 8 because they were soft in powder and had a lot of fun on them. I did not like the Mag 10 because I thought it was too stiff--and it tended to dive in powder for me.

I share everyone here's frustration with the women's ski question. Even last year when the reps brought along the new women's skis--they alll had the 168 length to demo. I was disgusted with this---most women are more interested in the 150 to 160 lengths---the only Fire Magics left on the wall are the 168's.

And, I also would like to demo a 152 in every high powered woman's skis---but almost never get to do so. I ski every woman's ski that I can--and try to be objective. The Sian 7 was way too soft for me---but I am an expert skier---it would be okay for an intermediate. In fact I see too many women in skis that too long and too stiff for them. One of my students showed up in brand new Rossi B2 skis---not even the woman's B2. They were 168!!! She needs a 153!!! And that ski is too stiff to begin with. I watched her ski worse that she skied last year and almost felt ready to scream with frustration. She admitted to me that the "guy talked her into them". I just wished she had at least demod them---ugh.

That is one reason why I know so much about skis, I worked in a ski shop for five years and I saw so many times that the younger men would try to put women in skis that are too stiff and too long. Snowhot loves stiff skis--but she comes from a racer past. For most women, a softer ski allows them to flex the ski and arc them.

Let's hear it for more skis, more skis to demo and more skis to demo in the shorter lengths!!!

 

[SnowHot]

I'd seriously take a speed magic in the 168 if it were in front of me!

 

[liquidfeet]

But then, I live in the west and don't really ski much hard pack--mostly packed powder and pow

ElanGirl,

Your long description of Elan skis was so detailed and interesting. Thanks for going to the trouble of making those skis come alive for your readers. I ski east, and much of what I've been skiing on for the last two years (this is my fourth season skiing) has been pretty hard dense snow. Well, also there's also some new home-made on top of that if they are making it during the day when I ski. And in December and in the spring it's mashed potatoes.

It's good to know what kind of snow you are skiing on. I wonder how these Elans would behave on my home mountain?

 

[Elangirl]

I think that anyone who skis on hard snow will love the wave technology. Highest Perfromance: Speedmagic---Slightly smaller tail, less stiff : Wave Magic. I think that either of these skis will knock your socks off!! Particularily on hard snow. Try one---you will come back with a smile on your face.

 

[Jilly]

Elangirl, we had company this weekend and put the young stud on the Speedwave 10's. (Now he skis Atomic Metrons) Could he make those skis perform. Plus they were way lighter than those Metrons'. I've pretty much decided that I'm demoing for our local shop at NSIA. Its 2 days of demoing all the major brands. So I'm trying those Speed Magics again.

 

[Jilly]

Elan demo day, Sunday 21st, at our little bump here in Ontario I'm trying me some girl skis. Also going to have a talk about Dalbello boots. I'll report tomorrow night!!

 

[SnowHot]

Here is the new Speed Magic from a post at Epic.

 

[Jilly]

Well demo day turned into a little bit of a disappointment. The van didn't have the speed magics, only the wave magics. I did try the Black Perla. It had the stiffness I like, good edge grip on our hardpack and could keep up the speed on our 200'vertical bump. I would like to try it on something longer. The rep had a catalogue for boots, but it was in French! So, I'll check in with our buddy at Tremblant next weekend and see if I can try the Black Perla again and the Speed Magic.

 

[Elangirl]

Jilly, did you try the Wave Magic? I'd love to ski that ski--but have never had a chance. Kelly

 

[Elangirl]

Hey Snowhot--I love the new speedmagic---I am thinking flamenco dancers and the earth tones of spain. Alternatively my Aunt Betty's living room which was in tones of advocado and rust. The flowers are an interesting touch---I like the dancing people better. But then Ole'

 

[Jilly]

I tried the Wave Magic. Found it too soft for me - 160 lbs and agressive skier with finesse. The rep even said it wasn't the ski for me. Something about side walls - maybe Elangirl can elaborate on that. A good intermediate-advanced ski though. Speed limit on it that wasn't on the Black Perla. I would want to try it on the big hill though. 200 vertical isn't a place to try skis:D I been reading the French Dalbello book he gave me. I want to put these feet into those Storms and I don't care it they're going to brown with plaid

 

[cyn]

elan Magfire 12

Hi Divas
I'm new to this forum and so glad I found you! It's so great to have a bunch of women talking about skiing - without the posturing for a change.....
I have a few comments to make about Elan skis. For three years, I was perfectly content with my K2 Axis XPs. I demoed a bunch of other skis, but nothing made me want to trade in the old K2s until I tried the Elan Magfire 12s.
I bought them at the end of the season last spring, (only a few ski shops even carry them )and had to wait until December to ski them again. They did not disappoint. There are several things I love about them: they are rock solid on ice, powder, chop, crud, whatever. They carve really well, and they do not transfer annoying shocks to my poor knees the way the K2s used to. So far, they've been able to deliver in all conditions, and my knees aren't sore at the end of the day.
I tried the K2 Lotta Luvs and Burnin Luvs, but they just didn't feel stable at higher speeds.
It just goes to show that you have to demo a lot of skis and take your time choosing the right pair.

 

[Jilly]

Ah the MagFires. The reason our local store started selling Elan. But for some women its going to be too stiff. The Fire Magic is a women's version, similar to the MagFire 8. I'm off to a major demo event on Wednesday and Elan, Head, Atomic, Rossi and Salomon are on my list. Volkl doesn't show up for this gig. See my thread 2008 demo days for updates.