tl;dr - Thoughts on the Elan Wildcat 82C, 82CX, or Black Pearl 82 (2023+)?
I'm looking for something that combines my favorite qualities of my current skis. I am 5'5", 135lbs, and ski mostly green groomers in Tahoe with occasional forays into the baby park, rollers, or ditches.
My current skis:
2023 Elan Wildcat 76 in 158cm: Lightweight, easy to turn, but I'm starting to reach its speed limit
2022 Nordica Wild Belle in 156cm: Damp, stable, but heavy and hurts my foot on the lift sometimes due to the weight. Also, I think these are a little short for me now (while only 2cm shorter than my Wildcats on paper, the Wildcats have a long running length). Going up to the 162 would just be even heavier.
I understand that part of how the Wild Belle is so damp is its weight, but I think there's a middle ground somewhere. I've identified these possibilities but unfortunately have no way to demo them:
Wildcat 82C or 82CX - These are still light and easy to turn according to reviews. 82C adds a carbon layer while 82CX uses carbon tubes like in the Ripsticks. I could potentially go up to 164cm in these, as they have a little more rocker than the Wildcat 76, but Elan's chart suggests staying at 158cm.
Black Pearl 82 - I have demoed the 2021 version of these in 159cm. They weren't as stable as the Wild Belles in the lumpy spring snow; however, 2023+ adds a layer of titanal. Also, due to the quite long rocker, I'd probably go with the 166cm, as the running length on the 159 is shorter than either of my current skis.
Any thoughts on these models or lengths? I haven't found much on the effective differences of the Wildcat 82C vs 82CX, other than CX is considered more advanced. I also assume CX is stiffer, but weirdly Soothski says the opposite. And as much as I like my current Wildcats, maybe the BP82 is more versatile?
I'm looking for something that combines my favorite qualities of my current skis. I am 5'5", 135lbs, and ski mostly green groomers in Tahoe with occasional forays into the baby park, rollers, or ditches.
My current skis:
2023 Elan Wildcat 76 in 158cm: Lightweight, easy to turn, but I'm starting to reach its speed limit
2022 Nordica Wild Belle in 156cm: Damp, stable, but heavy and hurts my foot on the lift sometimes due to the weight. Also, I think these are a little short for me now (while only 2cm shorter than my Wildcats on paper, the Wildcats have a long running length). Going up to the 162 would just be even heavier.
I understand that part of how the Wild Belle is so damp is its weight, but I think there's a middle ground somewhere. I've identified these possibilities but unfortunately have no way to demo them:
Wildcat 82C or 82CX - These are still light and easy to turn according to reviews. 82C adds a carbon layer while 82CX uses carbon tubes like in the Ripsticks. I could potentially go up to 164cm in these, as they have a little more rocker than the Wildcat 76, but Elan's chart suggests staying at 158cm.
Black Pearl 82 - I have demoed the 2021 version of these in 159cm. They weren't as stable as the Wild Belles in the lumpy spring snow; however, 2023+ adds a layer of titanal. Also, due to the quite long rocker, I'd probably go with the 166cm, as the running length on the 159 is shorter than either of my current skis.
Any thoughts on these models or lengths? I haven't found much on the effective differences of the Wildcat 82C vs 82CX, other than CX is considered more advanced. I also assume CX is stiffer, but weirdly Soothski says the opposite. And as much as I like my current Wildcats, maybe the BP82 is more versatile?
