Elan Alaska Pro 170 cm

A friend with a taste for lightweight skis brought these by for mounting. Apparently they’re a rarity here in the US. Before getting to the measurements, let me extend a hearty congratulations to Elan. Look at this excerpt from the Elan page:

There’s an errorbar on their mass! Alas, they don’t have masses for each size, but a huzzah nonetheless!

These skis are 1162 and 1145 g.  So, the pair weighed (with the usual calibration and 2-point concerns) in at 1153±15 grams. This is easily consistent with their stated uncertainty. Thank you, Elan!

As this is a very light ski, I measured the widths as well.

The measurements are consistent with Elan’s claims – every measurement is within a millimeter of spec. In aggregate, none of the measurements are wider than the claimed widths; they may be riding a razor’s edge to save weight.

Note nifty construction. The green stringers are, in places, 4-5 mm higher than the deck of the ski. Binding mounting points are flat and ample. It’d be even more awesome if Elan included an errorbar on the topsheet!

Skis feel moderately stiff. Traditional sidecut goes way out on the shovel and tail; these skis might ski long for their size, emphasizing weight savings further.

I’ll try to cajole a comment or two about the skis from my friend for a review. Time will tell!