Elan Amphibio Review

For 2011/2012 Elan has answered the question, what is better to have in a ski, traditional camber or rocker? To which they have answered…both. How did they do it? Well, before I get into the how, let me first start with the why. “Straight” skis were skied very differently than shape skis in that most of the skier’s weight was on the downhill ski. You can always spot an old schooler because they pick up their uphill ski when making a turn. That’s because straight skis had little to no sidecut and a person had to put all their weight on one ski to make it bend. Shape skis, on the other hand, allow the skier to put more weight on the uphill ski because they are wider in the tip and tail then they are in the waist. My percentages may not be spot on, but on a shaped ski I’d say it’s pretty close to 60% on the downhill ski and 40% on the uphill ski. While boots have become laterally stiffer, no company has integrated anything into the skis that reflects this change in skiing technique…until now.

For 2011/2012 the Elan Amphibio series integrates the power, energy, and stability of a cambered ski with the ease of a rockered ski. So, how did they do it? Each pair of Elan Amphibios has a designated left and right ski. That’s because while the inside of both skis have traditional camber, the outside of each ski is rockered in the tip and tail. Additionally, the topsheet on the inside of both skis is heavily reinforced while the outside is softer and more forgiving. This way a skier can get great edge hold on the downhill ski while at the same time allowing them to get over more easily onto the uphill ski. Being that the outside of the left and right ski are both rockered in the shovel and tail, it is much easier for the skier to put more weight on the uphill ski. With weight distributed more evenly to the uphill and downhill ski there is more power, more energy, and more stability in every turn.

Ski Haus has two pairs of these in two different widths and there is no doubt that this construction will be here to stay for quite some time. I personally think that Elan should ditch the left and right labels because the reality is that people are going to switch them anyhow. It was one of the first things I did. With the skis reversed I feel they ski better in spring conditions and in powder. Additionally, with the name “Amphibio”, it only makes sense that Elan would want you to be able to do that without someone thinking or saying that your skis were on the wrong feet. Having the rocker on the inside edges allows the ski to initiate into the turn quickly and it gives the turn a nice smooth finish. I’ll put it in print that I foresee the “left” and “right” going away at some point. Who knows, we may even see this construction in snowboards in years to come. Imagine your toe side edge being cambered and your heel side edge being rockered in the tip and tail. Of course it would have to be a twin. We’ll see.

Thanks for reading,
Ryan

www.SkiHausOnline.com