First impression
A "lightweight big mountain ski"? I was skeptical. A ski that's light but still charges? That combination has never really worked for me. In the past, carbon-heavy builds felt twitchy, too soft, or ended up heavier than advertised.
But the Ripstick in 189 cm came in at under 1900 grams on my kitchen scale—just 5 grams off the spec. That’s impressive.
In my highly unofficial hand-flex test, the ski felt noticeably softer than my usual go-tos—Fischer Ranger 107 TI, Dynastar M-Free 108, Norse Freeride 110, or the Praxis Powderboard. It’s more forgiving from the tail through the midsection, softening further toward the nose. The torsional stiffness up front is moderate. There's a subtle tip rocker with a gentle rise and a tapered shovel. The tail is noticeably stiffer, with a light rocker.
Interestingly, the 182 cm version has a much softer flex than the 189—but that only made a minor difference on snow. Build quality is excellent, and the factory wax job? Hands down the best I’ve ever seen. Maybe even the best I’ll ever see. The design is clean, though it’s a bit of a shame that Glen Plake’s signature flair didn’t make it through this time. You can read more about Plake’s role in the Ripstick’s development here.
Testers and test conditions
The ski was tested over more than 15 days in a wide range of snow conditions—though, unfortunately, deep powder days were few and far between. For shorter ascents, the ski was paired with the new CAST System 2.0 and a Look Pivot binding. The 182 cm version saw a few days of use with a rental binding setup. Both skis were mounted on the recommended line, which sits slightly more forward than on traditional directional freeride skis.
I’m 176 cm tall, weigh 80 kg, and I’m old enough to appreciate who Glen Plake is. I enjoy a variety of ski designs but generally lean toward stiffer models. My technique is solid, and I tend to seek out classic off-piste terrain—open faces, wide slopes, and the occasional couloir. I’m not one to hunt for air time, and I enjoy mixing in a few relaxed hours on groomers. For this test, I was riding in Dalbello Krypton Pro I.D. boots.
