Wingman 75 ti review

Overview

The Wingman 75 Ti is the new narrow end of Elan's Wingman all-mountain line for 26/27 and the ski that takes over from the Element 74 RS. Elan pitches it at skiers who are "just discovering skiing or stepping up to your first real pair of skis". It is a system ski with the Shift X plate and the EL 10.0 GW Shift binding (DIN 3–10) in the box. The outline is Elan's proven 122/74/103 mm shape, constant across all six lengths from 140 to 176 cm, with the radius growing from 10.3 m at 140 cm to 17.1 m at 176 cm. Compared with the Element 74 RS it replaces, the headline change is the single Mono Ti layer over the Dual Woodcore, which the retired ski did not have.

On-snow performance

On paper the Wingman 75 Ti is an easy frontside ski with a little more backbone than its price suggests. The Early Rise Rocker lifts the tip early so the ski should start its turn with very little effort and release without hooking, which is exactly what a progressing skier needs. The Mono Ti sheet is what separates it from the plain Wingman 75: the construction suggests a calmer ride on hard, scraped pistes and less tip flutter when the speed picks up. The short radii in the 146–160 cm lengths (11.3–13.9 m) favour quick, medium-short turns; the 17.1 m radius at 176 cm opens the arc up for taller skiers. With a 74 mm waist it lives on groomed snow, but Elan places it in the Wingman all-mountain family for a reason: riders report that this class of ski copes with light chop and soft snow at the side of the piste better than a race-shaped carver, even if deep snow and bumps are not its job.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Dual Woodcore, two symmetrical wooden stringers in the outer areas for power transmission and edge grip.
• Reinforcement: Mono Ti, a single titanal layer on the wood core for stability and damping.
• Construction: Full Power Cap, a light, forgiving cap build.
• Base: Sintered High Speed Gliding base.
• Profile: Early Rise Rocker with camber underfoot.
• Plate and binding: Shift X plate with the EL 10.0 GW Shift binding, DIN 3–10, GripWalk compatible.
• Dimensions: 122/74/103 mm in every length; radius 10.3 / 11.3 / 12.4 / 13.9 / 15.4 / 17.1 m for 140 / 146 / 152 / 160 / 168 / 176 cm.
• Weight: Elan does not publish a ski weight.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Wingman 75 Ti suits beginners buying their first own pair and cautious intermediates who want a forgiving frontside ski that will not hold them back. Inside Elan it replaces the Elan Element 74 RS, keeping its outline and radius table and adding the Mono Ti layer; the Elan Wingman 78 ti above it is wider, uses Elan's Amphibio profile and is the more capable all-mountain tool. Outside Elan, the Head Discovery 78 sport is the obvious cross-shop for an easy, slightly wider system ski, the Atomic Redster q5 is a comparable progression carver, and the Fischer The curv gt 76 is the step up for skiers who already carve cleanly and want more edge.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Mono Ti and Dual Woodcore add stability that the Element 74 RS lacked.
• Early Rise Rocker and short radii make turn initiation easy.
• Sintered base glides better than the extruded base on the plain Wingman 75.
• Six lengths from 140 to 176 cm cover a wide range of skiers.
• Binding and plate included, ready to ski.

Cons

• The system binding limits binding choice and adds weight.
• Full Power Cap is less precise than the sidewall builds higher up the Wingman line.
• Mostly a groomer ski despite the all-mountain label.
• Strong intermediates will outgrow it within a season or two.

Verdict: The Wingman 75 Ti is the sensible replacement for the Element 74 RS: the same forgiving outline, now with a titanal layer and a sintered base. Buy it as a first serious piste ski; move to the Wingman 78 Ti when you want more width and bite.