Review: Ellis Skis Meraki 112

• Size skied: 186cm
• Lengths available: 174cm, 180cm, 186cm, 191cm
• Sidecut: 138 mm - 112mm - 128mm
• Radius: 20.7m (@186cm)
• Profile: Twin-Tip Powder Rocker
• Weight: 2100g (@186cm)

Shape, Flex and Construction:

From a general design perspective, The Meraki 112 falls squarely into the category of “twin-tip powder ski.” That’s akin to skis like the Atomic Bent 110, Rossignol Sender Free 110, Armada Whitewalker 116, or Zag Slap 112. The Meraki 112 is definitely on the burlier end of the spectrum, catering towards stronger skiers who want to blast through resort powder. The very stiff ski is clearly designed to promote stability at speed, especially when skiing crud, cut-up powder, and slush. At 2100 grams, it’s relatively heavy, which only adds to the stability factor.

From a shape perspective, the ski features long and low tip and tail rocker, with a bit more rocker up front than in the tail. That gives the ski a nicely balanced directional feel that can still slash and ski backwards when necessary.

Inside, Ellis Skis uses Entropy Super Sap® epoxy, containing 28 percent bio-based content, plus full-length and full-height sidewalls, oversized edges (for added durability) and super-fast UHMW polyethylene bases.

On-Snow Performance:

I was lucky enough to test the Meraki 112 during the insane February storm cycle we experienced here in Jackson. A 60+ inch storm is quite something to behold, and the Meraki 112 made for a formidable weapon to take on resort laps and poking into bigger terrain in the sidecountry when conditions safely allowed. I tested the Meraki 112 with a Tyrolia Attack binding and paired it with my Fischer RC4 130 BOA boots.

The Meraki 112 wants to go fast! However, unlike many other skis that seem to have a minimum speed limit, it feels like it gets easier to ski and control at speed. It handles the kind of snow you find in the resort on a powder day (blower for two laps, then quickly turning to crud) excellently. The ski planes over choppy snow easily, and does not get tossed around when things get weird. I found them to have a very large sweet spot, and feel quite forgiving, meaning you don’t have to worry about skiing them precisely all the time. That’s actually quite impressive for a new brand in my book, since it seems to often take larger brands a few years of a product cycle to figure that part out. Nice work Ellis!

On firmer snow, the edge hold is impressive, and the ski makes blasting chalky steeps really fun. Despite the longer turn radius, these can change direction really quick in bumps thanks to the healthy amount of tail rocker. Thankfully, that rocker doesn't extend too close to the heel of your boot, so you’re not just washing out of turns and wheelie-ing out of sloppy landings.

One thing the Meraki 112 is not is jibby. I definitely would consider the ski playful in powder, but it’s not the kind of ski you can bend and press into and off every sidehit when things are firm–it’s just too stiff for that.

How does the Ellis Meraki 112 compare?

The new Ellis Meraki 112 is worth comparing to a few models we’ve loved for their ability when it comes to hard-charging freeride skiing: Salomon’s new QST Blank, the blackcrows Corvus, and the Rossignol Sender Free 110.

The blackcrows Corvus and Salomon QST Blank might be the most closely matched skis on the market today, and the Meraki 112 is a worthy contender for resort powder skiing in a place with rowdy terrain like Jackson, Alta, or Crystal Mountain. The Meraki offers a bit more oomph than either the Corvus or the Blank, particularly in resort crud, at the cost of some playfulness and fun at slow speeds. In other words, the Meraki wants to be driven a bit harder and skied more aggressively than the other options.

Compared to the Sender Free 110 (and the nearly identical Dynastar M Free 108), the French brands’ freeride comp skis, the Meraki offers a bit of a looser and floatier feel in the type of deep and light powder you would find in the backcountry. It doesn't have quite the locked-in edge grip and hard-snow stability of the Sender Free and M Free, but makes a better all-around ski for inbounds and sidecountry adventures.

What type of skier is the Ellis Meraki 112 best for?

Ellis Ski’s Meraki 112 is a really good option for hard-charging resort skiers who want one ski to do it all off-piste. At 112mm underfoot, it’s got plenty of float for powder days, and the stiff flex profile gives you plenty to push on when things get rowdy. In a sea of excellent freeride powder skis, it’s really cool to see a new brand emerge that’s catering towards core skiers who demand a no-compromise freeride ski.