Review: 2027 Ellis Kanso 106 Skis

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During POWDER Week at Grand Targhee Resort, we spent hours talking about and sharing opinions on skis. It might not come as a surprise that most of our tester crew prefers stiffer, more serious skis that are built to handle tough conditions, high speeds, and more aggressive skiing. What did come as a surprise was how much the tester crew liked a ski that falls completely outside that spectrum: the Ellis Kanso 106. 

Ellis, a small brand out of Colorado, added the 106mm waist Kanso 106 to their lineup to complement the hard-charging Meraki 112 (which won a POWDER Editor’s Pick last year). It’s not a serious ski, but it’s a seriously good ski. 

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Ellis Kanso 106 Specs

• Size skied: 186 cm
• Lengths available: 174cm, 180cm, 186cm
• Sidecut: 134mm – 106mm – 126mm
• Radius: 18.6m (186cm)
• Profile: twin rocker, camber underfoot
• Weight: 1900g (186cm)

Shape, Flex and Construction 

Like most ski brands, Ellis Skis started out from a vision to do things a bit differently. But instead of chasing one end of the performance spectrum, or merely a certain “vibe,” the ski makers aimed to create a line of twin-tipped skis for the modern skier. One of the aims was to keep things simple and somewhat consistent across the whole line. In terms of ski construction and design, that means there’s a distinct continuity across the Kanso 106, Meraki 112, and Sabr 100 skis in the collection—graphics are similar, materials are shared, and the shapes have a lot in common.

Built to be the playful all-mountain ski in the group, the Kanso 106 features a soft flex profile, loads of pop, and a lot of tip and tail rocker. The tail in particular is quite soft, which took a little getting used to. The squared-off tips and tails are definitely more for looks than for performance, but the aggressive taper both front and back mean these ski short, pivot easily, and don’t mind going sideways. The poplar wood core and no metal inside give these loads of energy. 

I would say that, like the other Ellis skis, the Kanso falls a bit more into the overbuilt end of the spectrum, with full-height PU sidewalls running the length of the ski, heavy-duty edges, and thick 4001 sintered base material mean these are quite durable.

On-Snow Performance

Some skis’ performance can be summed up by one word: ripper. The Kanso 106 is not that ski. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a whole lot of fun. In fact, Ellis Skis isn’t advertising this ski as a high-speed freeride weapon (that’s what their bigger Meraki 112 is for). Instead, they lean into the Japanese concept of Kanso, or “simplicity in design.”

The point of the Ellis Kanso is to be the ski you can grab on any average day of the season. It’s not specialized in any particular direction, but it’s a reliable jack-of-all-trades that falls into the softer, playful end of the spectrum. If I were to sum it up in one word, I’d call this ski “loose.” It’s similar to riding a fish surfboard where the tail kicks out with no effort at all. 

“Young freeride rippers who need a two by four to get down comp venues in one piece should probably stay away. I think anyone with an inclination towards, you know, having fun, would get along with the Kanso,” says one POWDER Week tester. “I think how fun it was in the park was a testament to the kind of ski the Kanso is.”

“I’m dreaming up making quick turns through steep trees, maybe with some little pillows in there. Just bouncing around all over the place,” says another tester. “It rewards an active style—turning more often, making quick turns, throwing slashes, popping off your tails.”

Personally, I kept expecting the ski to have a much more noticeable speed limit. Sure, it gets a little noodle-y at mach speeds, especially on firm snow when I sometimes wished the tail was a bit more supportive, but if you ski from a centered stance and aim it at every sidehit in sight, it’s consistently a blast.

Comparisons

Two new all-mountain twin tip skis this year come to mind that beg comparison to the Ellis Kanso 106: the Blizzard Canvas 108 and the Nordica Unleashed 106. 

Perhaps the closest comparison is the Blizzard Canvas 108, which shares a similar shape, weight, and flex pattern. Both skis fall on the softer end of the spectrum and are very poppy and energetic, but ski somewhat differently. The Canvas feels much more precise and wants to carve predictable turns, especially on firmer snow. The Kanso is drifty, loose, and feels more inclined to slash and slarve.

On the other hand, Nordica’s Unleashed 106 is a much more serious ski. It’s quite a bit stiffer and heavier, demanding (and rewarding) more powerful skiing. If you’re looking to ski lower-angle mountains, keep to smoother snow, ride the park a bunch, and just generally goof around, the Kanso is a better choice. Want to blast high speed turns and plow through crud while giving up some nimbleness and fun? Take the Unleashed.

It’s also worth noting that several testers brought up the fact that the Kanso reminded them of one of their favorite skis ever: the older-generation Line Sir Francis Bacon. I concur. 

What type of skier is the Ellis Kanso 106 best for? 

The Ellis Kanso 106 perfectly fits the bill for the modern freestyle-oriented all-mountain skier looking for a quiver-of-one ski for just about any day you might encounter at your local hill. It’s soft, drifty, and fun and loves park laps as much as it loves ripping groomers, skiing bumps, and blasting sidehits. In the spring, it’s one of our favorite rides on soft, slushy days. 

It’s not very stiff, so if you’re looking for a break from all the hard-charging freeride skis out there, and instead want something a bit more relaxed for cruising the resort without feeling like a dad on boring directional skis, the Kanso is for you.