In these crazy times of super fat, ultra fat and ridiculously obese skis is there anything getting developed besides making the ski wider than its predecessors? Every year sees a handful of new brands being launched, all looking for a piece of the fast growing freestyle/freeride market. The company of Drake Powderworks Skis (DPS) has been producing their unique line of carbon fiber skis since 2005. And this is what makes DPS stand out from the crowd – a prepreg carbon fiber sandwich construction with wood core and reinforced bamboo sidewalls.
DPS claim that their skis are 2-3 times stronger than fibreglass and aluminum blends with as little as half the weight. DPS skis all have a high amount of torsional stiffness, giving excellent response. Durability also gets advertised heavily, one of the selling points is that DPS skis will retain the same pop as the first day you skied them even after seasons use.
So let’s take a look at the DPS line. All skis are twin tipped and available to purchase in Flex 1, 2 or 3 depending on the individual’s preference of stiffness. All skis tested were Flex 2.
LOTUS 138
The powder specific Lotus skis are the flagship for DPS and represent their commitment to making the ultimate deep powder ski. The massive Lotus 138 has a rockered tip and tail for maximum flotation, making deep snow turns as easy as changing edges on the groomed with your race skis. The stiff flex profile bombs straight-lines with stability and lets you stomp airs without wheeling into the backseat. The 138 borrows many design features from the old Volant Spatula, however there have been a few advances. Instead of a full reverse side cut, the 138 has a slight 1mm side cut underfoot. This allows easier traverses, more efficient skating and skiing groomers is safer and less tiresome.
Obviously this is a powder ski which likes sticking to the fresh snow and the backcountry. By the end of the day in the resort when the snow is tracked and bumped, the novelty of the shape is soon forgotten.
LOTUS 120
The little brother to the 138, the 120 gives effortless control in powder with a 140mm shovel with rockered tip and minimal side cut from under the foot to the tail. Stepping back from the super-specific application of the 138, the 120 does not feature a rockered tail nor reverse side cut.
This ski is designed for powder days but handled the more mixed snow conditions found inside the resort boundaries. Fresh pow, tracked pow, anything that is soft was not a problem for this ski. The rocker tip and 120mm waist made groomers challenging, but not impossible
One of the new sensations felt on both models of Lotus skis was the ability to side-slide in the powder. With the shape of the ski the feet do not sink and you are able to surf the powder like a snowboard. This opens up a whole new level of enjoyment in skiing powder.
WAILER 95, 105 (Not tested)
With more timid dimensions for versatility, the Wailer is more on the level with mid fat models from other manufactures. Extremely light with a lot of pop, these skis would be more ideal for the skiers wanting ‘the do it all except short radius turns’ kind of ski. The Wailer does have significantly more torsional stiffness than its competitors (i.e. Mojo 105, Gotama) which would make it more responsive and versatile in harder snow conditions.
Cassiar 80
This ski coming off the shelf with Flex 2 feels excessively stiff, especially for park riding. The Cassiar handles more like a race ski, with power needed on the front side to work the ski into the turn. Skiing bump terrain was initially quite difficult, but getting used to a stiff ski in this situation took a few runs.
The one saving grace of the Cassiar is its extremely low weight for its strength, making it ideal for a versatile touring ski or park jumping with spins, if you can handle the stiffness. A Cassiar in Flex 1 would be the more ideal choice for park riders, but forget about trying to butter these skis.
In the end, DPS carbon fiber skis bring the goods. But they do have their drawbacks. The biggest is the price- DPS need the same intensive labour for each ski, meaning every ski in the line is just as expensive as the Lotus 138. $969 USD for an 80mm twin tip? That stings.
The other drawback is the quality control. Due to the fickle and complicated carbon layer construction process and extremely expensive materials, some finished skis can have slight defects. This was an issue for the company over its first few years, but it seems now the quality control has gotten better with fewer defected skis reaching the shelves. All skis have a one year warranty against manufacturer defects, so rest assured they’ll send you a new pair if the skis arrive on your doorstep and aren’t in perfect condition.
DPS say that once you’ve skied on carbon fiber you’ll never go back. While they may be not be the ideal shape or price range for every skier, they are seriously fun to ride. Look out for a rep in your area to try these skis, you won’t believe them until you’ve skied them.
Testing was carried out by instructors at Valle Nevado Resort, Chile. Conditions in mid August were very soft with over 100cm of new snow in less than 3 days. DPS is the chosen ski by guides at Valle Nevado Heli Ski, if you are on vacation in Valle Nevado drop into their office in the ski school and you can demo the available models.
For more information on DPS carbon fiber powder skis check out their website www.dpsskis.com
