Manufacturer Info:

Drake Powderworks LLC

www.dpsskis.com

DPS Cassiar 80, 120-78-107
Cost: (US): Pure: $1199, Hybrid: $779

DPS Wailer 105,   131-105-118
Cost: (US): Pure: $1199, Hybrid: $779

DPS Wailer 112RP   142-112-128
Cost: (US): Pure  $1199, Hybrid: $779

 Where and when:  Stowe, VT. Saint Patrick’s Day 2010

Bluebird skies, no wind and awesome corn. Temps rising into the 70’s. The parking lot at Stowe,VT is going off, BBQ’s, libations, dogs running around just having a great time. It was the perfect day to test DPS.

We met Mike Cannon, DPS Skis Direct Sales Manager and he gave us the tour of Stowe like the world was going to end tomorrow. He loves to be the tour guide and if it wasn’t so late in the day we might have caught up with the Ski The East guys, who were filming up high near the chin on Mt. Mansfield. It’s a 30-minute hike off the top of the gondola and then 15-20 minutes down. Oh well, we will do it next time.

We started out test-driving mid morning. Greg McGown was on Cassier’s Pure and Mike and I were on Wailer 105’s. I was on Pure’s, Mike on Hybrids. We did a groomer to warm up and off we went.

Cassiar 80 Pure.

 Greg was just psyched about this ski. He told me on the lift that he loved the quick response and lightness. It’s subtle, but precise edge hold, and carving abilities on the frozen early morning surface were completely what he would look for in a ski. By the way, Greg does not spend his day on carving skis. He is an expert skier, in his late 20’s, lived in Alta, UT and spends most of his day skiing on twin tips. He was totally jonesing over the Cassiar 80 and told me he would like a pair.

Wailer 105 Pure.

 Lightweight, easy to get in to the turn, snappy out of the turn.  Awesome edge hold, and really responsive. Has a feel like a race car, quiet and smooth, just waiting for you to stand on the pedal.

Will just track and carve along and then when you stand on it, it just takes off and carves and steers, and finishes the turn like a sharp knife. Super responsive, precise and wicked damp. When you got it in to the junk, it planed and carved and was just perfect. Great ride.

The pure construction is an incredible work of art. No matter what model, this construction was noticeably lighter, snappier and had much more edge hold and response. I am not going to get into the finer points of this construction, it all there at www.dpsskis.com. Just believe us when we say there is a huge difference between Pure and Hybrid.

Wailer 105 Hybrid.

DPS had to make a wood core ski that was different from everything else out there. So they used traditional glass lay-ups with carbon stringers and a bamboo core.

 It has a more traditional feel. Feels like the wood core ski it is. Doesn’t have the lightning quick response of the Pure, but tracks and initiates turns almost as quickly. Incredible tracking and smooth, luxurious ride.

It is the ski for the expert skier looking for that smooth feeling carve and response.

If you never skied on the Wailer 105 Pure, and had just skied on the Hybrid, you really would never know what you were missing!  It is a dynamic ski, with completely satisfying characteristics. Want more snap…buy the Pure. Want smooth and quiet…buy the Hybrid. Both models ski great and get the deal done! It depends on what you are looking for out of a ski. 

Wailer 112 RP.

This might be the most versatile ski I have been on. I tried to not be tainted by Mike and Greg, they both skied on it before me and it was getting late in the day before I rode it. Please don’t forget that Mike skis 100+ days a year at Stowe and who knows where else. Mike just rips, he skis like water running down the hill.

Mike is off to Haines, AK. He is going to ski with Stephan Drake, founder of DPS skis. Stephan went to China to set up a shop that would press DPS skis and make sure that it was done to his specs, and make sure the craftsmen were taken care of. Higher wages, Benefits, etc. Cool stuff!  Stephan escapes from China and goes to Haines, AK to relax and ski. All the R and D are done in Haines, AK.

Here is the result. 

Great shape. Double rockered, powder tip and tail. Aggressive side cut and a little bit of camber underfoot. Has 100cm of effective edge until you push on it. Then it carves and floats in the most magical way. Kinetic control.

 Big piles of wet corn and hard pack underneath,

No problem. The wailer 112 just planed through the piles and carved on the hard stuff.  Completely versatile.

It did not matter whether it was soft or hard, it just rocked. Carved the turns and smashed the piles.

The Wailer 112 is the perfect ski for anything you would like to do, front side or backcountry.

DPS calls it the game changer. It is truly a one-ski quiver that will do it all.

DPS has a buzz going on out there in the skiing community and this will fuel the company’s growth. 

DPS is introducing a women’s line in 2010/2011.

Go to: www.dpsskis.com to learn more, blog, or order.