The new Alchemist Nina 99 from DPS is part of their brand new Alchemist construction series and boasts high end technology rooted in carbon fiber. These skis retain the same shapes we saw in the DPS Pure3 collection, but use a new vibration-tuned aerospace grade carbon construction. DPS considers their new construction to be a true leader in the industry and claim it provides noticeably damper and smoother performance in variable snow. The Nina 99 has, you guessed it, a 99 mm waist width along with tip and tail rocker and early taper that has become somewhat synonymous with DPS skis.
Karly Acker tested the 168 cm length and thought it was a “FUN ski!” She scored it 5 out of 5 for flotation, stability, quickness, playfulness, forgiveness, and overall impression. Those are some impressive scores, and her description of the ski is impressive as well: “easy to turn, can ski it anywhere. As an ex-racer I could carve it also. Perfect turning radius. Very lightweight.” Karly found the Alchemist Nina 99 could be skied relatively aggressively, but also found it had “easy release” and felt “easy to maneuver, sideslip, go backwards, etc.”
Caroline Kessler also found that the Alchemist Nina 99 was both playful and stable allowing for a wide range of turn shapes in a wide range of terrain. Caroline gave the ski high scores too, a theme that was carried through just about everyone who got on a pair. Caroline tested the 176 cm ski and described it as “quick turning, very stable, and playful.” She thought it could “hold an edge at high speeds,” but could “also rip little quick turns.” She also thought it was a very versatile, which really is what DPS intended it to be. Caroline called it “a very versatile ski that’s great in the woods and bumps.” While she admits she wouldn’t specifically “buy it for ripping groomers,” she does think “it’s an awesome all mountain ski for an aggressive skier.”
Kristi Brown really liked the new Alchemist construction, commenting that the “nice new carbon construction is a game changer.” DPS really has done a great job building stability into the ski, which is often challenging when dealing with such a lightweight, carbon fiber ski. Kristi found that compared to the Pure3 collection it had “bonus stability and energy surging through the ski.” Kristi tested the 168 cm length.
Chloe Wexler spent some time on the 168 cm length and was most impressed by the skis quickness. She described it as a “fun, playful ski that’s quick edge to edge.” Chloe is a very aggressive skier and found that the Alchemist Nina 99 was “not a tip driver,” and preferred an “upright laidback stance, but still delivers good performance.” Chloe did mention that the ski had impressive “lively dampening and stayed connected to the snow,” which is essentially what DPS set out to accomplish. Chloe added that it “would be a great touring ski,” and we would certainly agree. It’s impressively light, but now has greater downhill performance compared to the Pure 3 construction.
DPS definitely impressed all the women we had test the Alchemist Nina 99. They seem to have succeeded in giving the skis increased stability and smoothness, which is quite commendable considering the amount of carbon and the overall weight of the ski. Instead of getting deflected by small bumps, our testers found it to be very smooth and quiet while still being incredibly light weight. Impressive work, DPS. We think this is going to be a favorite among women looking for a super versatile all mountain ski.
