2021 DPS Pagoda Piste 100 C2

The 2021 DPS Pagoda Piste 100 are a new product for this year, and represent a slight departure from the normal skis we've seen from the freeride company over the years. While mainly with a focus on powder and soft snow performance, the Pagoda Piste line is more squarely focused on front side performance and carving. The 100 is the wider of the skis in the line, and uses a blend of the Alchemist construction with a few twists, as well as the C2 shaping process. While the skis do come with the heftier price tag, they also have the technology and the uniqueness to match. Are they worth the extra money? We get asked that a whole lot with these top-tier skis, and while most of our answer depends on your personal financial situation, they do use higher-end materials and put them together better than most. So, yes, for the most part, it's a difference for sure, and with these new skis, we're pretty darn impressed with the overall performance.

At 100 mm underfoot, the Pagoda Piste 100 is on the wide side for a pure carving ski, but there's a bit more going on than just width. The construction is pretty interesting. As usual, DPS uses an Aspen wood core, but for the Pagoda, they infuse Ash stringers into the Aspen for a boost of stiffness. But wait, there's more! An additional laminate of pure Ash is put on top of that core and acts like a metal laminate would, only it's made from wood. Add to that DPS's improved pre-preg carbon laminates to the top and bottom, and you've got the new Pagoda Piste build. Stiffer, a bit heavier, and ready for higher speeds and stronger forces, the Pagoda Piste 100 has the build of that high-end ski for sure. When you engage the ski, you can really feel the difference between this and a more traditional ski like a Wailer.

The C2 shaping is the other big part of the ski, and this remains unchanged from other models and skis. As opposed to the RP shaping that creates a 15-meter turn radius, the C2 uses a 19-meter arc to base the rest of the shaping and profiling. In order to adhere that 19-meters, the taper and rocker profiles have to be adjusted, per length, to generate that turn shape. This means a bit less taper and rocker in the C2 versus the RP, and less of a spoony or banana-type look. Longer effective edge is the result, and that adds to the on-piste personality of the ski. While there is moderate rocker in tips and tails, it's not nearly as dramatic as in the RP. As a result, it fits better for harder snow and longer turns.

Overall, we're very impressed with the on-trail character and new tweaks to the existing Alchemist build. The DPS Pagoda Piste 100 has the width, shape, and profile to go along with that build to make it a formidable carver, even at 100 mm underfoot. that extra width does lend to softer snow, and while you can certainly use it on fresh and softer snow days, it's stiff enough to be used on ice and firm snow, and that's something that us Vermont skiers can certainly appreciate.