On the more freestyle-oriented side of the DPS lineup, the all-new 2022 Koala 103 is a solid entry into the 100+ category. With a great blend of on-trail performance and freeride fun, the Koala 103 features the Foundation build, making for a stable and beefy ski that has a ton of playfulness as well. The Foundation construction is a bit different, and since it’s on the heavier side, it makes good sense for a ski like this that’s likely to be used more aggressively. Starting with DPS’s Aspen wood core, the Koala gets two sheets of fiberglass which have partial strips of carbon fiber that run the lengths of the ski. The Aspen wood core is a mid-weight wood, while the fiberglass is a bit heavier of a material, as it contains a good amount of epoxy. The carbon keeps it snappy and energetic, and that’s great news for skiers who are looking for a well-rounded freeride ski that can also rip turns on the groomers. With an 18-meter turn radius and a fairly twin-tipped shape, these skis are a bit more traditional in the freeride world than most other DPS skis, and we’re all about it.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber / Rocker
CORE MATERIALS
Triaxial Fiberglass, Carbon Strips
PREFERRED TERRAIN
All Mountain, Big Mountain, Powder
On the 176, David Wolfgang noted that it skied true to size, and while it may be a little short for him, he still thought it was a good length. Lots of 4’s out of 5 on David’s scorecard, with 4’s given for overall impression, stability, flotation, playfulness, and forgiveness. David noted that the tapered shape that leads to the 18-meter turn radius is a great sidecut for this ski, and makes it easy to make a variety of turn shapes and styles. David calls the Koala 103 “Fun. The balanced sidecut allows this ski to enter a turn and pivot on a dime. Great in chopped up snow.” And we did have a lot of chopped up snow on our test day, and that snow was definitely on the softer side, allowing for proper playfulness in the ski, and it made our testers ski these fun-loving freeriders like they’re meant to. On the 168, Catherine Ferguson noted that while it was a good length for her, it did seem to ski a bit shorter, even with the heavier weight. She scored the ski 4’s out of 5 for flotation, playfulness, and overall impression, and those consistently high scores among our testers are pretty nice to see with a new ski like this. She notes that it “was a pretty heavy ski, and you did have to work to handle it, but it was a lot of fun overall.” If you’re in the middle of the size range, it might behoove skiers to consider sizing down on these skis.
Matt McGinnis skied the 176 and noted it was true to size, and his scores were the highest of all of our testers. Mostly 5’s out of 5 for Matt, with a couple of 4’s sprinkled in for versatility, flotation, and playfulness. Other than that, Matt was pretty much all-in on this ski: “Honestly, I was really impressed with this ski. When I first put it on snow and made a few turns, it felt like it might’ve fallen firmly into the “intermediate” skier range, but the further down the hill I got, the more capable I realized the skis are. One moment that sticks out in my mind, is when I came into a slough pile, skidded sideways, and expected some serious chatter. But it didn’t happen. These skis handled it without flinching, giving me an entirely new perspective on them. With that said, I think these skis would be a great choice for a lot of skiers looking for something in this category. For a 103-width ski, I found these surprisingly friendly and maneuverable, meaning an intermediate could easily handle them. But, they’re also extremely capable on edge and at speed, so advanced skiers looking for something f that’s not especially serious would also love these. The only group I wouldn’t recommend these for are those looking for a ski that simply wants to charge. For them, I’d suggest something with metal.”
As a great entry from DPS into the freeride twin-tip market, the Koala 103 is a very solid effort. Neither the lightest nor the most stable, the Koala 103 falls somewhere in the middle, and while the Foundation construction works well for a lot of skis like this, I can’t help but wonder if more of a Pagoda build will help gain some stiffness while reducing weight. Not for me to decide, however. As is, these Koala 103’s are poised and ready to rip around the whole mountain, from the park to the backcountry and everything in-between. Very fun and highly utilitarian, the Koala 103 is a great addition to the DPS line.
