2022 DPS Pagoda 112 RP

On the wider side of the Pagoda line, the 112 RP is a fun, smeary floater that still has some good turning ability thanks to the shorter radius. Due to the RP (Resort Powder) shaping, these 112’s have some serious taper. The widest point of the ski is really set back towards the middle, leaving the shovel of the ski to be consistently tapered to create some of the smoothest floating in the industry. These skis will plane up and over any amount of fresh snow, making some of the cleanest and roundest turns in the powder that you’ll likely ever find. Built with the new Pagoda core, the 112 RP features an Aspen laminate with a second layer of ash and paulownia. This blend of wood leads to a more sophisticated feeling in the ski, making it more responsive and stable than before, all without gaining any weight. As per usual with the DPS skis, the dual-carbon laminate does a whole lot of the heavy lifting, and it’s about as successful an implementation of carbon as we’ll see in a ski. A 15-meter turn radius is an interesting one for the powder, rewarding skiers that like to make technical turns rather than straight-lining down some huge mountain face. Best served in an area that receives a bunch of snow, the DPS Pagoda 112 RP is a fantastic freeride ski that is certainly set apart from the rest of the competition.

Danielle Nichols skied the 178, noting that it performed true to size. Both her comments and her scorecard are very intermediary, with all scores of 3’s out of 5, including flotation, edge grip, and versatility. Danielle notes that the Pagoda 112 RP was “Pretty middle of the road. The tip flopped around a bit much and was a little unstable. Probably best in the woods or smaller turns.” I do think that with that amount of taper, having the ski in non-powder conditions does alter the feel of the ski, making that slender shape kind of flap in the breeze since it doesn’t “hook up” like a less-tapered ski shape. But yes, that same shape is certainly going to make the 112 feel more at home in shorter turns like are found in the woods and other tight spots.

David Carter is usually more at home on a carving ski, so it’s always nice to get someone slightly out of their comfort zone to see how they feel about a wider, lighter ski that still has that shorter turn radius. He, too, was on the 178 and noted that it was a good size. Other than a high score of 4 out of 5 for flotation, David gave this ski 3’s for all other categories, much like Danielle. “This is the widest ski I've ever skied, and I just couldn't feel a lot of love for it. The tips seem to get deflected around by the spring slop, and it didn't provide me with the smoothness and stability that I felt with other wider skis, such as the K2 Mindbender 108. Perhaps well suited to a true back country experience, but hard for me to justify the price tag, given other skis offer a lot more for me at a lower price point.” If the ski doesn’t quite talk to you, then I agree it’s hard to go along with the higher price tag that DPS has. It does sound like the skis are better suited to the fresh powder versus more spring-like conditions.

Flotation and shorter turns are going to be the high points of the DPS Pagoda 112 RP skis, and while our testers weren’t blown away with the smooth nature of these skis, rest assured, they do stay on top of the deep stuff and make some of the roundest turns on the market at this width. Stiff and light, the Pagoda 112 RP has its own unique style and performance level, but for most skiers who don’t ski at top speed in the powder, and are looking for a responsive ski that has very strong edge grip, the Pagoda 112 RP is a fantastic choice.