DPS Skis Canada
DPS x Escape Route
As the first retailer to stock DPS in Canada, they have been a core product of ours since day one. They were founded to give those that live and breathe the sport of skiing a deep connection to the mountains.
What does DPS stand for?
In 2002 Stephan Drake co-founded Drake Bonnet (DB) skis. The name was changed in 2005 to Drake PowderworkS. Stephan Drake created a company that exemplifies the role of a great manufacturer. They are leaders, instigators and rebels, and they have chosen to have a growth trajectory that is sustainable and responsible.
Where are DPS skis made?
All DPS skis and currently made in the USA. The facility is located in the Granary district of Salt Lake City, Utah.
DPS And Their Commitment To Innovation
The Wailer 112
DPS skis revolutionized the way thousands of skiers experienced the mountains. One of the first to kick start that revolution was the Wailer 112. The Wailer 112 gave us,
a ski that was incredibly surfy but could hold a solid edge in firmer conditions.
You could launch yourself into the trees and when it got just a little too fast and scary you could easily scrub speed with a slarve turn. Then suck the skis back under you to have billy goat like sure-footedness.
The Wailer 99
From the Wailer 112 came the the Wailer 99. This ski was not just 1mm narrow but a completely different shaped ski. This ended up being a personal favourite off mine because of its incredible manoeuvrability and responsiveness. Those early skis had some rough edges but they performed incredibly well. DPS did an incredible job helping those that had issues with their skis.
DPS And Their Commitment To Excellence
We get this question a lot in our stores. "Why are dps skis so expensive?"
Research & Development
DPS puts a huge emphasis every year on producing skis that give the user the best experience possible. However, this comes at a price, a price that includes finding and testing new materials outside of the standard materials used in standard skis.
Materials
You see carbon in almost all touring skis now, it's to be expected. Of course, DPS were one of the early adopters of this type material. However, they are never satisfied and each generation you see has more innovative materials.
The end goal is to reduce the weight off the ski but still maintain a ski that feels incredibly fun and capable.
Materials like the aerospace foam which is the last seasons DPS Pagoda Tour ski and this year with the bio-resin algal being used to replace stander resin. This new environmentally friendly material brings the wight down, makes the product more sustainable for the environment and still keeps the exact same feeling we all know and love from a DPS ski.
The Future of DPS Skis
Recently we have seen the addition off PHANTOM to the DPS offerings (learn more about PHANTOM here). This product has revolutionized ski waxing and something we are very proud to offer in our stores.
With constant innovation at the forefront of what DPS do, we are very excited every year to see what they come up with.
Check out our review of the upcoming 2023 DPS Pagoda Tour ski
Want To Test DPS?
If you want to try out a pair of DPS skis in Canada we have one of the largest DPS demo centres in the world located here in Whistler at our Alpine Demo Centre. Here you can take the brand new model of DPS skis out for a ski.
