Another Lotus 138 Review Thread

**Vicious** · 04-08-2006, 04:21 PM

I decided to start a new thread for this as I thought my review would get lost in the shuffle of the now multiple page thread Ty started when he skied his pair.

Preface: Headed out to meet up with Blurred, Z, Crinkle, EvilE to schralp the 9" reported yesterday at Vail. It turned out to be a fair amount more than that in most areas. DP Lotus 138, Flex 2 mounted with 916 at -1.

First of all, these are RAD.

Incredibly light, even with 916...it's almost silly how light they are.

These are as dope as Spats, but a big improvement in my eyes in terms of where Spats were lacking: stability, length, weight.

The 138s ski alot like a Spat, but the added length, stiffer flex, and much lighter weight make them so effortless. Skiing trees is a dream on these as pivoting is quicker than any ski I've ever been on. In more open pow fields, let them run and it's like cutting through warm butter...soooooo f'ing smooth! Also not much problem with tip chattering. These will haul ass with plenty of stability. I fondled a pair of Flex 3's also, but thought the 2 was plenty and am happy with my choice. The flex is pretty much the same throughout the ski, which I like.

Also took them on a few smaller drops and they provide a great landing platform.

Less squirrly than Spats on hardpack, and definitely more manageable. About half way through the day I started to figure out how to get them on edge better. On 138s you have to distribute weight differently, but it can be done...to an extent (if you lay it over too much, the tip will pull away from the turn as a Spat does).

The only drawbacks I experienced are toward the end of the day getting back to the frontside where everything was skied out and manked up, I had no chance of straightlining sections of mogul fields like the rest of the group. The 138s, although plenty stiff, are so light they deflect quite easily in harder snow. However, let's face it, anyone who buys this ski isn't buying it as a one ski quiver, so if the snow is shitty, bring something else out.

Overall I'm STOKED with my purchase...DP is really stepping it up with their innovation. I'm hoping for a few more days on these before the season's out (Berthoud should work) and I'm anxiously awaiting next season even more now with thoughts of getting these into even deeper and better snow.

If anyone has been teetering on the verge of getting a pair, DO IT!

I'm tired and hope this is helpful...let me know if anyone's got more questions.

I'd also like Blurred and Z to post any thoughts as they both took a run or two on these babies!

**marshalolson** · 04-08-2006, 05:28 PM

what did mr. evil e have to say? he loves spats more than his wife...

**Vicious** · 04-08-2006, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by marshalolson

what did mr. evil e have to say? he loves spats more than his wife...

Not 100% certain, but it seems as though he's considering losing one ski in order to pick up another.

**The Dad** · 04-08-2006, 09:12 PM

I'm still looking forward to the inevitable spate of Lotus 138 vs. Pontoon reviews...

**Glisseur** · 04-09-2006, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by alpinedad

I'm still looking forward to the inevitable spate of Lotus 138 vs. Pontoon reviews...

Well, we could have done it a while back if Hop just had committed and mounted one of his pairs of Pontoon's with an alpine setup instead of pretending to be a tele skier...

**Blurred** · 04-09-2006, 05:00 PM

First of all, I want to thank Vicious for being so generous in letting me try out his babies on their virgin day. Before skiing these bad chickens, I put my spats up against them for a visual comparison. Beyond the obvious difference in width, you notice the much longer running length of the Lotus. You also notice how fucking incredibly light the Lotus is, even with Vicious' 916 mounted on them.

The run I took on them was basically comprised of evenly spaced trees, with about a foot of fresh. My first impression- nowhere near as squirrely as spats.
When I reached the untouched pow, these things skied SO smooth!!!! Effortlessly smooth turns, where turn initiation was nothing, and I was just along for the ride. Not hooky or anything, you can totally relax and enjoy them.

Hit the cat track, and realized that these things are a huge improvement over the suckage of spats on hardpack. They're totally manageable.

My overall impression? I want some!
I think this ski takes all the great things about a spatula, refines them, and gets rid of all of it's negatives. The Lotus has a much higher speed limit than Spats, and is a hell of a lot more stable and predictable. Now if they could work on the price.......

**adam** · 04-09-2006, 06:42 PM

Thanks for the review Vicious. Sounds like a good ski. Might have to pick up a pair . . .

**iggyskier** · 04-09-2006, 07:10 PM

Luke - how much did you like them in crud/cut-up snow?

**Blurred** · 04-09-2006, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by adam

Thanks for the review Vicious. Sounds like a good ski. Might have to pick up a pair . . .

You need spats kid.

**LaramieSkiBum** · 04-09-2006, 08:58 PM

how much do the guys that tried them weigh? And what did they think of the moutning point?

Has anyone had them in crust yet?

**Vicious** · 04-09-2006, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by iggyskier

Luke - how much did you like them in crud/cut-up snow?

They are great in cut up snow (cut up pow) as the slice through everything just like a Spat. The big platform seems to surf through it all with no trouble.

**Vicious** · 04-09-2006, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by LaramieSkiBum

how much do the guys that tried them weigh? And what did they think of the moutning point?

Has anyone had them in crust yet?

I'm 6'3" 190ish. I'd say Blurred is somewhere in that neighborhood as well.

The snow by the end of the day the other day was getting quite sunbaked in spots. Some areas had a custy layer over softer snow. Other areas were full on sun-affected and heavy, but not yet to the point of slush. The 138s sliced through it all with no hooking that would happen with many 'traditional' shaped sticks.

When the pow gets super cut up they don't track or hold edge quite as well as some other tanks I have (m103, FFF, etc), but that's not why I have them.

**Vitamin I** · 08-02-2006, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by Vicious

...even with 916...it's almost silly how light they are...I had no chance of straightlining sections of mogul fields like the rest of the group...so light they deflect quite easily in harder snow...

Vicious, what skis were being ridden that day by "the rest of the group"?

I wanna pull the trigger on 138s, but I like heavy-ass skis. I never complain about the weight of Spats+916, BD's+1018, etc.

Do you think the Flex=3 138s might be heavier and/or deflect less than the Flex=2? Or is a Flex=3 tip hitting firm crap gonna buck me hard instead of absorb hits?

I'm thinking maybe 138 Flex=3, or Birdos 11 195cm...but I'm guessing what I'd really like is a heavier 138 with Flex=2 tip and Flex=3 body/tail. Can't be sure without skiing any of them, but that's my guess.
.
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Squatch · 08-02-2006, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

Vicious, what skis were being ridden that day by "the rest of the group"?

I wanna pull the trigger on 138s, but I like heavy-ass skis. I never complain about the weight of Spats+916, BD's+1018, etc.

Do you think the Flex=3 138s might be heavier and/or deflect less than the Flex=2? Or is a Flex=3 tip hitting firm crap gonna buck me hard instead of absorb hits.

I'm thinking maybe 138 Flex=3, or Birdos 11 195cm...but I'm guessing what I'd really like is a heavier 138 with Flex=2 tip and Flex=3 body/tail. Can't be sure without skiing any of them, but that's my guess.

According to marshal the tip is noticeably softer than the tail, on all flexes.

**Vitamin I** · 08-03-2006, 02:35 PM

Thanks Squatch.

Anyone else wanna answer my previous post above?

.

**upallnight** · 08-03-2006, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

Thanks Squatch.

Anyone else wanna answer my previous post above?

.

this is the thread that raises more questions than it answers!

**Big Blue** · 08-03-2006, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

Vicious, what skis were being ridden that day by "the rest of the group"?

I wanna pull the trigger on 138s, but I like heavy-ass skis. I never complain about the weight of Spats+916, BD's+1018, etc.

Do you think the Flex=3 138s might be heavier and/or deflect less than the Flex=2? Or is a Flex=3 tip hitting firm crap gonna buck me hard instead of absorb hits?

I'm thinking maybe 138 Flex=3, or Birdos 11 195cm...but I'm guessing what I'd really like is a heavier 138 with Flex=2 tip and Flex=3 body/tail. Can't be sure without skiing any of them, but that's my guess.
.
.

Have you considered the g-funkensteins? My guess is they'd be significantly heavier than the DPs. Any capitol owners care to comment on weight?

**Vitamin I** · 08-04-2006, 02:51 AM

g-funks caught my eye, but 180cm seems too short for what I want.

besides, capital announced they are sold out for 2006/2007. no more orders until next year.
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**Lok** · 08-04-2006, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

g-funks caught my eye, but 180cm seems too short for what I want.

besides, capital announced they are sold out for 2006/2007. no more orders until next year.
.
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Two guys over here ordered longer G-funkensteins (193 cm) last year, so I suppose they have all the tools and drawings they need to make them again.

**Vitamin I** · 08-04-2006, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Lok

Two guys over here ordered longer G-funkensteins (193 cm) last year...

SWEET! I will ask Capital about this.

Has anyone here seen the 193 or 180 G-Funks? No photos on website. Anyone have photos? Is their shape more like Spat? Or more like Goode Scoop's wider forebody? ( http://www.goode.com/skisfreeride.htm#scoop )
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**Lok** · 08-04-2006, 02:39 PM

I think there were more photos of the 193s last time I looked, but this was all I could find. It's a big ski.

**Vitamin I** · 08-04-2006, 02:50 PM

Thanks, Lok!

Looks like G-Funk's shape is less foreign to me than Goode Scoop shape. Still, I doubt I have the guts to pull the trigger on something as huge as GFunk 193.

I await email reply from Capital.
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**The Dad** · 08-04-2006, 04:07 PM

They come free with these...

**upallnight** · 08-04-2006, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Lok

I think there were more photos of the 193s last time I looked, but this was all I could find. It's a big ski.

Any ski that makes the Spatula look like a nordic ski is HUGE!

Wow.

**kidwoo** · 08-06-2006, 10:06 PM

Sick!

I've been looking for some of those old vintage cypress gardens water skis!!

That's them!!!

Even have the stringer!!

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