DPS S.S.- the next level

[dps]

Straight from the SIA booth…

The skinny on the S.S. technology- new to DPS Pure Skis for 10/11. It's a game changer. With a Patent app in hand… the cat can now come out of the bag…meow.

The three basic goals in ski construction are:
1. Lightweight: skis move across your body instantly, quick changes, playful, and powerful creative skiing. less fatigue.
2. Power: reactivity, energy transfer, and responsiveness.
3. Vibration Dampening; better ride quality and stability at speed. silky smooth sensations and reduced deflection.

Pure Carbon unquestionably ramps and nails the first 2 over anything else built. However, in chopped, harder snow jazz, the reactivity of carbon for #2 can also work as detriment to #3.

Over the last year, we have been testing and building what we call the "S.S"- the special sauce.

The S.S. is a series of vertically laminated metal ribs built into the core that tie the upper and lower pre-preg carbon laminates together, and tune the ride into the silky smooth feel of a metal ski - without adding any weight or detracting from the sheer power of the carbon. It is the sweetness. We have toyed with different levels of metal and tuned it into an alchemy of metal dampening. The S.S. is Pure: Carbon+ Nano- now taken to 11. Super light, more powerful than anything built, and now silky smooth- ok, enjoy.

Cross Section with the S.S.



Torsion tester showing a a well endowed physical specimen: Pure versus a double metal laminate sled. 30% torsionally stiffer, 30% lighter.

[dingjong]

OK, now we need the specs and weights for different models so we can compare to the current ones.

[frorider]

this is great news. i have 2 pairs of carbons -- lotus 120 200 F2, w105 188 F3 -- and while both sets rock as my backcountry skis, and do well in a lot of inbounds conditions, they've never had the well-planted, damp feeling i get from my 10 -11.5 pound metal/hardwood lam skis in weird snow conditions esp the refrozen chunky stuff.

so can you give us an estimate of the weight this adds vs the current pure construction? i know a few mags who will also consider a modest-weight-gain, damper, carbon DPS to be a win/win.

[dps]

The weight gain is only 10g per ski- practically immeasurable and insignificant.. That's the beauty of it.

[Tye 1on]

that's pretty damn impressive.

[vailcat]

so what are the dimensions of the 112 with the huge tip rocker or big shovel? whatever you call it?

[bptempleton]

Well that's just tits.

[dingjong]

seems unbelievable, esp. if this new feature adds something to the performance and this something is not completely in the imagination of the developers.

[Zeppelinskier]

way cool!
Are you going to build an SS type of every ski? That would be amazing.
DPS setting the bar up there again...now just to collect the capital.(sigh) Maybe next year.

well done

[mr_gyptian]

unbelievable.

[mountain_man]

This sounds amazing, so innovative. Its hard to believe that adding metal will only cost you 10grams per ski.

[squib]

Wow, I like that idea. Hopefully it works well because that is exactly what the DPS line needs as far as performance goes.

Here are my other two suggestions.

1. Fix the damn tails on Wailer series. I mean these could be the ultimate backcountry boards given their weight and performance, just finish the job.

2. Increase the turn radius on the Wailers to make them perform better in breakable crust.

I need to replace mine next year and would much rather get another DPS than the new Dynafit Stoke.

Question, how will this affect drilling into the ski to mount bindings?

[3names]

Originally Posted by dps

The weight gain is only 10g per ski- practically immeasurable and insignificant.. That's the beauty of it.

Such a straightforward innovation - possibly huge benefit with little cost. I like it.

Hope this ends up in the Wailers also.

[Huck_Schmuck]

There's something in that. Hope it works out, I'm looking forward to checking it out. Go DPS.

[monkeywrenchMoose]

This looks tits. I too am wondering how this will affect mounting.

[EEC]

That looks sick, i cant wait to try a pair to see how much of a difference it makes.

[Arno]

i had definitely better start saving

[ey_allen]

Soo.... you guys bring the S.S. out on the demo tour?

[splat]

Kudos for innovating Stephan.
Glad to hear you got the patent app in, cause the big ski companies are just copying what the indies do lately.
Musta gone through a few resaw blades.

[jondrums]

Interesting idea! I often wondered why nobody builds a ski with thin carbon layer(s) oriented just like you have the metal in the pic above.

I have a hard time believing that the way the metal is oriented, that it can handle as much flex as the carbon layers can without yielding. can it? or is there more than meets the eye?

[Core Shot]

price increase??

DPS is already crazy spendy

[frorider]

yeah it is an interesting way to orient the metal. it will flex longitudinally, but only if it's completely captured/anchored by the rest of the construction. otherwise it will buckle / kink laterally.

btw i know dps has heard this a thousand times, but please offer the wailer 105 in a more useful length e.g. 195. i don't mind my 188s for backcountry, but they feel like snowlerblades for a bigger skier.

also, last i checked, the lotus 120 jumped from 190 to 200 cm; i like the 200s but agree with those that think a 195 would be more versatile.

[whiteroom]

Slightly reminiscent of the Dynastar 'omega' rib, very cool. I love the feel of the carbon construction but I do think it would ski better (I would prefer it) if it was a little damper, sounds like S.S. will be the ticket.

[zion zig zag]

Originally Posted by Core Shot

price increase??

DPS is already crazy spendy

I know. As bad as I want a pair of 120's I can never see spending 1200 dollars on a pair.

[marshalolson]

the patent is specific to the metal ribs in conjunction with carbon skis.

this technology has been used by someone pretty darn smart in the snowboard industry in different varieties for a few years.

i have been riding a pair of w105s all season with this, and am pretty stoked at how they perform in "funky" conditions compared to a standard/last years w105.

price does not change.

you would have to have an entire catastrophic core failure to have the metal deform. they are laminated into the wood core, not suspended or inserted.

finally, all 10/11 skis get this upgrade, at no price change, but they are not really available untill the fall.