184 cm Wailer 112 RP Pure vs. 184 cm Lotus 120 Pure head-to-head comparison

[The Suit]

I just got home from an eight-day heli-skiing trip in interior BC at the CMH "K2 Rotor Lodge" (which used to be CMH Kootenay) in Nakusp, BC. I brought a pair of 184 cm Wailer 112 RP Pures, which have been my go-to ski for similar trips, and a pair of 184 cm Lotus 120 Pures, which were brand new to me.

I am 50 years old, 6'0", 160 lbs. I live two miles from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but only had about 20 (short) days in before this trip. I'm not a charger. I don't ski very fast by charger standards. I pretty much never get airborne on hard snow, and in the past I rarely did so on soft snow.

Conditions were good, ranging from settled snow with ski penetration of only a few inches, to knee deep fresh snow. Terrain was mostly steep to very steep tree skiing, mixed with occasional open areas, burns, boulder fields, and cut-blocks. We skied a small amount of low-angle alpine. We dealt with a few runs of wind crust, occasional sections of tree-bombed trees, and a teeny bit of sun crust. Maybe a quarter of the runs ended with packed-out valley-bottom traverses. A few runs started with tracked out skiing along ridges to get to the actual run.

I skied 3 days on the Wailers and 5 days on the Lotuses.

The short report is that I would be 100% delighted with either ski as the only ski available for such a trip. Both skis had plenty of floatation for all of the conditions that I encountered. Both skis are light and nimble. Both skis will go as fast on soft snow as I want to go. Neither ski beat me up or scared me in the not-so-easy conditions. Both skis are super fun.

With all that said, they are very different skis. The Wailers are much turnier, and especially so at lower speeds. In tracked out snow and variable conditions, the Wailers are easy to stay on top of. I was less tired after a day spent on the Wailers than I was after a day on the Lotuses.

The Lotuses need more speed to turn easily. At low speeds I had to put a lot more energy into turning them than I did the Wailers. At higher speeds the situation reversed, as I could relax more with the Lotuses than the Wailers. In tight "chutey" spots I felt like I had to hop the Lotuses where I could have just turned the Wailers. On the other hand, with the Lotuses I was much more comfortable handling tight spots with a short straightline or a nominal air.

A 10 foot drop is still hudge to me, but in my first day on the Lotuses I probably spent more time airborne than in all my previous heli trips combined. Some of that carried over to subsequent days on the Wailers, but I was noticeably more comfortable getting airs and going fast on the Lotuses.

I had a pair of Lotus 138s a few years back, and while I liked them for deep snow in open areas and widely spaced trees, I just couldn't stay on top of them in more demanding conditions. As a result, I was hesitant to try the Lotus 120s, and had fairly low expectations for them going into the trip. On the way home, my wife told me I looked better on the Lotuses than the Wailers. I don't know how I looked, but I really liked the feeling of skiing on the Lotuses. I can't explain it, but something about them made me feel smooth.

So in summary:
- both skis == awesome
- Wailer 112 RP: turnier, less demanding, less tiring, super-fun
- Lotus 120: like more speed, need more effort, big rewards if you can stay on top of them, super-fun


P.S. - I also traded with a guide and skied one run on a pair of K2 Darksides. Not a fave.

[MagnusO]

Thanks for the review, sounds like you had a great trip. Good to hear feedback from not only go hard chargers but also us "normal" skiers. For me this review was great because you seem to be describing the pros and cons well for the people that dont go mach speed all the time, ease of turning vs stability vs floatation etc.

[harpo-the-skier]

What sort of boots/bindings were u using?

[The Suit]

What sort of boots/bindings were u using?

Marker Jesters on both pairs. Boots are Nordica Speedmachine 130s with Intuition Powerwraps. Shells are on their 3rd season and liners on their 2nd.

[ChowdahRidah]

Your wife thought you looked better with the skis that have more girth?


Hmmmmm.


Sorry, but someone had to say it. Great review, terrific lady comments always welcome.

[ccwaskier]

Heli trips, jackson living, and multiple DPS skis...hard to go wrong

[Dry]

Nice review, thanks!

[schwerty]

The new Pure 3 120's made their way to my doorstep yesterday. You all want some!

[sar13]

Dibs, when you're ready to lend 'em out

[pfluffenmeister]

The new Pure 3 120's made their way to my doorstep yesterday. You all want some!

yeah, they're sweet.

i got a few days on a pair at the end of last season.

[schwerty]

Dibs, when you're ready to lend 'em out

Anytime. I'm stuck in the office most days. so, finding a day here and there wont be tough. Give a ring, drop by, ski em. Lets hope we are not having this discussion for at least a few months! Summer can stay for a while.