DPS Lotus 120 Spoon

[jorion]

I haven’t skied the super goat but own the 191 12/13 bg and bought the 189 l120 p3 spoon because like you I wanted the closest possible thing to a bg that was light enough to tour on.

I agree with everything mentioned above and it’s a fun ski, but they’re fairly different skis.

Both are extremely easy to break the tails free and do super fun slarves. The l120 even moreso than the bgs.

The l120 is a lot less fun than the billy goat at slow speeds and doesn’t like to, well, billy goat through tight trees. The flat tail is more demanding and accelerates extremely quickly when you are knocked into the back seat, as opposed to the bg.

I enjoyed the l120 but ultimately decided it was a little too much ski for me for how I usually tour in the bc. I didn’t really feel comfortable going warp speed through the trees I often ski in the bc. But if that isn’t an issue for you go get it.

I’ll add that it’s nothing like the billy goat on skied-up maritime pow, but that should be obvious and not a criteria for a bc touring ski.

[XXX-er]

I Iike the 184 lotus > the 190, the 190 can be a handful at slower speeds, yesturday I was skiing the handletow on the bunny hill with my grandchildren on the 190's and sweating like a pig

ironicaly the 184's have more early rise than the 190's

I can't see any reason for the spoon cuz ime the spoon would mostly be out of the snow

[TeleBeaver]

How does the newer lotus 124 fall into these comparisons? More maneuverable and better at slow speeds than the 120?

[whyturn]

How does the newer lotus 124 fall into these comparisons? More maneuverable and better at slow speeds than the 120?

More side cut and more forgiving. Basically the 124 is more dentist focused!

[jorion]

More side cut and more forgiving. Basically the 124 is more dentist focused!

Yeah that’s why I’m interested in the lotus 124 Dentist Edition. Sounds like everything I liked about the l120 spoon without the drawbacks. I also met a guide from golden who only skis the l124 and loves them, so they’re not *just* dentist skis. I just need to find them half-priced.

[whyturn]

Yeah that’s why I’m interested in the lotus 124 Dentist Edition. Sounds like everything I liked about the l120 spoon without the drawbacks. I also met a guide from golden who only skis the l124 and loves them, so they’re not *just* dentist skis. I just need to find them half-priced.

Should have bought my 185 for $300. The 120 became spoon and 120 spoon became 124. Now it’s koala. Each seems a bit more tame. I sold my 124 and got spoon but OG 120 is still the best balance IMO. Just grab those . My 120 lotus 184 hybrid is a great ski and retains a little of the challenge with all the payoff.

[jorion]

Oh damn, too bad I missed that. The hybrid 120s sound rad but I don’t want to tour on 2100g skis.

[bodywhomper]

My pow touring skis are 190 Lotus 120 from the bamboo sidewall Era, so about 10 years old now. Mounted on the line. Awesomeness.

I picked up some 200cm ones earlier this year and have skied them a few times, mounted on the line with alpine bindings. More directional stability but harder to turn than the 190s. I don't think they added much in float vs 190.

Since I know you’re familiar with both, can you compare l138 r1 to the l120 190? Years back, a touring partner of mine borrowed my l138 and another friend’s l120 for a good powder month of touring (March/April 2010). His experience resulted in buying his own pair of l138 r1.

I hadn’t realized that the dps koala was a rebadged l120 hybrid in shorter lengths. Is this really true? Why are they so short anyway?

[LeoK]

Koala seems to be at least a different tail (true twin tip). I think it is not a rebadged 120.

I will ad my comparison between L120 Spoons and Spoons here as this may apply in part to the L120 vs L138, too, and those are the only skis I feel like I have enough time on to talk about them in a little more detail (plus I use them both mainly touring backcountry):

I am as the swiss say a good skier for a german; 180cm tall, 70-75kg without pack and ski both in 190cm mounted 1 or 1.5cm back.

L120: very directional ski that excels at high speed and big turns. Seems to be very precise to me. Likes a active more forward stance. Nice in less soft snow, spring conditions etc., too and therefore a lot more versatile as a touring ski.
Its good if you don't encounter a lot of tracks as the L120 likes the snow surface to be untracked to play out its capacities -> good for backcountry in a lot of conditions but not inbounds.

Spoon: playful, easy to slarve, get faceshots, very intuitive to maneuver. Likes to be driven with a more neutral stance. But if you want to go full throttle you can accelerate a lot even in the deepest of snows and than drive the tips and arc down fas any radius you want and the spoons are just perfect for this, too. All this applies to soft untracked snow only and in anything tracked or hard the spoon is really annoying. If you tour powder only and encounter a lot of tighter areas in the woods (think classic japan conditions) I would still consider the spoon as weapon of choice as it is 1. more maneuverable in thigh spots and 2. a little more if the conditions are super deep and you don't very alpine. It sucks to traverse steep slopes with the spoon as they are just too wide...

I hope this sketches the general idea that the choice between L120 and L138 or Spoons is not only a choice of terrain and conditions but also on what stlye you want to ride.

In short:
Japow only and playfull to full-throttle -> Spoons.
Alpine terrain with still good conditions and higher speeds and bigger radius -> L120

[grskier]

Koala =\= rebadged lotus.


More playful, less tip, and I get more turn shapes out of them.

Not quite as fast but still a pretty high top end.

A lot more tail as the recommended mount point is closer to center


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[El Chupacabra]

Since I know you’re familiar with both, can you compare l138 r1 to the l120 190?

IIRC the R1 138 is the bamboo sidewall one, and I still have and ski that one. The only 190cm 120 I have skied is the bamboo sidewall one (the only other 120 I've skied is the 200cm I posted about above).

Comparing those two: the 138 is looser, surfier, turns faster. The 120 is more directional, still easy to turn but doesn't pivot like the 138. 120 is easier to ski through cut up snow, you don't get bucked around as much.

I agree with the comment that the old Voile Drifter is like a poor man's 120. I had the flat camber Drifter for a while, and Mrs C still uses one as a touring ski. In untracked snow, the Drifter and 120 feel very similar. The Drifter has no torsional rigidity, so when crossing any tracks you get tossed around easily. Keep it in the pow and it's fine.

[bodywhomper]

Thanks all. I bought the l138 after trying og praxis protest on tele (thx lightranger). I basically wanted a lighter version of the og protest. Dps had a sale of old stock. Rob L of dps (rip) suggested the l120 for tele because of the wheelie issue that many experience with reverse camber. In touring situations in 3D snow, this has never been an issue for me on the l138. I have to be focused on my weight balance to not wheelie out in cutup/set up choppy resort skiing, especially if I get into bumped out terrain.

Interesting info about the koala. Sounds like in the same design/performance category as skis like moment bibby/wildcat. Still unclear why they don’t have something longer than 18x.

[XXX-er]

The Koala looks like it has ^^ less early rise so not something you could slarve around like a 120, its a pintail but with more sidecut than a lotus 120 and a smaller turning radius so just like a Lotus 120 only different

re: Voile, my kid was telling me he demoed some of the hyper V8's and liked them so much he plans to order them for his shop

[Mofro261]

The Koala looks like it has ^^ less early rise so not something you could slarve around like a 120, its a pintail but with more sidecut than a lotus 120 and a smaller turning radius so just like a Lotus 120 only different

The L120 OG was >43M, the L120Spoon dropped to 32M, and the Lotus 124 drops further to 23M.

Koala is 119 and 23M and almost a twin? I am in no way a big dude but 184 seems short for the longest length.

[XXX-er]

that big turning radius of the Lotus kind of scared me when I read the figure but in practice I could let the Lotus run big or slarve them completely sideways or any sized turn in between

so I wonder if DPS messed that quality up

[1000-oaks]

I've been on the chick length 178 120 Spoon a few times in tight trees, and like it a lot in pow so far. On hardpack, it's not a ton better than L138 R1, kinda boardy with a short running length.

Just mounted a pair of old metal 177 green Katanas, no doubt those will lay down a better edge on wind-scoured boilerplate en route to the goods but be less playful in the pow.

[ticketchecker]

I've been on the chick length 178 120 Spoon a few times in tight trees

Been riding this for a couple years now, they're $$ in tight trees and i live in Maine where they're wicked thick. Can't believe how maneuverable they are in soft snow and tight places.

[Buster Highmen]

I'm not a dentist, but I play one on TGR.
See signature vvvv.

[Jaxson]

I'm not a dentist, but I play one on TGR.
See signature vvvv.

I'm with ya there BH but like the shorter tooth 190 bamboo L120. Hope the new 2 hundos are getting some time.

[bodywhomper]

The koala is only available as "foundation," right? Is foundation more damp than alchemist? Similar to "hybrid" vs "pure" from years past?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[LeoK]

yes.

[ChowdahRidah]

I have trip coming up and I'm dying to get on the 120s. The snow report is a mix bag... will most likely be a few days of wet corn snow followed by a few days of 6-8 inches of fresh. I'm assuming when the warmed corn snow refreezes it's going to be crap conditions and hard underneath. I'll be with the wife on piste for quite a bit of the trip. I'm an ex-racer (a bit techy), like to ski fast... so I guess my question is how bad are the 120s on groomers, especially if they're firm? If I bring the 120s will it just be a bummer?

[Buster Highmen]

I'm with ya there BH but like the shorter tooth 190 bamboo L120. Hope the new 2 hundos are getting some time.

I'm beating the shit out of my 3rd pair before the new ones get mounted. Proper cellar time and all that.

I have trip coming up and I'm dying to get on the 120s. The snow report is a mix bag... will most likely be a few days of wet corn snow followed by a few days of 6-8 inches of fresh. I'm assuming when the warmed corn snow refreezes it's going to be crap conditions and hard underneath. I'll be with the wife on piste for quite a bit of the trip. I'm an ex-racer (a bit techy), like to ski fast... so I guess my question is how bad are the 120s on groomers, especially if they're firm? If I bring the 120s will it just be a bummer?

As long as there's 1/4 inch (or half cm) edge penetration, they're great. If it's really rock hard, they're decent. Icy bumps, OK, less than optimal.

[XXX-er]

I agree ^^ its amazing how versatile the Lotus are, L120 with comforts/Vulcans its the only setup I took to Niseko and worked great

[whyturn]

I have trip coming up and I'm dying to get on the 120s. The snow report is a mix bag... will most likely be a few days of wet corn snow followed by a few days of 6-8 inches of fresh. I'm assuming when the warmed corn snow refreezes it's going to be crap conditions and hard underneath. I'll be with the wife on piste for quite a bit of the trip. I'm an ex-racer (a bit techy), like to ski fast... so I guess my question is how bad are the 120s on groomers, especially if they're firm? If I bring the 120s will it just be a bummer?

Spoons can catch on hard groomers
Hybrid OG 120 are pretty versatile
But if it remains soft spoon is not bad