2023 DPS Pagoda 94 C2

DPS has certainly entered the touring ski category with both grace and sophistication. They, like many other companies, are doing a good thing in utilizing both names and shapes from more alpine-specific skis that they already produce, and just replacing the heavier material with lighter stuff. It’s actually more complicated than it sounds, and with the Pagoda Tour 94, DPS is making strides with their construction and application of the lighter weight materials. Built with a paulownia wood core and DPS’s signature dual-carbon laminate, these skis are ready to roll. They then add two ash stringers to the core for density and stability, along with a third Algal strip that provides a ton of stiffness at a paucity of weight. In addition to those stringers, DPS also uses aerospace grade foam strips to lighten the load. It’s amazing, when DPS brings around core samples for us to check out, just how much the little cutout of the core weighs, especially in comparison to the normal Pagoda or the Foundation construction. The foam and the carbon are both high-end materials, and that adds to the premium pricing of the ski.

The Tour 94 employs the C2 shaping from DPS, giving it a slightly longer turn radius and a less dramatic rocker profile and taper shape. In the 178 cm length, the skis not only come in at 1430 grams per ski, but also produce 30% rocker and 70% camber. This longer effective edge helps in generating that ~19-meter turn radius, which is certainly more of a direct line down the hill versus the 15-meter arc of the RP shaped skis from DPS. At 94 mm underfoot, it’s right in the sweet spot for both uphill and downhill performance, allowing skiers to access distant mountain peaks and deeper snow, while also keeping resort-touring fully in play. Whether you’re using these as one-run dawn patrol skis or hut to hut trips out west or in Europe, the Pagoda Tour 94 is the one ski you’ll need to do it all.

Ryan Darlow noted that the 178 was very true to size for him. As a touring ski, it’s tough to read perfectly well in a downhill/lift-served format, so our scores can be slightly skewed as a result. Ryan gave top marks of 3 out of 5 for forgiveness, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. Ryan notes that “The skis are fairly turny and damp but they give nothing back from the amount of energy required to initiate their turn. They are light and they may be nice in powder (not present today) and they are probably a very nice touring option but they have no pop or punch and are essentially "dead" when you turn them.” Again, we’re seeing a bigger shift from DPS in distancing their tour line from their alpine one, and Ryan’s feedback on the non-tour Pagoda skis was quite different.

With less rocker and weight than the RP shaped skis, the 94 C2 is a better touring option and has better grip on the uphills. While it may not be as floaty or smeary as the wider or more rockered skis in the line, it does allow for more freedom of movement, and in a backcountry scenario, that’s a very good thing.