2025 DPS Kaizen 112

The Kaizen Series is now a year in for 2025 and encompasses the Freeride/All-Mountain genre for the brand. Meant for deep snow and endless powder, the widest of the series, the Kaizen 112 has no lack of floatation or maneuverability with its unique construction and progressive freeride shape. The series is intended to create the ultimate freeride/all-mountain ski by combining previous DPS technologies into one. Previous DPS technologies like RP (Resort Powder) rocker profiles and C2 (Chassis 2) directional sidecuts have now evolved into broader terms and are broken down into two categories: Rocker and Directional. This is a bit clearer and easier to interpret for consumers, so we are happy to see it from DPS. The Kaizen 112 certainly falls in the Rocker category with its powder application and is a slarvy, smeary, and surfy ski that will have you feeling weightless in the soft snow.

The Kaizen 112 has quite a unique construction when it comes to its material choice and construction technique. Brand new from DPS is their Split Core Technology which consists of two separate layers of wood joined with a horizontal bond line which maximizes dampening. The upper layer is made up of poplar, while the lower is ash. Poplar and ash are dense, adding to the robustness and responsiveness of the ski in soft and variable snow. Reinforcing the Split Core are two Aerospace grade carbon fiber laminates which further add to the Kaizen 112’s dampness and overall energy. Combined, a pair of 178cm lengths, the Kaizen 112 comes in at 3650 grams which puts it right in that resort/backcountry hybrid category. This Aerospace grade carbon fiber is chosen for the Kaizen not only for its quality and performance but also its durability. DPS harps on their skis’ ability to last and they say that the Kaizen should feel the same on day one or day four hundred. However, there is no doubt that this quality carbon fiber comes at a cost which is reflected in the Kaizen’s price tag. The 112 also gets a binding reinforcement layer underfoot intended to contribute to the ski’s durability and charging performance. The reinforcing layer ensures that these skis can be pushed to the limit and will give you some piece of mind the next time you are at the top of a spicy line.

The Kaizen 112’s powder freeride shape can be seen from a mile away with an exaggerated sidecut and rocker profile. About 45% of the ski is rockered with 55% cambered which translates to endless floatation with incorporated energy in the camber. This shape permits a high degree of pivot and agility especially in tight trees. However, there is a great deal of stability when in wide open powder field when you are pointing them down the fall line and charging as hard as you can. The exaggerated powder sidecut includes a forebody width of 140mm, a waist width of 112mm, and a tail width of 125mm which produces a turning radius of 15 meters. Erik Timmerman was caught slightly off guard by this new ski, as his “First impression was the pinky noisy carbon build and the ridiculous tip. Luckily we ski it long enough to get beyond first impressions because that hardly tells this skis story. The weird shape works great in snow that would otherwise be difficult.” Obviously, floatation is the name of the game with a ski like this and the Kaizen 112 provides it. The 15-meter turn radius makes them precise yet agile, which is exactly what you want in a powder ski.

The DPS Kaizen 112 is quite the powder ski with its unique construction techniques and durability. Best suited for those deep days that dreams are made of, the 112 is a powder machine that likes to pivot, smear, and charge. They can be paired with a lightweight tech binding or alpine binding depending on what you are looking to do. But we feel as though a hybrid binding is the most likely pairing for a ski like this.