2027 DPS Pisteworks 79

The first thing that comes up whenever we discuss the 2027 DPS Pisteworks 79 is always the price. There’s no getting around it, these are expensive skis. What you end up getting, though, is a very rare ski experience, and that’s what you’re paying for. The use of carbon, combined with a Made in the USA label does count for something, and if all other performance aspects are equal, the lighter ski will feel like the better one. DPS merges high performance and stability with a light weight better than anyone, and whether you think it is worth the cost or not, it’s tough to deny that they’re on to something here. Price aside, feedback on these skis has been nothing short of extraordinary.

These skis are built with a double core consisting of poplar on top and red oak on the bottom. We get two layers of aerospace grade carbon on top and on the bottom of the core and one extra carbon layer underfoot. This high-end build creates seamless edge grip, a manageable weight, and a flex that’s not too stiff for how well it carves. The fallacy of a ski needing to be stiff in order to carve and have good edge grip is totally out the window thanks to the Pisteworks 79. DPS notes a weight of 1650 g/ski in the 174, which feels light for this level of performance. Tester Jonas Engle notes that “These are a true any speed frontside ski, easygoing while still able to open up without any trouble. They don’t even mind being in the air. With the narrow underfoot waist I would keep these on-piste, but they can handle some variability in snow conditions. Packing no metal, their bite on ice is not top-tier, but still better than most and with any softness they feel incredible. Despite their frontside nature, i think anybody intermediate and up could ski these and love them, including aggressive-skiing experts. It’s somehow both precise and forgiving at the same time. While it's hard to say any ski justifies the cost of an NYC 2-bedroom condo, if anything does it would be these. Truly as close to a “does everything well” ski as I’ve skied on a frontside carver.”

While the 79 is the narrowest ski that DPS makes, it’s worth remembering that this is still kind of a wider front side ski, so I do think there’s some all-mountain performance to note here, rather than just focusing on carving performance. We get a bit of rocker in the tips and tails, but the wider Pisteworks skis do offer a bit more. The 174 boasts measurements of 126/79/109 to generate a 13.5-meter turn radius. Due to the flexibility of the ski, that shape is achievable, but the ski overall feels much more versatile in terms of turn shape and style. Tester John Stobierski declares that “This is an outstanding ski. The turn shape was a thing of beauty. It’s nothing I ever experienced before. The ski had the DPS binding, which included a race plate underneath elevated the boot and allowed you to get more extreme angulation. It’s soft, smooth, quick turning and I have to say it again, the turn shape was Nirvana.”

Both testers gave the ski a 10/10 for Overall Impression, and those weren’t the only ones. The overall feedback on this ski is enormously positive, and we concur with those testers as we had a total blast on it as well. The price takes up a big part of the conversation when it comes to the intended audience, and that’s kind of too bad because there are a ton of skiers who would love this ski and not be overpowered by it. That’s the most interesting part, the performance is so high end, but they are in no way overly demanding.