2027 DPS Pisteworks 89

The 2027 DPS Pisteworks 89 is the mid-width model in the Pisteworks line, and is arguably the most versatile. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the new 89 this past year, and kept giving it more and more tests and tasks to see what it could do. Spoiler alert: it handled everything really well. And it should for the price. It’s tough to avoid the cost talk when dealing with the Pisteworks 89, but the interesting part is that it’s able to do so much at such a light weight.

Built with a dual layer wood core, the Pisteworks 89 uses an upper layer of poplar and a lower layer of red oak. These layers are sandwiched between two full carbon laminates. We also get a carbon power plate underfoot, and that triple laminate of carbon equates to fantastic edge grip. Normally we’d think of carbon and think “stiff”, but these are different. The thinness of the wood core keeps them flexible enough to be manageable and approachable. We get a lighter feel here as the ski sits on the scale at just under 1700 g/ski in the 178. Tester John Stobierski says: “This is a great ski. Please may see my review for the pest Works 94 and everything I said about the 94 applies to the 89 there’s one significant difference between the two skis in that the size under foot 5 cm. It does make a difference the 89 is quicker and more playful without being Slopey. I like the stability of the 94 better than the 89 but it is simply a matter of preference. The Ark of the turn is a bit smaller, but still unbelievable. I would think the added width of the 94 would help in deeper snow, but I didn’t have the opportunity to try them. You can’t go wrong with either width. This is a wonderful ski. If you want to stick to the front side, you can’t go wrong. DPS has outdid itself.”

At 89 underfoot, DPS plays a good trick here by making you think it’s “under 90 mm”, which it is, but not by much. Does that then put it into the wide frontside category because of how well it carves? Not so fast! This ski is highly versatile and we found that it is a fantastic option for bumps, trees, and softer snow. The 178 produces a 16-meter turn radius and due to the flexible nature and rocker profile, it’s right there. DPS notes a 73% effective edge and a 27% rocker breakdown with some mild taper to make it easier to ski. We had great feedback from Steve Buccini who notes that “These skis are game to bang out big GS turns while being light enough to dance on the shoulder sugar after lunch. This ski could handle anything on piste that I could find. I suspect it would be good in the trees or few inches of fresh snow. A significant percentage (90% if I recall correctly) of the materials in the ski are sourced from within 100 miles of DPS’s Utah manufacturing facility. If you want to support local American manufacturers without compromising on performance, you can’t do much better than this ski.”

There’s a lot that goes into a ski like this, and it makes sense that they’re pricey, although we’re still amazed at how well they perform. The cost does take some casual skiers out of the conversation, but if you’re looking for smooth, light, powerful, and versatile, it’s tough to do better than the Pisteworks 89.