The DPS demo was very fun - not least because other Pugs kept cycling through the tent and it was nice to be able to compare notes and get suggestions. On the down side, snow conditions that morning were, um, on the firm side, so off-piste testing was in some ways more about the skier than the skis. I chose not to go there except briefly, just to see how the skis handled the challenge. Since DPS has been known historically for its soft-snow designs, this was too bad.
I'll just cut to the chase and say that
the ski that had me giggling all the way down the hill was DPS's new 79mm foray into slalom skis. Even before I learned it was called
"The Trainer" I was thinking, "This is the perfect ski for someone who wants to learn how to ski arc-to-arc and has had trouble getting there." Seriously, if you can't figure it out on this ski, you need a new coach. The Trainer uses the new light and torsionally stiff "Alchemist" construction. (I don't believe it comes in a Foundation build.) I was on the 167cm length. For a "real" slalom ski, this might be considered on the long side for someone 135lb and 5' 7". In the case of the Trainer, it wasn't.
On snow it took me half a dozen turns to find the engagement point. I was expecting instant hookup and didn't get it; the ski has a bit of early rise. However, I quickly found the sweet spot and was off to the races. The remarkable thing about this ski is how ridiculously easily it bends into an arc without losing its edge. No other carving ski I've ever been on requires so little patience or speed before the skier is locked into a clean railroad-track turn. It's this that makes it the perfect teacher ski. (For that matter, it would probably make an excellent teachiING ski as well. Instructors take note!) In the forgiving corduroy we had at Alta that day, it seemed quiet and damp enough. Hard to say how it would be on actual east-coast ice.
I suspect I might want the metal back, in that case, but then I'd lose a lot of what makes this ski unique.
High-frequency slalom-style retraction turns were its natural preference. It feels much narrower than its 79mm spec would suggest - it's very quick edge to edge. Never did I think, "why did they make it so wide?" It was also fine in bigger arcs at speed, as long as no sudden goofy moves were made. I briefly took it into some of the chalky set-up bumps. In that environment the lively construction and edgy behavior were not reassuring. In fairness, later trips into the same pitch with other skis, including my own, were not exactly a barrel of laughs either. The only quibble I have with this ski is that I did manage to max it out when really pushing to tighten-up the arc in the second half of the turn. Twice I hit an unnerving kind of abrupt bottom-out in that circumstance. After that I was careful to be a little smoother in my pressuring and was back to full-time giggling.
I. would buy this ski in a heartbeat for teaching, taking an exam, or as my groomer ski for a smaller hill in the west. Super super fun.
Who's it for? Good skiers who want to add race turns to their repertoire without stepping up to a full-on slalom ski - maybe folks who are a little lighter, older, or less fit than they once were, but are sensitive to good technique and want to add honest-to-goodness carving to their toolbox.
Who is it not for? Big guys. You will fold this thing like a dinner napkin.
Insider tip: Don't buy it too short. It's not REALLY a slalom ski, it just helps you ski like a slalom skier.
