Loading...
Loading...
PTO Review
We skied them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (Freeride, All-Mountain). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
TOUR 95 — skiers who walk uphill in order to ski down. U-PH — skiers who want the unity outline light and forgiving rather than stiff and demanding, and who value a long comfortable day over a precise one — which is ogasaka’s own stated aim for it. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all skis on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | TOUR 95 | U-PH |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 4 | 6🏆 |
| Park | 1 | 2🏆 |
| Playfulness | 5 | 6🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 6 | 7🏆 |
| Stability | 6 | 7🏆 |
| Powder | 8🏆 | 4 |
Skiers who walk uphill in order to ski down. If the descent is the reason for the day - steep lines, deep north-facing snow, couloirs - and you would rather carry a little more ski than arrive on top with something you do not want to point downhill, this is the ski Van Deer built for that. It also suits a self-directed buyer who already knows their touring setup and does not need a published test to commit - we found none in English, German or Japanese.
Skiers whose priority is the climb. Van Deer puts the RACE TOUR 65 at segments 1-2 and the TOUR 75 at 1-3 on its own uphill-downhill scale, and this ski at 5-7; it is telling you where its uphill work went, and it did not go here. Skiers who want one all-conditions touring ski rather than a deep-snow specialist should buy the TOUR 85 instead - same $1,000, same three lengths, same three radii, ten millimetres narrower and 80 grams per ski lighter, and Van Deer's own word for it is balanced. Skiers who ride lifts want the FREERIDE 98, which carries two full sheets of Titanal and 730 g more per ski. Anyone expecting a complete package should know the $1,000 buys a bare ski: the skin is $280 extra, and Van Deer sells no binding for it. Anyone who wants independent test data before spending $1,000 should wait a season - we searched English, German and Japanese and found none.
Skiers who want the UNITY outline light and forgiving rather than stiff and demanding, and who value a long comfortable day over a precise one — which is OGASAKA’s own stated aim for it. One third-party tester recommended it to women and senior skiers; another, on the 160 cm, called it the easiest ski to ski in the whole UNITY range. It also suits anyone who wants a finished setup rather than a ski plus a second decision, because PTO stocks it with the binding and plate already mounted.
Skiers who want edge bite. A third-party tester said outright that this is not a razor-sharp, high-grip model and pointed it at cruising instead — that trait went out with the aluminum, and the U-PE is the ski that still has it. It is not the easiest ski in its own family either: OGASAKA’s catalog states that the U-PC is easier to handle, and recommends the U-PC to skiers with less power. At 81 mm it is no powder ski — E-TURN is OGASAKA’s wide line — and it is no hard-snow race carver, which is what KEO’S and TRIUN exist for. Anyone who needs 174 cm cannot get it here; the run ends at 167. And anyone shopping for a cheaper U-PE should stop: the metal is genuinely gone, and so is the work it was doing.
The TOUR 95 is best for skiers who walk uphill in order to ski down. The U-PH is best for skiers who want the unity outline light and forgiving rather than stiff and demanding, and who value a long comfortable. The right choice depends on your primary terrain, ability level, and riding style.
The OGASAKA U-PH scores highest in Stability at 7/10, making it the strongest all-mountain option. It handles groomers, chop, and variable conditions without losing composure, so it's the best single-ski choice for skiers who want one pair for the whole mountain.
The OGASAKA U-PH leads in Carving with a PTO score of 6/10. Its edge grip on hard snow and groomed runs is the strongest in this comparison.
The OGASAKA U-PH is the most forgiving option with a Forgiveness score of 7/10. It doesn't punish imperfect technique, making it the easiest ski to progress on among these.
Not sure? Ask us.
