DPS Wailer 90

The Wailer is the shape that made DPS famous. The 90 is the narrower version — a true daily driver for the Pacific Northwest skier who faces groomers, chop, and the occasional powder morning all in the same week.

At 90mm underfoot with a 15m radius, it threads the needle between carving and all-mountain. Edge-to-edge transitions are quick — faster than you'd expect from a brand known for powder skis. The 60% effective edge gives you solid grip on hardpack without sacrificing the tip and tail rocker you need for variable snow.

The poplar core with carbon/fiberglass hybrid laminate keeps it at 1,753g in the 171. Light enough that spring laps don't destroy your legs, stiff enough that it doesn't get pushed around in chop. Blister measured the flex and called it "quite stiff through the middle and back" — that tracks. This isn't a noodle. It wants you to drive it from the front.

Biggest surprise: how well it handles hardpack. DPS has a reputation for soft-snow skis, and the Wailer 90 pushes back against that. Edge hold is legit. Not Pisteworks territory, but solid for a 90mm all-mountain ski.

Six sizes from 152 to 184 means it fits a wide range of skiers. The Phantom base treatment is available as a factory add-on for $99 — worth it if you hate waxing.