1 / 2Van Deer H-Power 68 Skis 2027
Pre-order · Ships September 2026
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At a Glance
Terrain
Ability Level
Description
The Van Deer H-Power 68 is a 68 mm frontside carving ski — the narrowest of the three H-Power widths, and the one built purely for groomers and firm snow. It is a system ski: the Marker FDT RACE PRO plate is part of the ski, not an add-on.
The construction is race-derived and plain to read. An ash-poplar wood core sits between two layers of Titanal — ash for stiffness and edge power, poplar to keep it from feeling dead, and the metal to damp chatter and press the edge into hard snow. Van Deer states two layers and publishes no thickness, so neither do we. A race-grade base and tune-ready ABS sidewalls finish the build, and each ski leaves the Austrian factory on a tune specified by Marcel Hirscher rather than a generic grind, so it is meant to ski true out of the wrap. Van Deer publishes no camber or rocker profile for this model; the camber in our spec table is PTO's own read, not a brand figure.
The H-Power 68 suits the skier whose day starts and ends on the piste — capable intermediates through to experts who want race-grade edge hold without owning an actual race ski. It is not a first ski. It is also the wrong ski for soft snow: at this width, on a build this stiff, that is a hard limit of the shape, not a matter of taste. Want a little reach past the hardpack? That is the H-Power 78. Want float and mixed terrain? The H-Power 89, or the Freeride line.
Length matters more here than on most skis, because the radius climbs from roughly 10 m at 154 cm to 19 m at 182 cm — the size you choose sets the turn shape, and we will match it to the turns you actually ski. The ski and its plate are $1,600; the fitting Marker COMP 13 binding (DIN 4-13) is a separate option that brings it to $2,000, and we mount it and set the release value in the shop.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Type | High-Performance On-Piste Skis |
| Model | H-POWER 68 |
| Color | Black |
| Available Lengths | 147 cm, 154 cm, 161 cm, 168 cm, 175 cm, 182 cm |
| Waist Width | 68 mm |
| Core Construction | Ash-Poplar Wood Core |
| Reinforcement | Dual Titanal Layers |
| Base | Race-Grade Base |
| Sidewalls | ABS Sidewalls, Ready to Tune |
| Plate Configuration | Marker FDT Race Pro Plate |
| Compatible Binding | Marker Comp 13 FDT GW, Black — Sold Separately |
| Recommended Use | Groomed Slopes / Hardpack / Performance Carving |
| Length | Sidecut | Radius | Weight per Ski |
|---|---|---|---|
| 147 cm | 117-68-98 mm | 10 m | 1625 g with plate |
| 154 cm | 115.5-68-97 mm | 10 m | 1745 g with plate |
| 161 cm | 115.5-68-97 mm | 10.5 m | 1805 g with plate |
| 168 cm | 115.5-68-97 mm | 13 m | 1890 g with plate |
| 175 cm | 115.5-68-97 mm | 16 m | 2105 g with plate |
| 182 cm | 115.5-68-97 mm | 19 m | 2235 g with plate |
Specs
- Waist Width: 68 mm
- Sidecut: 115.5-68-97 mm (154–182 cm) · 117-68-98 mm (147 cm)
- Turn Radius: 10 m (154 cm) · 10.5 m (161 cm) · 13 m (168 cm) · 16 m (175 cm)
- Core: Ash-poplar wood
- Construction: Two layers of Titanal (thickness not published) · race base · ABS sidewalls, ready to tune
- Profile: Camber (PTO assessment — Van Deer does not publish a profile for this ski)
- Weight: 1,745–2,105 g per ski with plate (154–175 cm)
- Plate: Marker FDT RACE PRO (included — system ski)
- Binding: Marker COMP 13 FDT GW, DIN 4-13 (sold separately; mounted and set by a technician)
- Factory Tuning: Marcel Hirscher factory tune, model-specific
- Available Lengths: 154 · 161 · 168 · 175 cm
- Colourway: Black
Pair It With
Compatible ski bindings.
Browse our recommended binding brands for this ski.
Details
- Type
- SKI
- Vendor
- VAN DEER
- SKU
- V26HP2333.154.01.PL
154cm R10 / Black / FDT RACE PRO Plate
Van Deer H-Power 68
By PTO Team, Based on official Van Deer specs and one published European on-snow test · Spec analysis + published third-party testing on this ski
The take
“A race carver with the difficulty turned down - brilliant on hard snow, openly poor off it.”
The Van Deer H-Power 68 asks one question, and everything follows from the answer: do you actually spend your day on the piste? If you do, this is one of the more honest race-derived carvers on the market. At $1,600 the ski arrives on its Marker FDT RACE PRO plate - a system, not a flat ski with an accessory bolted on - and $2,000 buys it with the fitting Marker COMP 13 binding (DIN 4-13). Hirscher's factory tune comes with it: the ski is meant to be skied out of the wrap, not dropped at a shop first.
What the H-Power 68 sells is edge grip, and the mechanism is not mysterious. Two sheets of Titanal around an ash-poplar core give the ski mass and damping; the race plate lifts the boot for leverage into the edge and lets the ski bend more freely underfoot. A European on-snow test of the 175 described the ski settling harder into the arc the faster it was pushed, holding its line with what the tester called demonic precision. The same test found the tip supple and easy to steer at low speed, and judged the ski technically accessible - not exclusive, not too physically demanding. That pairing is the whole product: race-grade grip that a strong intermediate can still steer, and enough ceiling that a good carver keeps finding more.
The H-Power 68's limits are neither hidden nor small. Off the piste that same test was blunt - it doesn't lift, and it's too stiff - and a 68 mm waist on a metal-heavy build floats poorly whatever your technique. It also gives up rebound to a genuine race ski, which is the toll for being this steerable. Two more things to know. The published weights, 1,745 g at 154 cm up to 2,105 g at 175 cm, are per ski and include the plate, so they do not compare like-for-like against a bare ski from another brand. And the evidence base is thin: Van Deer has only existed since 2021, so this read rests on official spec plus one published on-snow test, not on years of tester consensus.
Against its own line the H-Power 68 wins on hardpack and loses everywhere else, which is exactly what it was built to do. The H-Power 89 and the Freeride skis beat it the moment the snow softens. The SL, GS and PRO race skis beat it on pure rebound. The H-Power 78 is the middle answer for a skier who leaves the groomers now and then. Sizing is the decision most often botched: the radius runs about 10 m at 154 cm, 10.5 m at 161 cm, 13 m at 168 cm and 16 m at 175 cm, so a 154 bought in the hope of long GS arcs is the wrong length, and a 175 bought for slalom quickness is the same mistake in reverse. Size to the turn you make most.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: System ski: the Marker FDT RACE PRO plate is part of the ski. The binding is mounted and set by a technician. Our pick: Marker COMP 13 FDT GW (DIN 4-13).
- Marker COMP 13 FDT GW (DIN 4-13)The fitting binding for this plate
Van Deer's fitting binding for the H-Power 68 plate system, DIN 4-13. DIN is an indicator, not a guarantee - a technician sets the release value against your weight, height, boot sole length and skier type.
The ski and its FDT RACE PRO plate are $1,600; the fitting Marker COMP 13 binding brings it to $2,000. A plate system is not a self-mount job - PTO mounts it and sets the DIN.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between the $1,600 and the $2,000 Van Deer H-Power 68?
- The ski is identical. $1,600 covers the ski on its Marker FDT RACE PRO plate; $2,000 adds the fitting Marker COMP 13 binding (DIN 4-13). If you do not already own a binding built for this plate, the $2,000 build is the one you need.
- Is the Van Deer H-Power 68 any good off-piste or in powder?
- No. The H-Power 68 is a frontside carver - 68 mm underfoot, on a stiff, metal-heavy build - and a published on-snow test found it does not lift in soft snow and feels too stiff away from the hardpack. For powder and soft snow, look at the H-Power 89 and the Freeride skis.
- Can an intermediate ski the Van Deer H-Power 68?
- A confident one, yes. It is firmer than a soft cruiser, but it was designed to be less demanding than a race ski, and a published on-snow test described it as technically accessible and not too physically demanding. A true beginner should start on something softer.
- Does the Van Deer H-Power 68 need a special binding?
- Yes. The H-Power 68 is built around the Marker FDT RACE PRO plate and takes the fitting Marker COMP 13 binding (DIN 4-13). A plate system like this is mounted and the release value set by a qualified technician; it is not a self-mount ski.
- What length Van Deer H-Power 68 should I buy?
- Choose by turn shape, not height alone. The radius grows with the ski: about 10 m at 154 cm, 10.5 m at 161 cm, 13 m at 168 cm and 16 m at 175 cm. Short lengths carve tight, quick arcs; long lengths run bigger and faster. PTO stocks 154 to 175 cm.
