Another New Weird Shaped Ski: Lotus 138

[thetrailboss]

I was reading POWDER and saw this ski listed. Check out the specs:

• 192 cm
• 202 cm
• dimensions: 125/140/138/139/108

:blink: Yeah, that last bullet are the dimensions of the ski from tip to tail. It is rockered.

Anyone have any experience with this ski?

 

[thetrailboss]

Guess nobody has any experience with these skis?

 

[snowmonster]

This is the reverse sidecut concept. It's been around since the Volant Spatulas came out. For more information, see Shane Mcconkey's essay, Brain Floss:

http://www.skinet.com/ski/gear/2009/10/the-wisdom-of-saucer-boy

The DPS Lotus has been around for about four or five years. I think the K2 Pontoon was also a reverse sidecut ski. It's a purely powder application. The S7 combines reverse sidecut and reverse camber technology. While reverse camber has become more mainstream, reverse sidecut exists more in the fringes of powder skis. Lots of discussion of DPS and reverse sidecut on TGR.

 

[Nick]

I was going to say. The entire point of a sidecut on skis is so when turned on edge it bends inward and creates a natural radius to allow for more of a carved turn vs. straight skis chattering or sliding turns.

I can't really see any application for this other than powder. If you were taking a corner on a groomer in these things,I would imagine you would have horrible front to back stability. It would probably be more like using those really short skis (what are those called..... ski dogs or something?)

 

[snowmonster]

^ Agree. These are completely useless on hardpack or groomers. Probably the only way to turn these on groomers would be to steer with your feet. That's fine on the cattracks but tha would be really scary on a hardpacked pitch.

Short skis = snow blades. Those probably have an advantage over these in ice since they are turn-ier. As long as you don't go fast on them, you should be fine.

 

[Glenn]

I bet you'll see someone rocking these on the east coast after a 3" snowfall. I saw a dude last year on 100mm+ powderboards....in early season when the fan guns were going.

 

[thetrailboss]

I know that these are probably not going to be on the east coast, but just wondering if anyone has tried them when out west or know anyone who has.

 

[jrmagic]

Not the Lotus 138 but OrangeGondola has carbon/nano fiber rockered DPS skis. I forget which model they are but they definitely have traditional sidecut underfoot. I know he loves floating n them in the Magic woods.

 

[roark]

Not the Lotus 138 but OrangeGondola has carbon/nano fiber rockered DPS skis. I forget which model they are but they definitely have traditional sidecut underfoot. I know he loves floating n them in the Magic woods.

RP112 Pures. ME WANT!

 

[bigbog]

I'll tell ya' roark, if the price were midstream-ski-price I wouldn't care if it were the Pure or Unpure(Hybrid).:-D. Shape is nice on that RP112 thing... Lotuses and Spatulas = really out there in the very deep..:lol:
PMGear's Lhasa looks interesting...haven't skied.

 

[snowmonster]

If you want to see an odd looking ski, check out the DPS Spoon:

http://www.dpsskis.com/blogs/2011/january/dps-spoon-150-patent-pending-dps-cleat-technology

I'm curious about the cleats. I wonder how they'll really perform on hard snow.

 

[Glenn]

If you want to see an odd looking ski, check out the DPS Spoon:

http://www.dpsskis.com/blogs/2011/january/dps-spoon-150-patent-pending-dps-cleat-technology

I'm curious about the cleats. I wonder how they'll really perform on hard snow.

That's a pretty interesting shape. IMHO, another powder only ski. I can't see that on anything but fresh snow...or deep freshish chop.

 

[Nick]

Speak of the devil, I just saw this on Gizmodo yesterday

DPS Attempts to Reinvent the Deep Powder Ski with Cleats and Fat Spoons
When skis when concave, that was a big deal. Aggressive skiers were soon carving deep lines into the hardpack and beginners were getting up and at 'em faster than ever. DPS wants to do that again with their funky Spoon.

The Spoon 150 ski eschews the hourglass shape that its cousins have worn for years now in favor of a fat convex design scheme and two "cleats" that just out from the bottom. The convex design is meant to float above powder much like other fat powder skis while the cleats are meant to bite into the ice, should you encounter any while navigating knee-deep powder (the convex design sacrifices some grip in those conditions).