DPS Kaizen 105 — Review

The DPS Kaizen 105 is the wider, more freeride-leaning sibling of the Kaizen 100. With a 105 mm waist and a longer 18 m turn radius at 179 cm, it trades a touch of the 100's snap for more stability and directional confidence in bigger, open terrain. It is a carbon-built, lightweight all-mountain freeride ski — around 1800 g per ski at 179 cm — light enough to cross into occasional backcountry use, yet planted enough to be driven hard on the resort. This is a directional ski built for skiers who like to point it and stay forward, not a park or freestyle tool.

On snow the Kaizen 105 feels lively and energetic, a signature of its aerospace-grade carbon layup. The 40% tip-and-tail rocker with 60% effective edge floats the shovel in soft snow while keeping a usable platform underfoot for firmer conditions. The longer 18 m radius makes it noticeably more stable and directional than the quicker 15 m Kaizen 100, favouring bigger arcs and open faces over tight, technical trees. It rewards an active pilot: stay centred and drive the tips, and it delivers energy out of every turn. Ease off, and the light carbon build asks for more input than a heavier metal ski would. In variable snow it stays composed for its weight, though it is less naturally damp than a metal-laminate freeride ski when the snow gets chopped up at speed.

At the core of the Kaizen 105 is DPS's Split Core: a two-part wood core pairing a Poplar upper with an Ash lower, joined along a horizontal bond line to maximise damping. That core is wrapped in two aerospace-grade carbon-fibre laminates for a light, lively, torsionally stiff chassis, and finished with steel edges. The profile is Rocker / Camber / Rocker with 40% tip and tail rocker and 60% effective edge. At 179 cm the sidecut is 134 / 105 / 118 mm for an 18 m radius, and the ski comes in 155, 163, 171, 179, 184 and 189 cm. DPS's optional Phantom permanent base treatment is available in place of traditional waxing.

The Kaizen 105 suits active, directional freeride skiers who want a light chassis they can push in open terrain and take touring on occasion. If you want a more playful poplar-core benchmark, look at the Black crows Atris. For a light metal-topped reference with a bit more damping, the Head Kore 106 Ti is the obvious rival, while the heavier, metal Nordica Enforcer 104 is more planted at speed but less tourable. In-house, the quicker 15 m DPS Kaizen 100 is the nimbler pick, and the wider DPS Wailer 107 leans further into powder.

Pros

• Light enough (~1800 g) to cross into backcountry use.
• Lively, energetic carbon layup that springs out of turns.
• Stable and directional at the longer 18 m radius.
• Split Core adds damping for its weight class.

Cons

• Carbon build is demanding and rewards a constantly active pilot.
• Less naturally damp than a metal ski at speed in chopped snow.
• The 18 m radius is less nimble in tight trees than the Kaizen 100.
• Directional character means it is not a park or freestyle ski.

Verdict: The DPS Kaizen 105 is a light, lively, directional freeride ski for skiers who stay forward and like to open up the terrain. Reward it with an active stance and it returns energy everywhere; those wanting metal-like calm at speed should weigh the Enforcer 104 instead.