Reverse Camber Skis

[jbotti]

DP Lotus 138 Review:

Well I finally got these out in the right conditions yesterday. For those that aren't aware, the skis are Drake Powderworks Lotus 138's. These are reverse camber, reverse sidecut skis that are highly specialized for powder and soft snow conditions. This ski only comes in a 192 length and the dimensions that DP gives are 140-138-139, but this is misleading. These dimensions are only of the middle section of the ski, which has a modest amount of sidecut. The ski is a true reverse sidecut ski so the true dimensions are closer to 125-140-138-139-120 (although the 125 and the 120 dimensions are guesses).

Conditions: We caught 10-12 inches of fresh, reasonably fluffy snow at the bottom of Squaw and the upper mountain and higher elevations got 14-16 inches. High winds create some windblown pockets that were easily knee deep or more. All of this came after two weeks of very warm temps and the slush bumps underneath had turned to ice.

Impressions:
These are great pure powder skis. The tips and the tails will not dive and they give superior float to any traditional ski. Having said this, they really do take some time to get used to. I have never been on any reverse camber, reverse sidecut skis before which means that I have no frame of reference to compare these to Spats or any other comparable ski. Those that have, tend to rave about what DP has accomplished.

The fact that the tail does not dive and floats on the snow may be more significant than the fact that the tip doesn't. Tight turns at speed or without speed are simple and it does not require carving ability or technique. In fact you need to smear the turns and use some pivoting action. In the trees and in tight spots and chutes, this is truly an amazing characteristic. I was able to do hop turns in chutes without hopping!!! You can just point the ski slightly into the fall line and with a little pivoting it will turn 180 degrees. This ability was quite confidence inspiring and it made tree skiing an absolute blast.

In chopped up fresh snow, the same characteristic was at work. There is absolutely no tip deflection mainly because the tips never get into the snow. You glide across the top of the chop and it is a very smooth ride. Again the main mode of turning is pivoting which is simple in all soft terrain. As well the ability to vary turn shape and tactics is very high. You can ski GS turns in pow and chop or ski more powder 8 type turns in all soft terrain. Again the tail give no resistance and the tips will not dive, so with any rotary action applied to the skis they will turn and turn quite quickly.

Where the ski also shines is in less steep fresh snow. The float is amazing so you maintain your speed much better in shallower terrain and it made skiing it a blast, whereas with a traditional powder ski you might get easily bogged down and maybe even have to hike out.

These are all the positives. The negatives are several. First, I absolutely hated the ski on groomed terrain. It was somewhere between highly uncomfortable and dangerous. At speed on harder snow they were downright dangerous. Let me say that this is as advertised. No one has ever said that reverse camber will ski well on groomed terrain. What I find interesting is that everyone says the Lotus 138?s are much more user friendly on groomers than are the Spatulas. If so I would hate to try the Spats on groomed terrain. The skis are theoretically carveable. You need speed to get them on edge, and then you have a very short running length on the ski as so much of the ski is not touching the snow. Fore aft balance has to be perfect and then they will carve very wide radius turns. Unfortunately because they are so short on groomed terrain, any undulations in the terrain will challenge balance. Again I hated them on groomed terrain and I would imagine that this may improve some with time.

I think that for me, the true greatness of this ski is also on of its detractions. With no tail and no tip creating a contact point with the ski, you really are left with rotating and pivoting. It?s easy, it?s fun, and it?s confidence inspiring in difficult terrain. The problem is that I felt like my biggest asset as a skier, the ability to carve, was essentially left at the lift. In chop I love to carve, pressure the tips and tails at times, and use the terrain to help me put the skis on edge. Because you never actually touch the undulations in the snow, this is impossible. As well because you are above it all, you don?t need to either. In reality I was trading in a skiing arsenal that has taken years to develop for a brand new one that requires much less skill (perhaps not when taken to a much higher level than what I achieved on the first day).

Still this is a great quiver ski. It definitely has a place. On e heli skiing trip or in the backcountry, this ski just rules (although I love to ski powder with skis that have sidecut and traditional camber). As a resort ski, it has its limitations, and it also opens up chutes and terrain that I wouldn?t otherwise attempt without it. Did I mention that I hated them on groomers? This clearly will influence my decision as to how often and how long I ski them on a powder day. My guess is that I will ski these on any day where there is 15 inches or more but I will probably switch to my Atuas after lunch unless I will be skiing in the trees the rest of the day. (Ski caddie anyone?).

Lastly, I skied these yesterday with my friend Tim and his son Glen (for part of the day) and we all have the same boot sole length. I was able to ski the Fischer Watea and the Atua (I also own a pair) side by side with the 138?s and they both skied the 138?s. At times we did the same chutes and or runs several different times each of us on a different ski. I finished the day again appreciating what a fun, and versatile powder ski the Atua is. It remains my choice for resort powder skiing, but I will definitely break out the 138?s on all big days.

I think my enjoyment and ability to use these skis will improve with time. I also think that anyone who likes to skid and smear as their primary/default move, will absolutely love these skis.