Pow
Those soft shovels on the Wailer F 106 allow the ski to plane very well, but if powder performance is your first priority, I’d still advise you to lean toward the DPS Wailer 112RP. In deep pow, I’d say there is more difference than similarity between these two skis. The Wailer 112RP floats very well for its width (i.e., in terms of flotation, I think it floats and planes as well or better than a number of 115-118 mm wide skis). So the Wailer F 106 is a good pow ski, but I don’t feel like it punches above its weight class like the Wailer 112 “Resort Powder” does. But it will float better than the Wailer 99 … while not giving up much if any firm-snow performance to the Wailer 99.
(The Wailer 99 Hybrid or Pure3 will feel quicker, but I wouldn’t say that the Wailer 99 is clearly a better carver, or handles firm crud better than the Wailer F 106).
Punchy Snow
Soft shovels and significant sidecut aren’t the best combo when you find yourself in 6-8 inches of punchy, grabby off-piste snow. So if you find yourself in such conditions frequently, a ski with stiffer shovels (and less sidecut) will probably serve you better. All one-ski-quivers have their strengths and weaknesses, so this would be a very good time to think hard about where you want your ski to shine.
Trees
In firm conditions (but not blue ice), or shallow chop or crud, or deep consistent pow, the Wailer F 106 is a fun tree ski, and it’s a bit reminiscent of the Rossignol Soul 7 and the K2 Pinnacle 105. (Ok, full disclosure, I’ve only been on the Pinnacle 95, but the Pinnacle 95 reminded me a lot of the Wailer 106 in trees, so I’m making a leap here and extrapolating that the more apples-to-apples comparison would be the Pinnacle 105.)
Point is, if you’re looking to get more comfortable skiing in trees—i.e., you’re already an intermediate tree skier looking to improve—the Wailer F 106 would be a good choice. And if you’re already very comfortable skiing trees (and again, your style isn’t to ski trees flat out, but to ski with a bit more finesse and precision), I think you’ll get along well with this ski.
Important: DPS Wailer Foundation 106 vs. DPS Wailer 105 Hybrid T2
I’ve made some hints at this above, but let’s be clear: aside from some fairly similar dimensions, the Wailer F 106 has virtually nothing in common with the DPS Wailer 105 Hybrid T2. The Wailer 105 Hybrid T2 is a very stiff ski that excels at a very aggressive, smash-and-bash style of skiing, and it is a GS-turn machine with virtually no speed limit. So this note is here to simply preempt the idea that you should be thinking about getting either the Wailer Foundation 106 or the Wailer 105 Hybrid T2. If one of these two skis perfectly suits your style, then the other ski is not one you should even be considering. We’ve got apples and oranges here.
Mount Location
I’m 5’10”, 175-180 lbs., and mounted on the line, it felt like I didn’t have much shovel in front of me. We don’t have demo bindings on our test skis, so I’ve been unable to play with mount position. Those who ski with a neutral / centered stance will probably be quite happy on the line, but those who really like to drive the shovels may want to consider (a) going back at least 1 cm, and maybe 2, or (b) sizing up—especially if you weigh more than 185 lbs. or so.
I adjusted to the mount location over the course of my time on the Wailer F 106, but the shovels felt quite short to me initially, and I personally would mount back 2 cm on the 185 cm Wailer F 106. But if you don’t already identify yourself as a shovel driver, I think you’ll be fine on the line and will appreciate how easy it is to initiate turns on this ski.
Comparisons
We’ll be putting out a Deep Dive article soon with comparisons of the Wailer F 106 to skis like the Rossignol Soul 7, the Nordica Enforcer, the Moment Belafonte, and (hopefully) the Head Monster 108 and the K2 Pinnacle 105. Stay tuned for that.
Who’s It For?
Those who’ve wished that the Wailer 112RP handled firm conditions better—or those who’ve felt like 112 mm was too wide to consider as a 1-ski quiver—ought to check out the Wailer F 106. The ski will be a better fit for finesse skiers rather than those who like to bash their way down the mountain.
And while the tune on any ski can have a significant impact on its performance characteristics, I think that is particularly true of the Wailer F 106. Low intermediate skiers will have a good time on the F 106—the soft flex pattern and shape of the shovels + the fairly tight sidecut radius of the ski make turn initiation easy, and if you detune the tail, the tail will be supportive and still easy to smear around. Don’t detune those tails, and they may require more precision than will feel comfortable for an intermediate skier.
On the flip side, keep a sharp tune on those tails and advanced skiers—and, I think, even finesse-oriented expert skiers—who like high edge angles will have a very good time. And in this case, I think the right tune will allow advanced skiers to make this ski a fat, outstanding carver, or they can detune the ski to make it a bit more at home in punchy, off-piste conditions.
Bottom Line
If you’ve previously had a Goldilocks problem trying to decide whether to go with the DPS Wailer 99 Hybrid or the Wailer 112RP Hybrid, you are now in luck. The DPS Wailer F 106 offers a nice blend of the Wailer 99 and the Wailer 112RP, and will work well as a one-ski-quiver for those who like what they’re hearing in this review.
NEXT: ROCKER PROFILE PICS
Hi Jonathan,
I saw the first pictures of this ski online about half a day before you published the review and I was – well to say it in the blister “slang” – intrigued. Now that feeling has changed into slight disappointment when reading your review. I was really hoping the wailer 106 F would fall into the category of the line SN 108, nordica enforcer or scott punisher 110, i.e. a smooth “no brainer” ski with a good blend of low end and top end capacities. Maybe a stiffer shovel and a 20 – 22 m sidecut and one would be getting closer what the first looks at the ski seemed to promise…
PS: how to you like your sweet helmet (trooper in white is such a “classic”)? I love the brand – stoked to see that they are now on the US market.
Hi, Hannes – talking to Stephan Drake this past week, we got confirmation that they are going to stiffen up the shovels a bit, while leaving the tails the same. I think this is the right move. And we’ll see how much this affects performance. (And keep in mind that the Enforcer’s sidecut radius is only 18.5 meters…)
As for the Sweet Trooper MIPS … it’s been terrific. Highly recommended. We’re going to be talking more about (and with) Sweet soon…
Hi Jonathan,
Any update on the production model of the 106 F in relation to the envisaged stiffening of the shovels and if and how that affects performance?
With regard to the pre-production model you have skied: how does the flex ramp up from the center to the soft tips? Is there any hinge point or is it a flex pattern that consistently gets softer? I think that the old 108 waisted line SFB is a good example of a relatively medium flexing ski with a yet very consistent flex pattern that carved very well and was quite predictable in variable snow for its quite centered mount and moderate flex. I have skied the new rmu apostle 98 several times this season which is quite stiff under foot and has softer tips and shovels (much softer than the regular apostle 105 I have also skied) and there is a hinge point where you pressure the shovel which gave me some violent folding experience if I did not stay quite balanced and centered. Therefore, the question is wether despite the soft tips the wailer 106 F remains relatively predictable or not when entering firmer or variable conditions if you do not push the ski too hard. I would infer from your review that the ski remains predictable, but you often comment expressly on that issue. Thank’s in advance!
PS: any plans to get on the wailer 99 F?
Thank you for the prompt feedback. Stiffer shovel? Getting (once more) intrigued…As for the sidecut radius, I see your point with the enforcer and I admit that the sidecut radius does not always matter that much (but it can…). With a stiffer shovel this could certainly become a contender for an everyday resort ski in the alps either in the playful charger category or playful ski that can still charge.
As for sweet helmets. I still own a 1st generation trooper (PK Hunder edition in gold with an “immature” bikini girl print on the left backside of the helmet) and currently use a 2nd generation rambler – as the former “budget helmet” from sweet – which is now replaced by the blaster. The helmets are reasonably light, have a great fit, low profile, sufficient venting, are compatible with every goggle I was using, feel very solid and have a great design. No reason for me to look elsewhere. Curious to read what you have to say about the MIPS version (it appears it weighs only 30 grams more and if it really offers that much additional protection it is certainly worth considering).
I think these skis have been available for purchase for several days now. Did they stiffen the tips already? Just curious since you said they are “going to”.
Hi Jonathan !
Thanks for your great review,as usual but I do have a question : How do you compare DPS F106 to K2 Pinnacle 105s ?
Hi Jonathan,
Thinking about grabbing a pair of these 106 wailer pure 3. I currently have a two ski quiver of 185 Nordica enforcer 100 and 185 DPS Lotus 124 pure 3. I am debating on upgrading the enforcers to the 106 (a buddy of mine wants to buy my enforcers). How would you compare the enforcers to the 106?
Thanks,
Tony
What’s the recommended mount point for a heavier skier (~230lbs)?
I’m thinking of a Dps that would fit my needs, I ski the tight woods at Sugarbush and Cannon in the east.I’m 5’6 155.Would the foundation 106 or 99 fit my needs.Also on the new Dps Alchemist 1300 $ ski are these primarily for soft snow? Rick
How do you think these skis would perform with a Telemark binding setup?
2019-20 Wailer F106 C2 update.
I have skied the previous F106 described in these earlier reviews, and now have the new and slightly narrower (tip and tail) F106 C2 185cm in my personal quiver. Both skis feel very similar, and I do like bamboo core skis. This length is appropriate for my 6’1″ 185 lb frame, mounted on the recommended scribe mark.
-Groomed conditions: A SUPERB carver at all radius with amazing edge and large sweet spot. The more conventional side cut, gives it a longer effective edge. This ski falls into the directional category vs playful and loose. Loves higher edge angles and prefers to be on edge. This is “not” a top pick for those that ski with a flat edge, and prefer a skidded turn. It is best suited for the advanced to expert level skier. Very stable at high speed long radius turns. If you like to ski fast with high edge angles on groomers, you will fall in love with this new C2! This ski is in the heavier weight category (there is a direct relation with higher weight and higher damping-stability, which I prefer). Great stability and transition over inconsistent conditions, particularly if you stay on edge and closer to its turn radius. DPS does not specify the turn radius. I have seen some web sites list it at 18-19m for the C2. It feels more like low 20s in this 185cm length.
-Powder: a more conventional side cut and moderate tip rocker, give this ski average float for this width underfoot. Many skiers will find this skis combination of stability and float adequate for most of their powder conditions, and can easily qualify as a single ski quiver, for East or West US conditions. I live in Vail, and will use the F106 as my wide all-mountain ski in my 4 ski quiver. I will normally switch to my wider-looser twin tip bamboo core powder ski in deeper conditions, probably 5-6 plus inches…..it’s just easier and more fun!
-Bumps: excellent in wider soft bumps that you can carve through. Tight, large, firmer bumps that require a quick edge change and direct line, are more of a challenge, and the ski feels a bit stiff under foot, and a little slow to change edge in this 185cm length. I would prefer to be on a narrower, damp, quicker turning ski, like the Blizzard Brahma in a 180cm length in these conditions.
-Crud-heavy cut up snow: the higher damping of the C2 Foundation series allow this ski to carve through these conditions with stability and confidence.
P.S. I also love the solid blue top sheet! The 185cm Nordica Enforcer 110 was also a option to fill this slot in my quiver, but the top sheet graphics…..Yuk.
Edge angles;
Let me start by stating that this new C2 F106 185cm is the best all-mountain carving ski I have ridden, not to mention its soft snow-pow performance off piste! The Edge engagement is so progressive, linear, and smooth, with superb edge hold, encouraging effortless high edge angle carve turns.
Tuning is critical on any ski, but some are more sensitive than others, and can make a HUGE impact on the skis performance. The new C2 F106 (per DPS hqts) uses .7 bottom and 1 degree side. I was not able to confirm the factory detuning on the tip and tail. All of the 5 or 6 recent DPS skis I have ridden were new or near new, and had a factory tune, and all were superb, some of the best in the business from the factory (I never let a shop tune my skis when new (which many shops recommend), I usually hand tune the entire first season, unless there is a obvious problem….and that has been rare). I do ski over 100 sessions per season, with my current 4 ski Quiver. The quality and accuracy of a shops tune can vary widely, and can negatively impact a skis designed performance.
Prior to confirmation from DPS, I used 1 and 2 for the first tune, after about 1 dozen sessions, and did not take off much metal. It seemed a bit grabby, without additional edge hold, and some loss of that progressive, linear carve. I detuned the tip a bit more to the edge contact point when cambered, and feathered to the edge contact point when decambered. Pretty darn close after a few sessions….however, I will use factory angles next time, once my new Swix bottom jig arrives for that .7 degree bottom edge.
Hi,
What is the mounting position heavier skiers are using ?
Hi Pierre, if your asking about the F106 C2, I like these on the factory scribe mark. I do have Tyrolia demo bindings and can easily change the mount point, but feels just right on the mark. I am a directional skier 185lbs 6’1″, and this more conventional shape with its long effective edge is designed to be a directional ski. I think this 185cm length will easily support a heavier skier than me, especially with the heavier demo binding I have mounted, which also stiffens the ski due to the adjustment plates. This is a stiff ski for this width to begin with. Finest carving wide-all-mountain ski I’ve ridden on groomers, with amazing edge. Rides deep and stable on the big days for more face shots. Craig. Vail, Colorado
Thank you Craig. My question is about the F106 in this article. Your reviews made me want to exchange the original F106 for the C2! I scored the last 185cm for a very great deal since the C2 was available.
I guess that the C2 is improved but the feeling should be similar except maybe for firmer conditions.
I am hesitating between mounting on the line or 1cm back.
Regards
The F106 C2 prefers a weight forward stance driving the turn from the front of the ski, but has a large sweet spot. I would hesitate to move the mount point behind the scribe mark. Demo bindings will solve your concerns, and the added weight and plates will offer some additional damping and stability, since your a bigger guy. If you are working on, or have mastered your carve turns, you will love this ski. If you prefer skidded turns or a loose ski that lacks edge….look elsewhere. Cheers