2020-2021 DPS Alchemist Wailer A110 C2

Intro

Since its introduction, the DPS Wailer 112 has become one of the most talked about skis on the market. Its radically tapered and rockered design (and bright yellow top sheet) was unique when it was originally released, and the Wailer 112 has garnered a lot of loyal followers since then.

But the Wailer 112 has also been dismissed by many others, with the main reasons given by those people being the ski’s very tight 15-meter sidecut radius and highly tapered shape.

For 19/20, DPS is giving those people an alternative — the brand-new Alchemist Wailer 110 C2. So how far has DPS strayed from their original design with this new ski, and how does its design compare to the rest of the market?

What DPS says about the Alchemist Wailer 110

“With a 13% longer contact length than the 112 RP, the Wailer 110 C2 is built on the powerful C2 platform that leans hard into the fall line at speed and arcs unimpeded through anything in the way.”

This is fairly straight and to the point. The Wailer A110 is supposed to offer more effective edge than the Wailer 112 and cater to more aggressive skiers, whereas the Wailer 112 stands out due to its quick-turning and maneuverable nature. And just to be clear — the standard Wailer 112 shape will still be available for 19/20, the Wailer A110 is simply an addition to the line. 

Shape / Rocker Profile

The Wailer A110 and standard Wailer 112 look very similar. Both have deep tip and tail taper lines, and both of their tips taper to a pretty sharp point compared to many skis in this class.

The main difference between the two skis’ shapes is that the Wailer A110’s sidecut is not as tight and its tip and tail taper lines are not quite as deep. In other words, the Wailer A110 is a bit straighter and has more effective edge. Even so, the Wailer A110 still has a lot of taper for a 110mm-wide ski, which is a bit surprising, given what DPS says about the ski’s high-speed stability.

It’s also worth quickly noting that DPS had previously released a limited-edition Wailer 110 through their “Powderworks” program, but that ski had a very different, less tapered tip shape than the Wailer 110 we’re testing (the version we’re testing is the ski that will be in DPS’s lineup for 19/20).

The Wailer A110’s rocker profile is a less dramatic than the Wailer 112’s, with the Wailer A110 having shallower rocker lines and significantly less tip splay. Overall, the Wailer A110’s rocker profile looks more similar to the Wailer A106 than the Wailer 112. Compared to other ~110mm-wide directional skis, the Wailer A110 has a deeper tip rocker line than most, while its tail rocker is a bit closer to average.

Flex Pattern

Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Alchemist Wailer 110:

Tips: 8.5
Shovels: 8.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9.5
Tails: 9

Like many of the other DPS Alchemist-construction skis we’ve reviewed, the Wailer A110 is a very strong ski. The 189 cm Wailer A110’s flex pattern feels very similar to the Wailer A112’s, with the 110’s tips being slightly stiffer.

The Wailer A110’s flex pattern is stiffer than most skis that have similarly tapered shapes. Overall, the Wailer A110’s flex pattern is not too far off from some other very stiff skis like the Prior Husume and Fischer Ranger 107 Ti.

Sidecut Radius

As we’ve mentioned before and discussed on our podcasts, talk about stated sidecut radii numbers can get a bit complicated. And since there are so many other factors that go into how a ski feels, we often don’t spend too much time highlighting sidecut numbers.

But given that the Wailer 112’s sidecut radius (15 meters) is distinctly on the tighter end of the spectrum and sidecut radius one of the most notable differences between the Wailer 112 and Wailer 110, it’s worth quickly noting. The Wailer A110 has a stated sidecut radius of 22 meters which, while not wildly long, is significantly longer than the Wailer 112’s 15-meter sidecut radius.

One of the defining characteristics of the Wailer 112 is how easy and maneuverable it is at slow speeds, particularly in deep / soft snow. But as with most skis that are that very easy and maneuverable, that comes at the cost of high-speed stability. So we’re curious to see how noticeable the Wailer A110’s longer sidecut radius will be.

Weight

The Wailer 110 will only be available in DPS’s “Alchemist” carbon construction for 19/20. Like all the Alchemist-construction skis we’ve been on, the Wailer A110 is light for its size. Its weight doesn’t stand out as much as DPS’s older carbon constructions (which were lighter), but the Wailer A110 still sits at the lighter end of the spectrum for a 110mm-wide ski.

For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples-to-apples.

1605 & 1630 Line Vision 108, 183 cm (19/20)
1642 & 1651 Renoun Citadel 106, 185 cm, (18/19)
1806 & 1862 Armada Tracer 108, 180 cm (19/20)
1828 & 1842 Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition, 188 cm (19/20)
1848 & 1903 Line Sick Day 104, 186 cm (17/18–19/20)
1849 & 1922 Elan Ripstick 106, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
1913 & 1943 Sego Condor Ti, 187 cm (18/19)
1923 & 1956 DPS Alchemist Wailer 106, 189 cm (17/18–18/19)
1950 & 1977 Blizzard Rustler 10, 188 cm (17/18–18/19)
1996 & 2012 Dynastar Legend X106, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2005 & 2035 Liberty Origin 106, 187 cm (19/20)
2010 & 2018 J Skis Vacation, 186 cm (18/19)
2013 & 2013 Moment Commander 108, 188 cm (18/19)
2018 & 2045 RMU North Shore 108, 185 cm (18/19–19/20)
2022 & 2047 Faction Dictator 3.0, 186 cm (17/18–18/19)
2026 & 2056 Black Diamond Boundary Pro 107, 184 cm (17/18–18/19)
2030 & 2039 Rossignol Soul 7 HD, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2036 & 2064 Salomon QST 106, 188 cm (18/19)
2045 & 2071 DPS Alchemist Wailer 112, 189 cm (17/18–19/20)
2046 & 2120 Black Crows Corvus, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2096 & 2100 Salomon QST 106, 181 cm (19/20)
2097 & 2113 DPS Alchemist Wailer 106 C2, 189 cm (19/20)
2099 & 2121 DPS Alchemist Wailer 110, 189 cm (19/20)
2112 & 2125 4FRNT MSP 107, 187 cm (18/19)
2143 & 2194 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 184 cm (18/19)
2163 & 2164 Folsom Primary — Blister Edition, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2165 & 2211 K2 Mindbender 108Ti, 186 cm (19/20)
2165 & 2219 Icelantic Nomad 105, 191 cm (19/20)
2182 & 2218 Nordica Enforcer 110, 185 cm (17/18–19/20)
2190 & 2268 Armada ARV 106Ti LTD, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2233 & 2255 Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, 186 cm (19/20)
2241 & 2295 4FRNT Devastator, 184 cm (14/15–18/19)
2250 & 2307 Argent Badger, 184 cm (19/20)
2283 & 2290 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 189 cm (18/19)
2312 & 2386 Prior Husume, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2318 & 2341 J Skis The Metal, 186 cm (16/17–18/19)
2371 & 2374 Folsom Primary — Hammer Edition, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2376 & 2393 Blizzard Cochise, 185 cm (15/16–19/20)