Speaking of mount points, I did run the Wailer 99s at the recommended line for most of the test. I felt the 99s skied best there, as that point left enough tip to inspire complete confidence to drive through any type of snow condition or mogul. Moving the bindings forward did improve the 99’s playfulness, but at the expense of a bit of flat-out skiing performance. So unless you’ve got very good reasons to move the mount forward, I say mount at 0 and go play.
Being 99 mm underfoot, I’m sure many people (especially East Coasters) are going to be very interested in the Wailer’s groomer, hardpack, and ice performance. As I said earlier, skiing trees, moguls, chutes, and basically anything off-piste in hardpack is not only doable, but actually fun. You can set an edge, bend the ski, and snap from turn to turn. I can definitely say the skis are a blast on groomers, and you can definitely build up some g-force. When the groomed runs become skating rinks, the 99 is not your best option to have out on the hill, but you will survive. With freshly tuned, sharp edges the skis are torsionally stiff enough to hold their own against thinner skis, but I did find the tails a little easy to break loose in a hard carve, an attribute I have found often with the slight pin-tailed shapes. If you prefer to skid turns, you will notice some chatter in the tips, but the skis are solid enough from the shovel on back that performance is not hindered.
Durability has definitely been above average. I have put a few scrapes and a small core shot in the bases over the past week, but I have been skiing these things hard since opening day, so hitting a couple of rocks or stumps was basically inevitable right now, unless we were just going to test groomer performance. [Editor’s Note: I’ll take responsibility for the first core shot. We were able to access fantastic snow on Lone Pine, but the traverse to get there was um…interesting.]
The edges are strong and the sidewall and topsheets look basically new. All in all, I’d say top-notch quality.
So who is the ideal candidate for the Wailer 99? I think anyone looking for a ski in the 100 mm waist category would be absolutely crazy not to consider it. It seems to be perfect for the East Coast skier looking to hit the entire mountain (rather than spend the whole day on groomers) when conditions are all but bulletproof, and an absolute winner if that same skier takes a couple trips a year out west.
It also seems like the perfect all-around ski for the West Coaster who has a two-ski quiver: a fat, deep powder ski, and the Wailer 99 for everything else.
I’m still not sold on the tangerine color (some of our other reviewers love it), but I’m turning a blind eye because I’m not sure that I could ask for much more from a ski this size. The Wailer 99s have been a total pleasure every day out, and I find myself basically laughing after every different pitch, run, or jump. They’re that fun.
They’re also not cheap, and there are other skis out there that perform very well at nearly half the cost. But the Pure 99s are extremely well made from costly materials, and are available in limited quantities.
If you decide to pull the trigger on the Wailer 99s, you’ll be throwing down on one of the best—if not the best—ski in this class.
one additional question: You mentioned that if you like to skid the turns, the tips may chatter.
When I ski a steep, narrow couloir, I end up skidding the last part of the turn, going straight down a bit with the skis across the fall line. Can you do this with these skis?
Thanks you.
You absolutely can ski this way. My comment about chatter is referring to skidding a turn at hight speed on extremely firm snow.
jason, thank you very much for your answers, one more question:
my favorite skiing is backcountry steep couloirs. I am a little concerned about what you are saying about getting in the back seat.
I went from Volkl explosivs to mantras to K2 hardsides. All these had still tails, but i felt that i coud handle them, and if I got in the back seat a little, it wasnt like with a slalom race ski, where they would shoot me in the air if I loaded the tails and not be ready. So is this comparable to the three skis I mentioned?
thank you
Judging from what you have been on for skis you will be fine with the stiffness of the tails of the 99. They definitely are nowhere near slalom ski stiff.
I have bought a pair and am about to mount them. I am used to a bit longer a ski than the 184cm I had to go with.
Would mounting them back -1 make any difference in terms of making me feel like I had a longer ski?
Thanks very much
You could definitely do that to make the tips feel a touch longer, just know that you’re also losing tail length and support. I would need to know your height, weight, where and what you typically ski to give my best recommendation. Honestly, I don’t think it is necessary to go any further back for the type of conditions this ski is intended for. I typically ski a longer ski as well, but for firm conditions up to a foot or so of snow the recommended line felt pretty perfect to me.
I just rode a pair and was super stoked, charged through everything from chunder to firm bumps and steeps.. I did find they were hooking up a bit on firm Chalk.. Should the tip tail have a bit of a de-tune.
D
Yes, they definitely should. I didn’t write about it in my review but Jonathan stated in his that I de-tuned the tips and tails during our test. My general starting point for any ski with early taper is to de-tune about 1.5″-2″ down the ski past the widest point, both tip and tail.
What does de-tune mean. How do you do this.
I just ordered the 99
De-tuning is simply dulling the edge slightly and is usually done with a “soft” ski tuning stone of some sort. Doing this to the tip usually makes the ski less apt to “catch” an edge, while dulling the tail slightly helps free up the tail to break into a skid easier.
I would highly recommend having your ski shop, or someone you know and trust, show you how to do it.
i demoed the 184 99 hybrid a week ago on firm man made snow. I was also trying the Blizzard Bonafide in 180, and also my k2 hardsides (181).
I found two flaws with the 99s
1. pretty straight tails (101 vs 99 waist), caused the skis to stop turning now when i had my weight back
also, I lost the tail on a high speed raius turn (going pretty fast). The tail jsut lost edge and settled about a foot lower???
2. even though the 99 has a lot of rocker, i was catching the tips when going to a slide (like ngoing straight into a hockey stop).
why is this relevant? skiing steep couloirs, you end up completing the turns (completely), and sometimes this means slding downhill while you are absolutelyn sure of youir balance.
the 99 has good edge hold, and otherwise skied well. The bonafide was flawless though, and it had better edge hold.
I am leaning towards the bonafide as a backcountry ski. I ski pretty asteep lines, and I need to be totally confident on my skis as there is never any warmup, first turn is the hardest.
I just want to make a quick correction to your post, the tail width of the 99 is actually 111mm not 101mm.
With a solid tune on the 99’s they are less prone to slip the tails.
Jason –
Wanted to solicit your opinion. I’m an east coast skier. Just picked up a pair of dedicated, zero rocker front side carvers for 90% of the days we get in Southern Vermont, and am looking to add a pair of ski’s for east powder days and west coast trips as an all-mountain ski. Someone suggested I check out DPS 112RP’s. The 99’s caught my eye as potentially a little bit more versatile. What would be your pick? Anything else I should be considering?
Mark,
I think the 99 would do really well for what you are looking for. If you’re thinking wider would be better, and it might be depending on where you ski the most in the west, there are two skis that I highly recommend checking out and they are the Rossignol Sickle and the Nordica Patron. I haven’t been on the 112 so I can’t compare them to either of those skis, but if you are around my size/weight I can tell you the Sickle and Patron rip. The Sickle is still the best one-ski-quiver for the west I have ever skied, and it would make east coast pow days a blast whether 2″ fall, or 2′.
Another ? about detuning. You say to detune 1-2″ past the widest point at the tip and the tail. Is the widest point the same as the contact point at the tip and the tail If not, should I detune past the contact point or the widest point? Thanks, Tony
Tony,
On the 99, the contact point is actually closer to the middle of the ski than the widest point of the sidecut, so you won’t de-tune that far down the ski, at least initially. If you are new to this I would suggest bringing a stone with you when you ski. If the tips feel “hooky”, meaning they feel like they want to catch an edge, de-tune a little down the ski. Try them again and see if you need to de-tune more. The less you can de-tune obviously the better for edge hold. For the tail, again, start small and if they feel like the tails are too “stuck” for your liking, as in not being able to break into a skid/smear as easy as you would like, then break out the stone and de-tune a little further up the ski. Repeat as necessary.
It’s mostly a matter of personal preference and what I’m saying here is basically the process I go through with every ski I ride.
Hope this helps and enjoy your 99’s!
For east coast trees and bumps would you mount at plus one or factory line? Would it make the ski quicker and keep u more balanced with the mount slightly forward. Would marker baron or tour bindings vchange the feel/ flex of the ski over say the griffon?
Skiall,
I would go on the factory line, no question. These skis are lighting quick and the flex pattern feels more balanced at 0 than at +1. It’s weird but the skis feel softer overall at +1. I skied them for awhile at 1 and am now back at 0. I would only recommend going to +1 if jumping, buttering, general goofing off is all you do, for the most versatility stick with the factory recommended.
Sorry, forgot about the binding question… From my experience yes, a touring binding does have a bit of effect on the skis performance vs. a true dedicated alpine binding. There are a number of reasons why with weight, increased mounting length, and stack height being the main culprits. These skis are unbelievably light, and quick, so I’m sure they will still be incredibly fun with whichever binding you choose. The Tour’s have the least effect of all the Marker touring series that I have used, but I (and others) have unfortunately had issues with durability.
“They’re also not cheap, and there are other skis out there that perform very well at nearly half the cost.” What are some of those “half price” skis you would recommend in this class?
Rossi Scimitar is a killer bang for your buck, there is the Rossi S3, and people seem to be loving the Blizzard Bonifide (which we are going to be doing more testing on soon). If you don’t mind a little more width, the Line Influence 105 is also a consideration. Yeah, they are not all HALF the price, but significantly cheaper.
Also I feel like I need to reiterate a couple things. I absolutely loved the Wailer 99, it skis amazing, is super light, and is made from top notch components. It IS expensive, but you are not just throwing money away. If the price is the only thing holding you back they do offer the Hybrid version which drops the price to a more competitive level.
Thanks, Jason. I decided I didn’t need the extra width and went down to Line Prophet 90’s.
Demoed a pair of Wailer 99s in 178 length at Alta. Great in powder. I found the tails blew out a bit on groomers. Would the 184 length be better without losing maneuverability in the trees?
Damian,
Yes, the 184 would offer a bit more hold on groomers given their longer edge contact, but due to the shape the tails still have a tendency to break free first when pushing them hard on firm groomers. Due to their shape and extremely light weight, the 184 will still slither through the trees with incredible ease.
Detuning is crucial on DPS skis (I have 112s, 99s and 105s) in my experience. That said, and this statement might not be true for Ice Coasters, don’t overthink detuning. Just buy a gummi stone and go at it. Start small, and then get more aggressive only if needed. Bring the stone w/you to the ski area and optimize. It’s not rocket science.
How do Line Prophet 98s or Armada’s TST stack up against the DPS Wailer 99?
DB – we haven’t yet skied the new 98 or the TST. We would love to review both skis this season.
Thanks Jonathan! You and the crew keep up the great work and have some fun ripping and shredding Las Lenas!
hey I have been looking at these, and the wailer 105’s. I am looking for a versatile ski which I can do a bit of everything on and am not sure which to choose or if there’s a better option. Also about the pure and hybrid. I am 15 weigh 135ish and 5foot7. i am not sure which size would be best for myself. I like to ski trees, pow, and fast. Thanks a lot
Hi,
A question on length. I’m looking at the W99 Pure for a do-it-all touring ski. It would be mounted with tech binders and used 100% backcountry, primarily the Sierra Nevada. It would be skied in all conditions, but I’d probably take something fatter for really deep days. But I like the idea of a ski that skis all BC conditions well, from pow to corn to crusts to wet mank.
I’m 5’10” 175-180 lbs, and a proficient skier. I tend to ski at moderate speeds in the BC. I will open it up in open terrain when the snow is consistent (good pow or corn). I enjoy steep chutes, but tend to ski pretty cautiously in steep/tight terrain. N
I now ski 180 Voile Vectors for this spot in the quiver. Most of my BC rigs are in the 180 range. I’ve got some 181 Voile Chargers for BC pow (which I really like in pow) and some old 177 skinnier traditionally cambered skis for spring snow. I think 180ish would be ideal, but alas the 99 is only available in a 184 and 176. If this were a resort only ski it wouldn’t even be a question – 184. But weight considerations and tight terrain has me at least considering the 176.
I’ve skied 176 Atomic Charters (100 underfoot) before and found to be on the short side, although not too bad, and these don’t have tail rocker. Given that the 99 has tail rocker and most wouldn’t classify it as a particularly demanding ski I’m leaning 184.
Thoughts?
Thanks.
Jason,
You mention a number of skis with similar performance at nearly half the price. Could you drop some names? Judging by your review I feel we like to ski in a similar fashion and would love your opinion on some other favorites in this approx 99 underfoot range.
Thanks!
Jason,
Pulled the trigger on the 184 DPS 99 hybirds. The first couple of runs in not so great snow i thought I made a bad purchase. Then i went back and read the review again to get more tips. I was at +2. I moved the binding back to the line and detuned the tips and tails a little. Wow i couldnt believe the difference!! As fairly big guy and larger boot at 335. I guess I was way to far far forward on this ski to match the sidecut. They are so highly tuned and the shape very sensitive to ball of foot skiing. As on the DPS web site I found when i got my BOF over that 7 to 7.5 cm ahead of the zero line the better the skis skied as advertised. Now with the detune and 9 or 10 days in every condition imaginable i find they ski as good if not more versatile than the bones I demoed witch is saying tones how much I have grown to love these skis! i ski the Faction 3 zero on powder days usually. But oddly I have found that the Wailer99 actually floats me at 225lbs just as high in a foot of fresh. i wasnt expecting a 99 under foot ski to do this. i figured it was the shape of the tip {paddle Tech} that helps the ski ride me so high in the powder. I certainly never had skis this narrow do that before.
So with there ability to ride high in the fresh and carve like a ski much narrower and turn on a dime when asked or rip down at speed I feel the bar is set high to find a ski that can do it all as these skis can. Very impressed with this ski. i feel any one who doesnt feel this way on the ski as I did not at first just needs to play with the mounting point and tune to find that balance to rip and grip. A skiers ski because you may need to fiddle to find that tune and spot. Were lots of folks wont bother and just right off the ski. its there loss i would have to say. I love mine as my go to ski. Even like to carve them more than my old Nordica helldivers and Jetfuels. I never thought i would ever say that!
Thanks for all the great info as usual on the best review site available.
Cheers, James
Dumb question but what are your thoughts of remounting the bindings on the wailer 99 Hybirds? Bad idea or not a big deal for integrity of the ski? I mounted an integrated binding {railflex} and feel they are making the ski not flex as they should. i want to mount a pair of Markers on them instead but am worried I will wreck the performance of the ski? Have you ever found doing this makes the ski ski worse then if you just left them with the original mount?
Regards, James
Hi, James – in general, re-drilling a ski (putting 2 sets of holes in it) isn’t a big deal, so long as you allow enough space between the holes. You definitely won’t wreck the ‘performance’ of the ski by mounting twice; the issue with mounting a ski more than 2 times is that you can compromise the integrity / durability of the ski.
If you’re working with a shop you trust, there should be no issue. But the more nervous you are, contact DPS and just ask for any specific / unusual things you should know about. But that will mostly be to set your mind at ease, rather than something you really ought to do (especially on one of their Hybrid rather than Pure construction skis.)
Thank you for the quick reply. The nice thing about having skied the season with the railflex ,thats adjustable ,was now knowing were I like the mounting point. Ill go talk to the dealer were I bought them and have a look at the different mounting patterns compared to the Jets and see what we can figure out. i have two of the three shops in town using your site now and they love the blister reviews. Ive been following you guys since you started this and all my 8 pairs are ones you’ve reviewed except my 3Zeros that i cant wait for your comments about :] i think your going to really really like them!! The trick to the 3.0 is you have to watch Candit ski them then just blast straight down the mountain like he does and trust the ski. haha works for me… :]
Thanks again, James
Hi,
I was wondering if you might be able to update your list of more affordable alternatives to the wailer 99 for the 15-16 season. My priority is to spend as much time as possible in the trees, even in sketchy conditions, so I’m looking for something playful and fun. However east coast reality means that I can’t afford to have my skis be noodly and boring on groomers or I’ll go insane for the first half of season. Having the versatility for 1-2 trips out west (CO) each year is also important. Thanks for the help!