I’m Not a Ski Racer—But I Loved the 2026 DPS Pisteworks 94 Carving Skis

DPS skis are perhaps best known for their unique carbon construction, meant to deliver a quiet, damp, almost metal-like ride at a fraction of the weight. They’re also known for being one of the few ski brands that currently manufacture everything they sell in the US. While testing these skis, I got to tour the DPS Factory in downtown Salt Lake City and watch the folks who actually put these skis together do their thing. The facility, which we’ve chronicled here before, is nothing short of impressive, representing one of the most advanced ski production factories outside of Europe. It’s here that two-time Olympic ski racing gold medalist Ted Ligety is working hand in hand with DPS’s design team as their Head of Product Performance to create a new breed of high-performance carving skis called Pisteworks. 

The thing about Ligety-caliber ski racers is that no matter how much we (mere mortals) want to, we’re never going to be able to ski as powerfully as them–nor do we need equipment built to their elite-level standards. That’s where Pisteworks comes in. 

In fact, this new line of skis from DPS is a pretty big departure from what we’ve seen in the past. DPS is best known for the super-fat powder skis that first put them on the map, after all, and these aren’t meant for powder skiing. Instead, the new Pisteworks series aims to bring elite-level on-piste performance to everyday skiers. What’s a ski brand rooted in pursuing deep powder turns doing manufacturing sub-100mm underfoot carving skis? I figured that I would try the new Pisteworks 94 to find out.

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DPS Pisteworks 94 Specs

• Size skied: 184 cm
• Lengths available: 165cm, 171cm, 178cm, 184cm, 189cm
• Sidecut: 132mm - 94mm - 112mm
• Radius: 18m (184cm)
• Profile: directional camber
• Weight: 1750g (184cm)
• Price: $1995

Shape, Flex and Construction

For anyone who comes from a ski racing background (or has just spent a lot of time skiing on the East Coast), a 94mm waist width probably does not equate to a “carving” or a “frontside” ski. In fact, that falls squarely in the middle of the all-mountain range for most of us. However, DPS is calling it a carving ski, so we’ll consider it as such. 

Like most of the rest of DPS’s lineup, the Pisteworks 94 features a decidedly directional shape, with the brand’s signature rounded tip, traditional flat tail and quite a bit of taper on both tends. The ski has both a more-than-usual amount of camber underfoot, and a substantial amount of tip and tail rocker–so much that I’d almost qualify it as a twin tip. Turn radius is a medium-short 18-20m, depending on the ski length.

Inside, a red oak/poplar wood core is fully wrapped in DPS’s signature aerospace-grade carbon. There’s no metal laminate, a big departure from what most hard-snow skis rely on for stability. Directly underfoot, DPS uses their carbon power plate to create a super-stiff platform that drives power directly into the edges from your boot. Despite that power plate, unlike most piste/performance/frontside/carving/hardpack skis, the Pisteworks 94 flexes quite soft, especially in the tips and tails. I’d actually say it’s one of the softest skis in my test quiver this year. 

Finally, the skis come with an impressive factory tune and base pattern and a DPS Phantom Glide treatment baked into the base. This waxless treatment works to prevent the bases drying out and keeps them running fast and smooth for much longer than traditional waxing. 

For reference, I skied these mounted with Tyrolia Attack demo bindings and Atomic Remedy 130 boots. 

On-Snow Performance

So how does a full-carbon ski with numbers more akin to all-mountain skis fare as a high-speed groomer ripper? In short, the DPS Pisteworks 94 is really, really fun. It’s like a little sports car that doubles as your daily driver. While powerful, zippy, and agile, the Pisteworks 94 doesn’t kick your ass the way a super-stiff race ski would and I’d say it is, in fact, an all-mountain ski in disguise. There’s plenty of power on tap, but it’s very easily accessible and the ski doesn’t punish you for not driving it hard.

While growing up on the East Coast, I was never a ski racer. Sure, I spent a lot of time sliding around on icy groomers and frozen bumps, but bashing gates and laying my skis over to extreme edge angles was never part of my upbringing. These days, I’d put myself right in the category of “I’m never going to ski like Ted Ligety,” and I’m perfectly alright with that. I have skied on a few race and racing-adjacent skis in my day, and have always found them to be too demanding to be fun for more than a few runs on perfectly-groomed slopes. Going really fast and laying into carves is fun, but not when you feel wildly overpowered by what’s attached to your feet.

No offense to Ted, but I’m surprised that DPS leaned so heavily into Ligety and ski racing performance while marketing the new Pisteworks 94, because it actually skis nothing like a race ski. Sure, it has very impressive edge hold on hardpack, but it’s soft, easy to bend into various turn shapes, and about the same weight as most touring skis I’m on these days. 

I found it the most fun at medium to high speeds on medium-angle terrain, ripping both short and long-radius turns, where I could push deep into the camber and use all that rebound energy to pop in and out of turns. Powering into the front of my boot gave the sensation of stepping on the gas pedal of a “hot hatch” (yes, I used to drive a GTI) where the ski would just hook up, rail into a turn and let the super-damp carbon construction keep it absolutely glued to the ground. 

Off-piste, the ski doesn’t have quite enough mass to punch through choppy snow and gets deflected quite easily. I’d say it skis much like a lighter touring ski would in those conditions: passable, but not what you’re buying the thing for. However, in smooth chalk and windboard, they are an absolute blast, inviting you to carve turns down the headwall of a steep bowl, release the tails, slash a few turns, and lock right back into a carve down below.

Comparisons

The DPS Pisteworks 94 is undoubtedly a very unique ski, with full carbon construction, a staggering price tag, and performance that will make a lot of resort skiers happy. For comparison’s sake, I’ll put these side-by-side with the Faction Dancer 2, the Nordica Enforcer 99, and DPS’s own Kaizen 100.

Compared to both the Dancer 2 and the Enforcer 99, the Pisteworks 94 is much more approachable–meaning it will be far easier and more fun to ski for most skiers. It’s softer flexing, lighter, and the shape feels less “locked in,” but it still has similar top-end performance on groomers. Where both the Dancer 2 and Enforcer 99 have the Pisteworks 94 beat is skiing off piste and in variable snow. Both are also potentially better options for bigger, heavier skiers looking for heavy, really aggressive skis.

Compared to the DPS Kaizen 100, which actually shares a fairly similar shape, the Pisteworks is clearly the more on-piste-oriented ski in the family. Truth be told, I haven’t been all too impressed with the Kaizen skis–they feel a bit dead and boring to me. The Pisteworks is far more energetic and fun on groomers, where the Kaizen prefers skiing off piste. 

What type of skier is the DPS Pisteworks 94 best for? 

I’ll have to admit that the astronomic $2000 pricetag of these skis left me scratching my head a little bit. Why buy a specialized tool like this for that much, when you could reasonably purchase an entire quiver for the same amount? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Price aside, these skis are definitively a premium product, and provide a ride unlike anything else I’ve found in this category. The softer flex makes these really intuitive to ski, especially if you don’t come from a racing background. Are you a hard-charging freeride skier who wants a firm snow tool to carve on during high pressure periods? These are an excellent choice. 

Perhaps you’re a former ski racer whose body can’t handle heavy metal skis, but you don’t want to give up that exhilarating sensation of high-speed carving? Also an awesome choice.