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DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 Review

True to their lineage, these skis are optimized for the human-powered pursuit of powder
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DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 Review (We paired the DPS Tour CFL 105 with the lightweight Dynafit Seven Summits+; ready for human-powered powder hunting.)
We paired the DPS Tour CFL 105 with the lightweight Dynafit Seven Summits+; ready for human-powered powder hunting.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Price:  $1,695 List
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Manufacturer:   DPS
By Jediah Porter ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 4, 2024
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 17
  • Weight - 25% 7.4
  • Firm Snow - 20% 6.0
  • Powder - 20% 8.0
  • Crud and Poor Snow - 20% 8.0
  • Stability at Speed - 15% 7.0

Our Verdict

We've long liked the Pagoda family of skis, and the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 is a great reinvention of this classic, soft-snow backcountry ski. It is just lightweight enough to lug around all day, yet it performs better on the downhill than comparably lightweight skis. However, we want to point out that the CFL 105 is definitely optimized for skiing softer snow – even if that snow consistency is less than ideal, as long as it's soft, the CFL 105 does really well. When the going gets firmer, these are not the skis you want on your feet. We'd heartily recommend them for powder skiing in the Tetons, Wasatch, or western Colorado, but we cannot recommend these to the roaming, high-mountain skier looking for a quiver of one. For more well-rounded, all-season skis, check out our expert picks among this season's best backcountry skis.
REASONS TO BUY
Lively feel
Versatile in all types of soft snow
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Difficult in firm snow conditions
Editors' Note: The Pagoda Tour CFL 105 is new to the DPS line for 2024-2025. Fortunately for us (and you!), we were able to purchase it ahead of its release date. We mounted this ski with the Dynafit Seven Summits binding and tested it throughout the 2023-2024 season.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Backcountry Skis
Top Pick Award
Optimized for Downhill Performance
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Top Pick Award
A Realistic Backcountry Ski
Price $1,695 List
$1,695 at Backcountry
$899.95 at REI
Compare at 4 sellers
$799.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
$800 List$900 List
$749.95 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line These carefully balanced backcountry skis a designed for hunting down soft snowThis relatively wide all-season ski is one of our favorites and great for all-around human-powered useHeavier skis that offer meaningful performance on the downhill, ideal for newer backcountry skiers or for experts who don't mind trading a bit of efficiency for a bit more funReasonably affordable and great for a wide range of human-powered skiing, these are your backcountry "quiver-of-one"If you have a truly wide-ranging ski habit and have realistic expectations of what you will find out in the mountains, consider these skis very closely
Rating Categories DPS Pagoda Tour CFL... Blizzard Zero G 105 Salomon QST Echo 106 K2 Wayback 106 Atomic Backland 95
Weight (25%)
7.4
7.6
5.5
8.3
8.2
Firm Snow (20%)
6.0
7.0
8.0
7.0
10.0
Powder (20%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
8.0
6.0
Crud and Poor Snow (20%)
8.0
8.5
9.0
7.0
6.0
Stability at Speed (15%)
7.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Specs DPS Pagoda Tour CFL... Blizzard Zero G 105 Salomon QST Echo 106 K2 Wayback 106 Atomic Backland 95
Measured Weight Per Ski (g) 1535.5 1513 1779 1436 1422.5
Measured Length Tested (cm) 179 178 180 179 175
Measured Waist Width (mm) 105 105 105 105 94
Weight Per Surface Area Ratio (g/cm²) 0.72 0.72 0.8 0.68 0.73
Measured Weight Per Pair (g) 3068 3025 3557 2872 2845
Measured Weight Per Pair (lbs) 6.8 6.7 7.8 6.3 6.3
Manufacturer Claimed Length (cm) 179 180 181 179 177
Available Lengths (cm) 155, 163, 171, 179, 184 164, 172, 180, 188 157, 165, 173, 181, 189 165, 172, 179, 186 161 ,169, 177, 185
Measured Dimensions, Tip/Center/Tail (mm) 133/105/118 133/104/118 140/105/125 131/105/120 126/94/114
Manufacturer Claimed Dimensions (mm) 134/105/118 133/105/119 136/106/126 132/106/121 128/95/116
Turn Radius (m) 18 23 19 22.3 18
Construction Type Sandwich Sandwich Sandwich Semi-Cap Semi-Cap
Core Material Paulownia Paulownia Poplar, Caruba Paulownia Poplar
Rocker/Camber Profile Tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot Tip and tail rocker Tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot Tip and tail rocker, flat underfoot Tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot

Our Analysis and Test Results

Other than the relatively poor firm snow performance, there is little remarkable about the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 – this may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it's actually a good thing. These are the skis you want for the type of backcountry skiing you fantasize about, big days on soft snow in wild terrain. They're even reliable when the snow gets sloppy or crusty; however, they are not what you want on your feet for corn skiing or otherwise firm-snow conditions.

Performance Comparison


dps pagoda tour cfl 105 - deep wilderness, huge vert, steep terrain, and soft snow conditions...
Deep wilderness, huge vert, steep terrain, and soft snow conditions. This is why you choose skis just like the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Weight


For years now, the skis we generally recommend to any backcountry skier weighs right around 1500 grams. This seems to be the sweet spot for optimizing downhill performance, especially in soft snow. For folks seeking wider-ranging adventures – especially at a faster pace – we steer toward skis that weigh something between 1200-1300 grams. We tested the Pagoda Tour CFL 105 in 179 cm, and on our calibrated scale, each ski weighed an even 1536 grams – that's equivalent to 3068 grams, or 6.8 pounds for the pair. Although we can't call these Pagoda skis lightweight in light of smaller-waisted skis, they strike the optimal balance for the downhill-motivated, human-powered skier.

dps pagoda tour cfl 105 - paired with mid-weight bindings and relatively heavyweight boots...
Paired with mid-weight bindings and relatively heavyweight boots, these make for a solid downhill setup.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Firm Snow


The Pagoda Tour CFL 105 is simply not the ski you choose for firm snow. In regions where midwinter skiing often means wind-pressed surfaces – like the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park – you'll want to choose a different ski. You should even choose something else for skiing springtime corn. The CFL 105 will do fine on firm, tracked-out runs below treeline, and it will skitter along groomed or packed-out cat roads to get you home. But these are not the skis to use on a steep, runnelled, springtime ski mountaineering descent.

The carbon construction of the CFL 105 makes for one stiff ski.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Powder


Most people get backcountry skis, in the first place, to hunt down powder snow. The CFL 105 are excellent powder touring skis, but not necessarily for their performance in a deeply trenched turn. We recommend these because they take care of you when you have to really work for those powder turns. We appreciate this relatively lightweight ski when the powder hunt requires long uphill slogs or necessitates navigating tougher snow conditions before or after getting the goods. And when you are blessed with what you seek, the CFL 105 will put a smile on your face.

dps pagoda tour cfl 105 - dps has moderated the tip rocker on the latest iteration of the...
DPS has moderated the tip rocker on the latest iteration of the Pagoda compared to their earlier models.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Crud and Poor Snow


For the weight and dimensions, all of our testers agree that the CFL 105 does well in less-than-ideal snow conditions. Whether you're navigating sloppy “mashed potatoes” or breakable crusts, this ski still easily makes standard ski turns, even if you have to temper your technique to the difficult conditions. Eventually, of course, you'll come across survival skiing situations in the backcountry. Even in these cases, the CFL 105 keeps up. Tips didn't grab breakable crusts, nor did they dive unreasonably below heavy snow, and we were even able to keep the edges tracking (at least as much as conditions allowed).

The shape and weight of these skis makes for easy transitions. In our springtime testing, the softer the snow, the better.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Stability at Speed


The Pagoda Tour CFL 105 aren't super high-octane skis – they are designed more for short-radius turns typical of classical backcountry skiing. This is especially true when the snow is firmer. In these conditions, you won't do well if you let them run because they won't be able to shut down your speed very quickly. Even in good, soft snow, where the CFL 105 excels, our testers agreed that there was a speed limit for these skis.

dps pagoda tour cfl 105 - a window gives a glimpse of the carbon construction of the cfl 105.
A window gives a glimpse of the carbon construction of the CFL 105.
Credit: Jediah Porter

Should you Buy the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105?


For the human-powered skiing most of us dream of – long descents in comfortably deep powder snow – the Pagoda Tour CFL 1055 is fantastic. If your travel patterns put you in soft snow for a meaningful amount of time, these are great all-around touring skis. But if your normal rhythms of ski touring involve skiing firm snow with regularity, you'll have to justify buying a second pair of backcountry skis. Considering the price point of the CFL 105, this could be a difficult proposition.

What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?


Other comparable skis in our test include the Black Crows Navis Freebird, which is a bit heavier than the CFL 105, though it is a little more versatile in firm snow. The Salomon QST Echo 106 is equally versatile and could be considered a downright steal compared to the price tag on these DPS skis. Though similarly weighted to the CFL 105, the Blizzard Zero G 105 is our top recommendation based on the broad appeal of true all-around performance.

Jediah Porter