DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 Review
Our Verdict
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This Product
DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Backcountry Skis | Optimized for Downhill Performance | Best Bang for the Buck | 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 | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | These carefully balanced backcountry skis a designed for hunting down soft snow | This relatively wide all-season ski is one of our favorites and great for all-around human-powered use | Heavier 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 fun | Reasonably 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%) | |||||
Firm Snow (20%) | |||||
Powder (20%) | |||||
Crud and Poor Snow (20%) | |||||
Stability at Speed (15%) | |||||
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.