DPS Wailer 106 Tour1/ Zelda 106 Tour1

Versatility It’s unsurprising that the new Wailers hold their own in powder and corn, but we were most impressed by how they handled hardpack. The DPS Wailer 106 Tour1 has similar early rise in the tip and tail as previous iterations—like the 2013 Editors’ Choice Award-winning 99—but its effective edge has been extended by lowering the height of the rocker, giving it more surface contact when you turn (like the G3 FINDr). “It hooks really nicely when initiating turns and carves a lot better,” one tester (who has ridden previous Wailers) says. Nice touch: The curvature of the sidecut (the profile of the ski) more closely matches the curvature of the tip’s early rise, making it “predictable when you hit a pile of wind fluff,” one editor says. Note: The lightweight balsa core (with carbon) is a little squirrelly for straightlining.

Float The spooned tips (paired with 106mm waists) help the Wailers stay on top. Wailer: 168 (130-106-120), 178 (133-106-122), 185 (135-106-125); Zelda (w’s): 158 (128-106-118), 168 (130-106-125)