100 mm All-Mountain Ski
DPS Kaizen 100 Alpine Ski
The DPS Kaizen 100 is a resort all-mountain ski for skiers who want one pair that floats on a storm day and still fits down a bump line. A 15 m turn radius on a 132-100-117 mm sidecut at 179 cm brings the ski around fast without being forced, and 45 percent tip and tail rocker over 55 percent effective edge trades edge length for early float and easy pivoting. At 1,867 g per ski in the 179 cm, the DPS Kaizen 100 is light for a full carbon ski at this width, and the poplar over ash split core supplies the damping that a light ski usually gives away.
Expert Review Specs and setup notes from the CCBB ski desk.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Advanced skiers who want one resort ski at 100 mm underfoot, ski short to medium turns, and value float and quick pivoting over locked-in stability at high speed.
Consider Another Ski If
You ski fast in long open turns, since the DPS Kaizen 100 holds a 15 m radius and 45 percent rocker, which asks to be turned rather than pointed.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Downhill Performance
15 m radius, full carbon laminate
Soft Snow Float
132 mm shovel, 45 percent rocker
Firm Snow Grip
Camber underfoot, Rockwell 48 edges
Playfulness
15 m radius, tapered tip
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions132-100-117 mm (179 cm)
Turn Radius15 m (179 cm)
Rocker Profile45 percent tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot
Flex PatternStiff underfoot, softening through tip and tail
Core and LaminatePoplar over ash split core, full carbon laminate
Mount PointFactory-marked recommended line
Skin Fit120 mm blank off the 117 mm tail
Recommended UseResort all-mountain
Why We Like It
- A 15 m radius at 179 cm is short for a 100 mm ski, so the DPS Kaizen 100 releases out of a turn quickly in trees and moguls.
- 45 percent tip and tail rocker lifts the shovel early, which is why a 100 mm ski carries more float than the waist number suggests.
- The split core stacks poplar over ash on a horizontal bond line, putting the denser damping wood low in the ski to settle vibration.
- At 1,867 g per ski in the 179 cm, the DPS Kaizen 100 stays light enough to keep swinging easily at the end of a long day.
Best Uses
- Everyday resort skiing across groomers, trees, and moguls
- Storm days and soft snow at 100 mm underfoot
- Short to medium radius turns
- Skiers stepping onto a lighter carbon ski from a metal all-mountain ski
- Pairing with an alpine, GripWalk, or hybrid binding
Ski Selection Advice
Length selection on the DPS Kaizen 100 is complicated by rocker. With 45 percent of the ski rockered, the running edge is much shorter than the stated length, and the ski behaves like a shorter one. Skiers who are between sizes should take the longer length. Skiers who ski mostly tight terrain and want the quickest possible release should take the shorter one and accept less float.
The DPS Kaizen 100 carries a factory-marked recommended mount line, and we mount to that line unless a skier asks for something else. Brake width has to clear the 100 mm waist, so a 100 to 110 mm brake is the working range and anything narrower will not close. Match the binding to your boot sole norm rather than to the ski, since a ski does not carry a sole norm and the binding is what has to accept the boot.
The tail measures 117 mm at 179 cm, so a 120 mm skin blank trims down cleanly for anyone who skins on a resort ski. Cut the skin to the ski rather than to the waist number, because the tail and shovel decide coverage.
Confirm brake width and mount line with the shop before drilling.
📏 Technical Specifications Manufacturer specs · Click to expand
Shape and Sizing
Dimensions132-100-117 mm (179 cm). The waist holds at 100 mm across the run while the tip and tail widen with length.
Turn Radius15 m at 179 cm
Lengths153, 163, 171, 179, 184, 189 cm
Weight1,867 g per ski (179 cm)
Profile45 percent tip and tail rocker over 55 percent effective edge, with camber underfoot
Construction
CoreSplit core, poplar over ash, bonded horizontally with a damping adhesive
LaminateFull carbon laminate with reinforcement underfoot
Base4000 series race base with factory-applied Phantom Glide, a cured base infusion
EdgesRockwell 48 steel
TopsheetTextured polyamide, with a Carbon Reveal clear topsheet offered on the Kaizen line
WarrantyLifetime warranty on new DPS skis
Compare the DPS Kaizen 100
DPS Kaizen 100 vs. DPS Kaizen 105
The DPS Kaizen 105 runs a 134-105-118 mm sidecut and an 18 m radius against the 132-100-117 mm and 15 m of the DPS Kaizen 100, on the same split core and carbon build. Skiers who ski fast in long turns take the Kaizen 105. Skiers who want quicker, shorter turns and a narrower waist take the Kaizen 100.
Shop the DPS Kaizen 105
DPS Kaizen 100 vs. DPS Lotus 112
These two skis split a quiver rather than compete. The DPS Kaizen 100 is the everyday resort ski with camber underfoot and a 15 m radius, and the DPS Lotus 112 is the deep snow ski with a 140 mm shovel and no metal anywhere. Skiers in a place that snows hard often own both.
Shop the DPS Lotus 112
DPS Kaizen 100 vs. Atomic Bent 100
The Atomic Bent 100 shares the waist width and very little else. The Bent 100 is a twin tip meant to be skied from the middle, with a forward mount and a symmetrical feel for switch landings. The DPS Kaizen 100 is directional, damped by an ash and poplar split core, and built to be driven from the front of the boot.
Shop the Atomic Bent 100
Common Questions
Who should buy the DPS Kaizen 100?
The DPS Kaizen 100 suits advanced skiers who want one resort ski at 100 mm underfoot and prefer short to medium turns. A 132 mm shovel with 45 percent rocker floats better than the waist width suggests, and the 15 m radius keeps the ski quick in trees and moguls.
Does the DPS Kaizen 100 change for this season?
The construction carries over. The DPS Kaizen 100 keeps the poplar over ash split core, the full carbon laminate, the 15 m radius, and the 132-100-117 mm sidecut at 179 cm. The change is cosmetic, with new topsheets across the Kaizen line, including a Carbon Reveal clear topsheet that leaves the carbon layup visible.
What bindings and brake width work with the DPS Kaizen 100?
Match brake width to the 100 mm waist, which puts the working range at 100 to 110 mm. The DPS Kaizen 100 takes alpine, GripWalk, hybrid, and pin-tech bindings, and no reinforcing plate is required. Match the binding to your boot sole norm rather than to the ski, because a ski does not carry a sole norm and the binding is what has to accept the boot.
Does the DPS Kaizen 100 ski short?
Yes. 45 percent of the DPS Kaizen 100 is rockered, so the edge actually touching the snow is much shorter than the stated length, and the ski behaves like a shorter one. Skiers between two sizes should take the longer one. The Kaizen 100 is usually sold as true to size, and that leaves plenty of skiers on less running edge than they meant to buy.
What length DPS Kaizen 100 should I get?
Take the longer length if you are between sizes, because the deep rocker shortens the running edge. The run is 153, 163, 171, 179, 184, and 189 cm. Skiers who spend most of the day in tight trees and moguls, and who want the quickest release, are the exception and should size down.
What skins fit the DPS Kaizen 100?
A 120 mm skin blank covers the DPS Kaizen 100, because the tail measures 117 mm at 179 cm and skin width is set by the tail rather than the waist. Trim the skin to the ski. Tail and shovel width scale with length, so cut for the length you own.
How does the DPS Kaizen 100 handle firm groomers?
The DPS Kaizen 100 holds a groomer better than most skis with this much rocker, because camber underfoot and Rockwell 48 steel edges keep the middle of the ski engaged. Grip is not the point of the design though. The 45 percent rocker that floats the shovel is edge length the ski does not have on hardpack.
Our Verdict
The DPS Kaizen 100 is the DPS ski for a skier who wants soft snow performance in a width that still works on a hardpack Tuesday. A 15 m radius and 45 percent rocker make the ski quick and forgiving rather than locked in, and the poplar over ash split core keeps 1,867 g per ski in the 179 cm from feeling nervous in cut-up snow. Skiers who ski fast in long open turns want the wider, longer-radius Kaizen 105 instead, and skiers who want maximum edge grip want a narrower ski with less rocker.
Skip to content
