Gear Talk

DPS Phantom Explained

Some skiers practically sleep with their skis. They don’t let their bases dry out, shave with their edges, and keep their equipment waxed and tuned like it’s a religion.

Not you? Don’t worry;  you’re not alone. And before you punch in another Google search about how often you’re supposed to wax your skis, hear some good news: You don’t have to.

New for 2019, DPS rolls out Phantom, a polymer that permeates the bases of your skis and facilitates permanent, waxless glide. The idea here is that if you have your new or used skis treated with Phantom, you won’t need to wax them. You can—to further optimize your skis’ performance in specific conditions—but because Phantom permeates to the core of your skis, it will retain your base structure and keep your skis gliding even after tunes and base grinds. If you do splurge for a race or temperature-specific wax at some point, Phantom helps it last longer.

Get Phantom here.

Who is DPS Phantom for?

Every type of skier stands to benefit from Phantom. The ski-cationer doesn’t have to worry about finding a trusty shop in a different country. The shop manager avoids pulling skis from high-use demo fleets to get waxed. The gear aficionado gets the latest and greatest technology.

Our techs forecast Phantom to be especially useful skiers who:

Don’t want to deal with gear. Look at it this way: If Castrol invented a motor oil that kept your car  humming indefinitely and saved you a trip to the shop every 5,000 miles, you would buy it. This thinking directly applies to Phantom.

Ski tour. If you’ve ever ripped skins off a freshly-waxed ski, you know the frustration that comes with yanking the wax out of all the scratches on your bases then trying maddeningly to pick it off of skin glue. Phantom means easier skin removal and no residual wax.

dps phantom
DPS Phantom has the potential to permanently change ski gear maintenance. | PHOTO: Courtesy of DPS

How does DPS Phantom work?

Powder7’s ski techs apply Phantom in two rounds, applying it as a clear solution and letting UV light stimulate curing. The process takes about two hours per ski.

Does DPS Phantom do anything for ski performance?

An additional benefit of Phantom is that it makes your skis ski more consistently in all conditions and snow temperatures. For example, on warm days, when sun-soaked snow grabs your skis and tries to send you over the handlebars, Phantom-treated skis should handle better than non-Phantom skis.

A techy new polymer? Won’t that hurt the environment?

DPS claims zero environmental impact for Phantom. Because the polymer permeates throughout the base, contacting the snow differently than traditional wax, it doesn’t pollute snowmelt.

We claim zero scientific ability to fact check this. Read up on Phantom’s environmental impact here.

Is DPS Phantom just for DPS skis?

Nope. Phantom works just as well with a Wailer A99 Alchemist as it does with a Nordica Enforcer. Moreover, if you pick up a pair of used skis from a used-ski hub like, say, Powder7, Phantom’s a fit.

Stay tuned for more updates on Phantom, and call the shop with questions!

While you’re here, check out some of DPS’ best-in-class skis.

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