Skip to main content

Ditch waxing your skis forever with DPS Skis’ new Phantom wax treatment

Talk to any downhill racer, powder hound, or ski bum and you’ll get more opinions on ski shapes, edge tuning degrees, and ski binding mounting than you’ll ever be able to keep track of. The one thing every skier agrees on, though? Wax. Until now, every skier knows to wax often and your ski bases will slide faster, no matter if it’s on New England ice or Utah powder. However, DPS Skis’ new Phantom treatment is poised to forever alter ski technology, potentially making the act of waxing obsolete.

DPS has been innovating in the ski industry since 2005. It introduced the very first pure carbon core ski to great applause and followed that up with pioneering designs for rockering and sidecut (giving skis different flex patterns and making them more surf-like). Its development of Phantom firmly plants DPS as the preeminent ski technology developers of this generation.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Normal ski wax works by varying the coefficient of friction between your ski bases and the snow. Skiers use different waxes based on snow types — such as icy race courses of granular groomed runs. Not only that but the density of the snow, temperature, and humidity of the air affect wax performance. It’s not uncommon to see professional ski racers toting a dozen pairs of skis on a trip all waxed to different environmental conditions.

Recommended Videos

DPS’ approach is completely different. Working with a team of chemists and materials scientists, it created a hydrophobic compound that penetrates deep into the base material of the ski. Unlike typical wax, Phantom needs to only be applied once — it permanently alters your ski or board base, making it both faster and harder for life.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Phantom is also more consistent than current waxes. Most waxes have an optimal temperature range or environment. In contrast, Phantom works across a wider range of temperatures so a ski’s speed stays consistent no matter the snow conditions. Finally, Phantom is environmentally friendly, safer to apply, and doesn’t contain the harmful and reactive fluoride based chemicals found in some racing waxes.

DPS tested more than 50 prototype compounds from its home mountains in Utah to exotic locales and snow conditions in Chile and New Zealand. Though there isn’t much known regarding how it works in the field, it’s safe to say that Phantom will completely redefine the ski wax market. DPS’ achievement here can’t be understated — if you want to ski fast in all conditions, you won’t be waxing your skis much longer.

DPS just launched a Kickstarter campaign for Phantom, featuring early pricing and the product intends to hit stores later this season.

Austin Parker
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Austin Parker is a powder skier and sport climber, and is no stranger hauling heavy gear uphill in bad weather. After a less…
Aventon Abound SR combines thoughtful design, enhanced security, and smart connectivity
Aventon Abound SR hero image with couple on the e-bike

Electric bikes are nothing new at this point, and while there are many styles, few purportedly do-it-all, and even fewer actually offer smart or more advanced features. They tend to do one thing particularly well, like cruising, carrying cargo, or sightseeing -- like city riding -- but the biggest way they push the envelope is by offering that long-range electric power. The Aventon Abound SR, a new do-it-all bike, goes far and beyond anything that's come before it.

For starters, it's the first bike equipped with Aventon's electronic control unit (ACU) which empowers intelligent safety features. That gives you 4G and GPS tracking built-in, plus remote locking, an alarm system, and much more. But also, this top-of-its-class bike is incredibly versatile and is suitable for everything from commutes to tough exercise rides and daily routines. It features a top speed of 20 miles per hour, has a range of up to 60 miles per charge, and can carry a payload of up to 440 pounds. Impressive, indeed. Let's take a closer look and get a little more friendly with it, shall we?

Read more
Velotric: One of our favorite e-bike brands is having a huge sale right now
Velotric T1 ST Plus bike couple riding on the road

Take a minute to browse through the e-bike category, and you'll see lots of options but not many that I would classify as accessible. As far as technology goes, they can be pretty expensive, especially compared to your everyday traditional pedal bike. So, it makes sense that most people would wait until the holiday season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to get a great deal on a new bike. Prices are at their lowest ever, and it's a great time to save some money. But guess what? You don't have to wait until later in November to save big because Velotric, a premium-quality e-bike maker, is hosting a huge sale right now. You can head over now to take a look, otherwise, we're going to explore some of those Velotric e-bike deals that are available.
save Now
 
What are these "Lower-Than-Black-Friday" Velotric e-bike deals?

Velotric is claiming these deals are "better" than Black Friday, so they better be good, right? Don't worry, they are. For example, you can grab the Velotric Go 1 Ebike for $400 off, while still getting it in a bundle that includes two free gears. That price is currently $1,299, normally $1,700. The Go 1 features a 500-watt motor, supports a maximum load of 440 pounds, and can travel up to 55 miles on a single charge. Pretty impressive. It's also designed to lug cargo, like a picnic basket, day bag, or even camping gear. That's mostly thanks to a lower center of gravity for the frame and hydraulic suspension system.

Read more
Yamaha offers sales of 60% on e-bikes as it pulls out of U.S. market
Yamaha Pedal Assist ebikes

If you were looking for clues that the post-pandemic e-bike market reshuffle remains in full swing in the U.S., look no further than the latest move by Yamaha.

In a letter to its dealers, the giant Japanese conglomerate announced it will pull out of the e-bike business in the U.S. by the end of the year, according to Electrek.

Read more