The Dynastar Thread

[J. Barron DeJong]

Yes. I always have a fun exchange with others in the exact skis! we are a mini cult

Shrinking cult. I think mine will be retired when I get my Heritage Lab R87s

[phatty]

There’s one last pair of 192 M-Pro Riders at the Last Hunt for 60% off: https://www.thelasthunt.com/products...yle=No%20Color

Now it's gone. Thank goodness!

[chewski]

i'm shifting gears a bit. not sure who is reading the tele is dead thread, but i'm currently shifting from thinking about a playful charger in a 105-110 width, eg. mfree 108, to a DD/work ski in a 100-ish width. wondering what's better for my need from dynastar, mfree 99 or mpro 99. i'm putting together my short list then finding a deal (some proform's available) and pulling the trigger.

this would be replacing full camber mantras that i've had for several years but are a bit too long for my weight when making tele turns unless i'm carrying momentum/speed. prior to mantras, i had explosives, which were the right length for me, and i skied them until they loss all camber. my local areas are "small hills" (e.g. sugarbowl and alpine meadows), but occasionally i ski on "big hills," like mammoth. modern ski design, damp but poppy charger, fun, nimble, great edge hold, great at various turn shapes and sizes, and not too effort much at slow speed, either because i'm making slow controlled "patroller" turns, skiing with my younger kids, or on steep exposed barely edgeable stuff.

revelation of replacing my DD's came to me from observing a friend this weekend at mammoth on his 2 year old very short (for him) k2 mindbenders 99ti. ripping skier. for him, those skis can do anything without much effort. we spent a good amount of time in less-than-optimal mammoth conditions: e.g., sastrugi moguls with frozen corn and sastrugi moguls mixed with barely edgeable hard chalk to access the windbuff that was mixed with sastrugi moguls.

I know nothing of tele but spent one day on 186 mpro 99 at mammoth and it is a very easy ski to maneuver for the stability it gives (medium high levels of both agility and stability overall and extremely predictable and intuitive). I am 6' and 180 lbs and if you are even close to my size it is almost certainly more maneuverable than a 184 fully cambered mantra. You can read my brief thoughts on the mpro 99 higher up in this thread but in short it is an extremely capable one ski quiver for mammoth. I just have a many ski quiver so sold mine. The only thing it lacks (aside from the pure ice grip of a much narrower ski or the pure pow float of a much wider ski) is the "pull you into the turn" initiation of a carvier ski. I prefer this and once on edge it holds the carve very well.

[Hood26]

i'm shifting gears a bit. not sure who is reading the tele is dead thread, but i'm currently shifting from thinking about a playful charger in a 105-110 width, eg. mfree 108, to a DD/work ski in a 100-ish width. wondering what's better for my need from dynastar, mfree 99 or mpro 99. i'm putting together my short list then finding a deal (some proform's available) and pulling the trigger.

this would be replacing full camber mantras that i've had for several years but are a bit too long for my weight when making tele turns unless i'm carrying momentum/speed. prior to mantras, i had explosives, which were the right length for me, and i skied them until they loss all camber. my local areas are "small hills" (e.g. sugarbowl and alpine meadows), but occasionally i ski on "big hills," like mammoth. modern ski design, damp but poppy charger, fun, nimble, great edge hold, great at various turn shapes and sizes, and not too effort much at slow speed, either because i'm making slow controlled "patroller" turns, skiing with my younger kids, or on steep exposed barely edgeable stuff.

revelation of replacing my DD's came to me from observing a friend this weekend at mammoth on his 2 year old very short (for him) k2 mindbenders 99ti. ripping skier. for him, those skis can do anything without much effort. we spent a good amount of time in less-than-optimal mammoth conditions: e.g., sastrugi moguls with frozen corn and sastrugi moguls mixed with barely edgeable hard chalk to access the windbuff that was mixed with sastrugi moguls.

Similar position. Just sold Bones. Have an MPro 90 and MFree 108. Need a 99sh.

[GoldMember]

Similar position. Just sold Bones. Have an MPro 90 and MFree 108. Need a 99sh.

If you like your MPro 90, you should love the MPro 99. I have both and ski the 99 as my DD. It's exceptionally versatile. More solid in crud, can ski reasonably deep new snow, yet carves well for a wider ski.

[Hood26]

Thanks GoldMember,

I do like the 90 in firm, chalk, moguls. I wish I had just moved on from the Bones and bought the 99 to start with. I have a feeling once I get the 99 I won’t have much use of the 90.

What binding did you mount? I think I will go with Pivots. Maybe SPX if I decided to spend less money.

[Huskier]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

[lrn2swim]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

The description of what you're looking for sounds exactly like 189 J skis Hotshot, which is what I happen to be looking for currently.

[D(C)]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

In conditions where that more precise turn initiation and edge hold is welcome, the 185 M-Free 99 has been working well for me. It doesn’t quite truck like the 192 M-Free 108, but it’s happier on edge at the expense of some looseness. The shorter length also feels good in less full-throttle conditions.

[HAB]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

I like that description. I finally got on a pair of 192s last week to see what all the hype is about, and while I get why they really click for some folks, they're not for me. The combination of being reasonably stable when you're pointing 'em plus being super, super loose and pivoty is neat, but for my personal style I want something more precise on edge and stronger feeling. YMMV.

[XtrPickels]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

The 192 Mfree 108's don't draw you into a turn like some more piste oriented skis do, but they have your back if you trust them and lay them over. I was carving up some Eldora "hardpack" without issue the other day.

If you're looking for better turn-in, and edge with a similar(ish) feel: 191 Enforcer 104?

[GoldMember]

Thanks GoldMember,

I do like the 90 in firm, chalk, moguls. I wish I had just moved on from the Bones and bought the 99 to start with. I have a feeling once I get the 99 I won’t have much use of the 90.

What binding did you mount? I think I will go with Pivots. Maybe SPX if I decided to spend less money.

I have the 90s for my skis at Mt Spokane which is primarily groomed and bumps. They're fine for what I use them for but for Schweitzer, the 99s are the better option. If I didn't have two locations to ski, I'd only have the 99 for DD

I have Pivots on both pairs.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

I traded my 192s for some 192 Flex 4 GPOs. They have everything that I found lacking in the 108s. Stiffer, more stable and still super quick to pivot or carve. I’m big though at 240-245.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[kid-kapow]

The 192 Mfree 108's don't draw you into a turn like some more piste oriented skis do, but they have your back if you trust them and lay them over.

I think this together with the damp looseness is the main three things I love about M-Free 108s - they do what you tell them to do and mostly have your back if stuff happens without doing anything weird. I would 100% not want them to be more turny or drag you into a turn much more if you drive them more - I really enjoy how predictable they are whilee you can lean into them.

Now if there only were some 187s...

[phatty]

Day 4 on Mfree108 in representative conditions. It does indeed rip. Couple notes: Turn initiation: Not its favorite. Edge hold: Ehhh. Good enough, maybe. But otherwise wants to truck and pivot and slarve. Mmmmmm. Very, very close to cold dead hands ski. Now, slightly quicker to turn in, same core and dampness feel, and slighhhhtly more edge. WSAI? I see a vote for the new Nordica Unleashed? Any others evocative of this solid, solid ski?

Glad you like them. I'm really enjoying the Commanders I traded you for. You may want to check the tune. I had Gerks repair the base and was never happy with how they tuned them.

[bodywhomper]

I know nothing of tele but spent one day on 186 mpro 99 at mammoth and it is a very easy ski to maneuver for the stability it gives (medium high levels of both agility and stability overall and extremely predictable and intuitive). I am 6' and 180 lbs and if you are even close to my size it is almost certainly more maneuverable than a 184 fully cambered mantra. You can read my brief thoughts on the mpro 99 higher up in this thread but in short it is an extremely capable one ski quiver for mammoth. I just have a many ski quiver so sold mine. The only thing it lacks (aside from the pure ice grip of a much narrower ski or the pure pow float of a much wider ski) is the "pull you into the turn" initiation of a carvier ski. I prefer this and once on edge it holds the carve very well.

If you like your MPro 90, you should love the MPro 99. I have both and ski the 99 as my DD. It's exceptionally versatile. More solid in crud, can ski reasonably deep new snow, yet carves well for a wider ski.

thx for input on the mpro99. considering length.... i'm 5'10", 155lbs, but making tele turns. for those that don't know, the big diff related to ski length between tele turn and alpine turn is weight distribution on the skis. which is the issue that I occasionally experience on my 183 mantras. in steep and hard snow, when i "stand up like a man," i can get the mantas to bend and easily hold an edge, but when i'm in the tele turn w/o momentum, i'm not getting the ski to bend. this wouldn't be an issue for me with the size down mantas. given that info, with the mpro99, seems 178cm is the right length or 170cm? how much stability am i giving up with 170? I haven't had a ski that short since middle school.

[GoldMember]

thx for input on the mpro99. considering length.... i'm 5'10", 155lbs, but making tele turns. for those that don't know, the big diff related to ski length between tele turn and alpine turn is weight distribution on the skis. which is the issue that I occasionally experience on my 183 mantras. in steep and hard snow, when i "stand up like a man," i can get the mantas to bend and easily hold an edge, but when i'm in the tele turn w/o momentum, i'm not getting the ski to bend. this wouldn't be an issue for me with the size down mantas. given that info, with the mpro99, seems 178cm is the right length or 170cm? how much stability am i giving up with 170? I haven't had a ski that short since middle school.

FWIW, I'm 5' 11", 175-180 (depending on the day) and am plenty happy on 178. 170 may sound short, and could be but they might be right for your size.

[shank]

thx for input on the mpro99. considering length.... i'm 5'10", 155lbs, but making tele turns. for those that don't know, the big diff related to ski length between tele turn and alpine turn is weight distribution on the skis. which is the issue that I occasionally experience on my 183 mantras. in steep and hard snow, when i "stand up like a man," i can get the mantas to bend and easily hold an edge, but when i'm in the tele turn w/o momentum, i'm not getting the ski to bend. this wouldn't be an issue for me with the size down mantas. given that info, with the mpro99, seems 178cm is the right length or 170cm? how much stability am i giving up with 170? I haven't had a ski that short since middle school.

Just making an educated guess here since I don't remember the exact camber profile of that generation of Mantras but I'm guessing that the tip splay of the MPro 99s will leave you with less effective edge in the 178cm than you'd wind up with by sizing down the Mantras. Going down to 170cm seems like it'd be a huge jump.

[Huskier]

Glad you like them. I'm really enjoying the Commanders I traded you for. You may want to check the tune. I had Gerks repair the base and was never happy with how they tuned them.

Good call I was wondering about that

[J. Barron DeJong]

Just making an educated guess here since I don't remember the exact camber profile of that generation of Mantras but I'm guessing that the tip splay of the MPro 99s will leave you with less effective edge in the 178cm than you'd wind up with by sizing down the Mantras. Going down to 170cm seems like it'd be a huge jump.

Those Mantras are full camber. The next year added a bit of tip rocker.

170 would probably be the recommended length of M-Pro for someone bodywhomper’s size, but it’s going to ski drastically different than the Mantra given the significant taper and rocker of the Dynastars; kind of opposite end of the design spectrum.

[waxoff]

Hey, here's something one don't get to see everyday..!

New, undrilled, one still in wrapper, 184 Pro Riders from back in the day.

Even better, they're in my nest.

[forty]

finally got out on the og protos that had been sitting in plastic since pre covid...

mounted at -1 with geze toe fks, 180lbs, 6'3'', my skiing style has been described as tip driving ex racer that was never any good, maybe have 25 days on skis in last 10 years so a bit out of shape but can still bend a ski when i need to
conditions were 10-12in over previous 24hr with lots of wind affect at a small hill in OR (hoodoo)

not sure i have a lot to add to previous reviews, but can confirm they are intuitive to ski but have some balls if you stand on them
i did find the speed limit in chopped up wind affected pow, but it was a fairly high limit and easy to shut down as needed

overall a very fun ski, should be great for soft snow and social skiing, but they dont fill the xxls slot, even in the made in france stiffer layup they arent that beef or demanding

the dyna quiver, you can feel the dna between them, those 213 g9's were my jam in the day, fucking love those skis




a question for know it alls in here
what kind of camber did xxl have new?
mine are flat as a pancake and been through hell, picked them up kinda beat so not sure where they really started out at, does the newer mpro stand up?

[phatty]

Hey, here's something one don't get to see everyday..!

New, undrilled, one still in wrapper, 184 Pro Riders from back in the day.

Even better, they're in my nest. [emoji3]

Score!

[Hood26]

Has anyone found too deep of snow for their MF 108’s?

[shroom]

yes

now give me $20