I figured since we have threads for a bunch of other ski companies, a Dynastar thread was in order.
I discovered that I liked Dynastar skis a few years back when I was looking for a replacement for my Lhasa Pows. I noticed some of the shapes were similar and I gave them a shot. What I found was the designs work really well for me. At this point I've owned at least 20 pairs of Dynastar skis.
I want this thread to be a resource for anyone casually curious or wanting more info on Dynastar new and old. Let's share reviews, post Dynastar stoke or answer questions.
Because of my weird obsession I have managed to make contacts within Dynastar so if there are new product questions I can try and get answers on that stuff too. That includes Look and Lange too.
I'd break the Dynastar lineup down as follows:
Legend:
All these skis are race construction fat skis. Some have a tiny bit of tip rocker. The 18x sizes tend to be friendly. The 19x sizes call for big boy pants. All of them have turn radius in the high 20m to high 30m. All require a bit of speed and a competent pilot to have a good time. If in doubt, size down.
Good skis in this line up include: Legend Pro (there all multiple versions of this ski, all good), XXL, LP105 (my personal favorite)
Also, Big Dumps can be fun in the right conditions but feel like skiing a 2x6 on packed snow. Very stable, and cheap. Extra full aever.
Haven't spent any time on the legend 115.
Cham 1.0:
These skis are very polarizing. It seems some people really like them (normally people who have a strong technical or race background who like to carve turns) and others hate them.
Dynastar went out on a limb with these and combined race construction with a modern 5-point shape. It works well in some of the skis and not well in others. Lots of tip rocker, no tail rocker and tons of taper. Size up.
Cham 1.0 are available with standard and high mountain construction. The standard construction is very burly race ski type feel. The high mountain construction is a little easier going. Both have plenty of balls for inbounds skiing.
Here's my experience with each:
Cham 87 - great for dad's and dentists but lacks guts. Hated this ski. Too soft.
Cham 97 - my second favorite in the line up. The tapered shape works on this ski. If you can work a ski they'll handle any condition. Shallow powder, crud, corn, ice.
Cham 107 - had both the 184 and 190. Similar to the lp105 but wants to turn more. The 190 is a serious ski that can haul ass in any conditions. Doesn't float amazingly well though and can feel hooky sometimes in crust. Also it doesn't want to finish turns because of all the taper. Weird beast but worth trying a few days. I'd say all the Cham 1.0 need a little bit of ski time to figure out. These are my least favorite.
Cham 117 - never skied them, no idea. They are fairly similar to a Lhasa Fat on paper.
Cham 127 - I spent a lot of powder days on these, they are really fun. I'd put them in the versatile fun shape camp, with skis like the protest or the c&d. Basically a big tapered pow ski with a bunch of metal. They are loose and surfy in pow but can really hold a solid carve going back to the lift. I like my pair and regret selling them. They are pretty cheap so if a protest with metal sounds interesting give them a shot. My favorite of the 1.0 lineup.
Cham 2.0:
Takes the original Cham designs and makes it less out there. Smoother taper, less aggressive sidecut, less metal. Tip rocker with smidge of tail rocker. I really liked these. Size up and mount at -1.
Cham 2.0 97 - takes the og 97 and makes it easier going and lighter weight. These were in constant rotation for me last year. I liked them a lot, good ski for skiing bumps/chalk/groomers/shallow powder.
Cham 107 2.0 - I spent most of last season on these. A great ski, I'd say 80% of the power any of the original legends have but don't require you to go 40mph to have fun. Float well enough for powder, great edge grip, quick in bumps, smooth feel on snow but still have some life. Now mounted with rad 2.0 and my primary touring ski.
Cham 117 2.0 - haven't skied them so no idea.
Legend X:
New line up for Dynastar. Takes some of the elements of the Cham 2.0 and merges it with the shapes of the Powertrack series and the layup on the Dynastar piste skis (powerdrive) which is essentially a full length rubber damping strip isolating the core from the sidewall. Really cuts down on vibration in rough or variable snow without having to turn the ski into a plank. It works pretty well in the race skis, haven't gotten a chance to spend much time on these yet. 88, 96, 106 and 117 ("Factory") are available. Comparing those skis to the Cham 2.0, the Legend X all have longer sidecut/effective edge, far mellower taper and overall I think will be well received by the tgr crowd. I'll have a few pairs available this season to try out.
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