Katana 108 - the resurrerection

[frorider]

https://youtu.be/Y5aTPPYwjks

“The combination of metal, wood, and titanium...”.

[TahoeBC]

Finally got enough coverage to break out the new Katana’s could not be more stoked on this ski. I mounted it on the line on the 191’s. Yesterday dialed them in on the groomers, a couple light passes with a gummy on the tips and tails. Easy to make all kinds of turns from big gs turns to faster quicker turns by pressuring the tips more. Today close to a foot of pow, so fucking fun, easy to make quick turns in tight trees and unflappable in the chopped up pow. These skis might be my favorite resort skis ever. These skis replaced my praxis GPO’s, extremely happy to make the change.

[BC.]

Finally got enough coverage to break out the new Katana’s could not be more stoked on this ski. I mounted it on the line on the 191’s. Yesterday dialed them in on the groomers, a couple light passes with a gummy on the tips and tails. Easy to make all kinds of turns from big gs turns to faster quicker turns by pressuring the tips more. Today close to a foot of pow, so fucking fun, easy to make quick turns in tight trees and unflappable in the chopped up pow. These skis might be my favorite resort skis ever. These skis replaced my praxis GPO’s, extremely happy to make the change.

Awesome...sounds great to hear the new version is just as good as the previous.....

[TahoeBC]

Never skied the previous, so I can’t compare, I have the BC lighter full reverse version in the next length down as my go to backcountry set up, it’s a ridiculously fun ski, but the 108 is a better resort ski.

[Bandit Man]

So, any more “on the snow” insights for the K108? After a few more days on my 184 M102’s, I’m thinking I need a pair of 184 K108’s.


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[bry]

Dying to get on them as well... we need more snow where I'm at.

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[TahoeBC]

All I can say is I continue to be blown away by this ski, definitely my favorite resort ski I’ve ever been on. Have not had a super deep day yet but have no doubt they will slay it.

[Lord Thomas]

At the demos I was amazed at how much float I got out of the 191 M102 so would be really surprised if the K108 wasn't really good in a foot or more. The thing that really stood out to me with the K108 on day after a rain-refrozen boilerplate was the edge grip. Better than most of the 90mm skis and at least as good if not better than the M102. (maybe just the tune) This K108 might just be the holy grail of PNW resort boards.

[phatty]

At the demos I was amazed at how much float I got out of the 191 M102 so would be really surprised if the K108 wasn't really good in a foot or more. The thing that really stood out to me with the K108 on day after a rain-refrozen boilerplate was the edge grip. Better than most of the 90mm skis and at least as good if not better than the M102. (maybe just the tune) This K108 might just be the holy grail of PNW resort boards.

These statements have me questioning my MFree 108 purchase. Taking them out for their first day on Wednesday. Would love to hear if anyone has comparisons.

[waxman]

These statements have me questioning my MFree 108 purchase. Taking them out for their first day on Wednesday. Would love to hear if anyone has comparisons.

both great skis, current thinking at our shop is the M-Free is more "fun", i doubt you're giving up any performance except maybe the hardest pack groomy zoomy

[Bandit Man]

At the demos I was amazed at how much float I got out of the 191 M102 so would be really surprised if the K108 wasn't really good in a foot or more. The thing that really stood out to me with the K108 on day after a rain-refrozen boilerplate was the edge grip. Better than most of the 90mm skis and at least as good if not better than the M102. (maybe just the tune) This K108 might just be the holy grail of PNW resort boards.

I’m hoping so...I just pulled the trigger on some K108 184’s. Looking forward to doing some back to back testing with my M102’s.


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[Bandit Man]

These statements have me questioning my MFree 108 purchase. Taking them out for their first day on Wednesday. Would love to hear if anyone has comparisons.

Stop buying skis that are cheap and start buying the skis you want. Or better yet, start buying the skis you want on the cheap...that seems to work for me.


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[ticketchecker]

Stop buying skis that are cheap and start buying the skis you want

Sig worthy



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[phatty]

Stop buying skis that are cheap and start buying the skis you want. Or better yet, start buying the skis you want on the cheap...that seems to work for me.


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Thankfully I did buy the ski I want and got it cheap, but there's always other skis out there catching the eye and subscribed threads reminding me about them. From Waxman, sounds like I'll be happy on the MFree as I was looking to trade hard pack performance for "fun". I guess I'll have my answer when I get out on the MFree this week.

[Bandit Man]

Thankfully I did buy the ski I want and got it cheap, but there's always other skis out there catching the eye and subscribed threads reminding me about them. From Waxman, sounds like I'll be happy on the MFree as I was looking to trade hard pack performance for "fun". I guess I'll have my answer when I get out on the MFree this week.

Fair enough. I heard what the pro price was on the M-Free 108...and it was attractive. The sizing just sucks. Your a bigger guy, so the 192 works for you. A 187 sounds perfect for the rest of us...but they only left us with the 182.

From guysi know that ski the M-Free 108, it skis well in soft PNW conditions but leaves something to be desired in crud or firmer conditions. I’m willing to wager that it doesn’t hold a candle to a Volkl M102 or K108 at speed or in crud.

Didn’t you get a 192 M-Pro 105, too?

[phatty]

Fair enough. I heard what the pro price was on the M-Free 108...and it was attractive. The sizing just sucks. Your a bigger guy, so the 192 works for you. A 187 sounds perfect for the rest of us...but they only left us with the 182.

From guysi know that ski the M-Free 108, it skis well in soft PNW conditions but leaves something to be desired in crud or firmer conditions. I’m willing to wager that it doesn’t hold a candle to a Volkl M102 or K108 at speed or in crud.

Didn’t you get a 192 M-Pro 105, too?

Yeah, I wish the sizing was a little smaller. A 189 would be perfect. There will be plenty of crud this week to test it on. I'm eager to give it a shot. It came down to 3 choices for me.

MFree 108
Katana 108
Cochise 106

I'm sure I would be happy on any of them. I'm hoping the fun/playful aspects of the MFree will be worth whatever tradeoffs.

I'm eager to hear more about the Katana once you get on yours. It's always going to be high on my "to try" list.

[jackattack]

From guysi know that ski the M-Free 108, it skis well in soft PNW conditions but leaves something to be desired in crud or firmer conditions. I’m willing to wager that it doesn’t hold a candle to a Volkl M102 or K108 at speed or in crud.

I know this is the K108 chatter chamber, clack clack clack, but I didn't have any issues on the m-free 108 under the lights at Stevens on NYE. I did several laps off of skyline, traversing under 7th heaven to rip the steep soft chop/crud, followed by GS turns on bumpy cement and then slarving through the bumps in the choke points. As noted, they are a playful shape, the K108 is not. As such the K108 will offer more stability in dense conditions when it comes to laying trenches on edge. That is not to say the mfree won't do that, just that it will not be as effortless. But if you like the surfy/slarvy feel, the K108 is likely not going to deliver that experience like the mfree. For their width, both skis are quite good on firm snow, with the edge going to the K108, but I don't buy 108 underfoot skis for their edge hold in bulletproof conditions. This is new territory for Dynastar and I think they nailed it, knocking aside skis like the ON3P Woodsman that many expected to excel in this slot.

I'm happy I went with the "cheap" ski.

[Bandit Man]

I know this is the K108 chatter chamber, but I didn't have any issues on the m-free 108 under the lights at Stevens on NYE. I did several laps off of skyline, traversing under 7th heaven to rip the steep soft chop/crud, followed by GS turns on bumpy cement and then slarving through the bumps in the choke points. As noted, they are a playful shape, the K108 is not. As such the K108 will offer more stability in dense conditions when it comes to laying trenches on edge. That is not to say the mfree won't do that, just that it will not be as effortless. But if you like the surfy/slarvy feel, the K108 is likely not going to deliver that experience like the mfree. For their width, both skis are quite good on firm snow, with the edge going to the K108, but I don't buy 108 underfoot skis for their edge hold in bulletproof conditions. This is new territory for Dynastar and I think they nailed it, knocking aside skis like the ON3P Woodsman that many expected to excel in this slot.

I'm happy I went with the "cheap" ski.

That’s encouraging. What length are you on? The 192 feels like overkill for Stevens, especially when you want to play in the trees and the slack country.


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[jackattack]

I'm on the 192. I wouldn't ski them any shorter, but I could see the desire for a 187, I suspect the 182 skis real short.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I'm on the 192. I wouldn't ski them any shorter, but I could see the desire for a 187, I suspect the 182 skis real short.

Those didn’t look like 192s, is that what they measure? They looked fun. I wish our bsl was closer.


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[TAFKALVS]

192 Mfree 108 is the same length as a 189 ON3P.

I've yet to have anyone try my pair and not like them.

[Bandit Man]

192 Mfree 108 is the same length as a 189 ON3P.

I've yet to have anyone try my pair and not like them.

But you have Dynastar bias...

[Lord Thomas]

As it happens I did get to spin a couple of laps on the m-free 108 192 as well. Was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. (center mounts and heavily rockered/tapered tips and tails are generally not my deal) From what I recall it was a "fun" ski but surprisingly competent. Not quite as much of a weapon as a K108 but still more composed and solid than the shape and mount point would suggest. I could see a lot of places where the m-free would be a blast. Want to demo again

[TAFKALVS]

But you have Dynastar bias...

I would argue that I have a well engineered/constructed ski bias. If I didn't have the quiver of Dynastars I'd probably be on Volkl and Blizzard. In fact I've owned and skied both in the past, and have Blizzards in the mix as well. The k108/m102 has been on my radar for sure.

ON3P billygoats rock but I've been highly unimpressed with any of their narrower ski offerings, they all have seem something goofy about the particular ski that makes them ski weird (in my book.) Things like too stiff a tail, hooky tunes, too much tip rocker, etc.

Come to think of it, I've pretty much never skied any "indy" brand ski under 115mm that I've been impressed by.

[SkiLyft]

But you have Dynastar bias...

The 4 other mags who skied them don’t tho...

I’ve never been on a Dynastar ski in the past and this Mfree 108 is super special in how it really can do everything quite well!

192 skis super short. IIRC, there was a pic somewhere on here showing a 189BG and the 192 MF108 and the mount point/ length was nearly identical.