When the lift attendant took my skis off the gondola rack at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, she was shocked, “Wow! These are LIGHT!" She thought she was going to be yanking on another pair of super-fat and super-heavy skis, but I was on the Dynafit Huascaran — no ordinary ski.
The Huascaran (136-115-125) is a true new school freeride ski. It has an early rise tip. camber under foot, and a slightly rockered tail that tapers to a square end. It doesn’t get too crazy with the rocker but it isn’t bashful either. Dynafit has struck a balance between the fun-havin’ progressive ski shape and the utilitarian needs of a backcountry skier. The overall shape excels in powder; the tips float to the top with a nice and easy flex while the tapered tail helps keep the ski in the snow where it can make controlled turns instead of skimming across the top of the snowpack. The Huascaran is also stiff enough to hold its own in the mank and chop of resort skiing. As with most rockered skis, the contact length on groomers and hard snow is quite a bit shorter than its overall length, allowing for shorter radius turns. I was surprised at how nimble these skis were for a 115mm waist. Because these skis are so incredibly light, when I got myself into some steep rocky terrain, the low swing weight made jump turns a breeze.
Dynafit has joined the ski revolution while keeping a hold of what it does best. They have made a true freeride ski that remains light. Mount them with a pair of Dynafit’s Radical bindings, slap on their patented speed skin system, and step in with a pair of Titan Ultralight boots. You will have it all — cruising up the mountain on a featherweight freeride set up and shredding down the hill on a pair of full-on rippers.
