A ski is always more than just its shape, but shape is the main reason the Dynastar Legend W 84 takes top honors for Finesse properties among women’s Frontside skis. Like all the Legends, the W 84 uses a 5-point sidecut that essentially creates a ski within a ski. The widest points at tip and tail are moved closer to the center, so the extremities aren’t connected to the sidecut in the middle that defines turn shape. This allows a ski with a 84mm waist to have a sidecut radius of 12m – less than a World Cup slalom – yet possess the surface area that helps it earn best-in-class marks for Off-Piste Performance.

Because the tip and tail are inherently loose, the Legend W 84 attaches an element of smear-ability to every turn. None of our other Recommended Frontside skis can match its scores for Forgiveness, Low-Speed Turning and Drift, the Holy Trinity of Finesse attributes. Our testers found it forgiving to a fault when its soft tail slid too easily out of a turn, but otherwise its relaxed turn entry and exit didn’t impede a reliable carve underfoot.

“Easy to carve medium radius turns yet also easy (and fun) to make short turns,” remarks Lindsay Barksdale from Stacey Cook’s Chix on Stix program. Lindsay adds, “ski felt a bit short for me,” probably because the 5-point sidecut feels shorter than it measures. Whether slithering into a short-radius turn or carrying more speed down the fall line, the Legend W 84 maintains its composure thanks to Powerdrive, Dynastar’s unique forebody feature that lets the ski follow ragged terrain rather than ping off it. Originally created for high speeds on hard snow, as adapted for the Legend W 84, Powerdrive assists the front of the ski in following any irregularity.

For the way it neutralizes the buffeting of hard snow and soft, we award the Dynastar Legend W 84 a Silver Skier Selection.