2020 Dynastar Legend W 96
1

Ski Stats

Sidecut 132/96/112
Radius 13m @ 165cm
Lengths 158,165,171
Weight 1550g @ 165cm
MSRP $750
FIND
3
0
1
One of my ardently held beliefs about ski design, for which I have no statistical support, is that every model family has a star, a width at which all its other design parameters are optimized. For example, in Salomon’s QST collection, it’s the 106; in Kästle’s MX family, it’s the 84, and in Dynastar’s 4-model Legend W series, it’s the 96. What makes the W 96 the belle of the ball? The Legend W series is directly descended from Dynastar’s Cham clan, an early adopter of the 5-point sidecut. The 5-point sidecut keeps the tip and tail from engaging with the cambered zone underfoot, effectively keeping them out of the turning business and helping the skis to roll over terrain rather than digging into it. This shape was made expressly for Big Mountain skiing; it’s at its best when it’s wide, and a waist around 96mm is about as broad as it can be without feeling sluggish.

One of my ardently held beliefs about ski design, for which I have no statistical support, is that every model family has a star, a width at which all its other design parameters are optimized. For example, in Salomon’s QST collection, it’s the 106; in Kästle’s MX family, it’s the 84, and in Dynastar’s 4-model Legend W series, it’s the 96.

What makes the W 96 the belle of the ball? The Legend W series is directly descended from Dynastar’s Cham clan, an early adopter of the 5-point sidecut. The 5-point sidecut keeps the tip and tail from engaging with the cambered zone underfoot, effectively keeping them out of the turning business and helping the skis to roll over terrain rather than digging into it. This shape was made expressly for Big Mountain skiing; it’s at its best when it’s wide, and a waist around 96mm is about as broad as it can be without feeling sluggish.

Because a 5-point sidecut shortens the central platform, a ski as wide as the Legend W 96 can still cut a remarkably tight corner. Its 13m-sidecut radius in a 165cm length is race-slalom short. Of courses, no 96 can flip edges as fast as a wasp-waisted race ski, but the Legend W 96 is up for trying. One of its best attributes is it can transition from arcing a tight string of carved turns to drifting sideways over a wind berm.

Another feature that allows the Legend W 96 to be fluid and easy flexing when flat yet rock solid on edge is Powerdrive, a 3-part sidewall integrated in the forebody that effectively allows the ski to follow terrain rather than fight it. This allows the ski to buffer shock without resorting to hefty slabs of Titanal that can make a ski lugubrious at slow speeds. The lighter weight is less fatiguing and makes the Legend W 96 ideal for the advanced skier transitioning to a wide ski for the first time. “A great introduction to an easy, wider, rockered ski and a pleasant surprise,” says Lauren, from the Footloose contingent of fine testers.

For its willingness to skid or carve on command and response to a light touch, we again award the Legend X 96 a Silver Skier Selection.

Test Score Data

Total Score: 88.67
Early to Edge:
Continuous Carve:

Rebound/Turn Finish:

Stability/Accuracy @ Speed:
Short-radius Turning:
9.67
9.00
9.00
9.33
8.67
Off-piste Performance:
Low-speed Turning:
Forgiveness/Ease:
Drift/Scrub:
Finesse/Power Balance:
8.33
8.00
9.33
8.33
9.00

Women’s Test Data Advisory

Please be advised that our 2022 women’s ski reviews do not show any test data, on either our public or members’ sites. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we haven’t been able to collect sufficient test results to justify showing a statistical summary.

While Realskiers members won’t be able to see stats on women’s reviews, they will see a longer, more in-depth narrative than what’s posted on our public site.

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