Dynastar draws no distinction between its men’s Legend X and women’s Legend W models, except that the men’s are predominantly black and the women’s white. The same construction that works well for guys is gangbusters for gals. Petite skiers are teed up for success by a 13m sidecut radius – a short radius to match a shorter skier – tucked inside a relative behemoth in terms of surface area. These contrasting traits give the Legend W 96 surprising agility for its girth and gobs of flotation for off-trail environs.

The Legend W 96’s split personality can be traced to its 5-point sidecut, a signature feature of Dynastar’s off-trail skis since the debut of the Cham series. A 5-point sidecut moves the widest points at tip and tail towards the center, so the sidecut – and measured turn radius – is significantly shorter than the full running length. Result: more flotation with easier turning. Jolee from Footloose loves its large performance envelope, calling it an “amazing ski. Great graphics. This ski can give you short snappy turns or longer laid out turns. Handles well at speed and when going slow.”

Another key feature of the Legend W 96 that plays to the advantage of lighter skiers (e.g., women) 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 sluggish at slow speeds. The lighter weight is less fatiguing and makes 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, another of the fabulous Footloose flock.

For the ease with which it facilitates high performance off-piste skiing, we award the Legend X 96 a Silver Skier Selection.