It was only a few product cycles ago that Dynastar transformed its brand identity with the debut of the Cham series. It was a bellwether moment, both for Dynastar and the burgeoning freeride market segment. The Chams were the first collection from a mainstream brand that used what was then referred to as a “5-point” sidecut, the two extra points indicating the ski’s widest points, which were pulled back from their traditional location at the tip and tail. What came to be known as tip taper has now been universally adopted by every Big Mountain model in the known world.
The Chams also went all-in on another trait that has since gone category-wide: a double-rockered baseline. The net effect of tip taper and rocker on the forebody of the ski was to disconnect it from the cambered mid-section; even if the ski were tipped and pressured, the tip wouldn’t participate in the resulting turn. Adding metal to the Cham construction only made the disconnect between shovel and mainframe more pronounced.
If memory serves, the Chams had only been out for a year when Dynastar added a Cham 117 to the line. By this time, Dynastar had a reputation for making some of the burliest fat skis you could buy. The brand show pony, Jeremy Nobis, was doing descents on Dynastars that earned the ex-World Cup racer the unofficial title of best free skier in the world. So, the Cham 117 had to be badass, and was it ever.
Dynastar ensured that the Cham 117 wouldn’t be outdone in the burly department by outfitting it with two sheets of Titanal, probably enough to build a small boat. (Metal remained in a few Cham models for some seasons, but was eventually dropped from the series entirely.) As soon as the Cham 117 got off the lift it took dead aim at the bottom. It was more like riding a bobsled than a ski. How anyone expected this behemoth to float, I have no idea. If it ran into powder, the bent-up shovel bravely remained above the fray, while the rest of it explored the bottom. Instead of saving effort, as the genre was meant to do, the Cham 117 burned fuel like a drag racer.
Flash forward to today, and Dynastar’s signature powder ski, the M-Free 108, retains a few strands of the Cham DNA, but in several respects it’s the exact opposite of the Cham 117. The key carry-over features include the obligatory double-rockered baseline and tapered forebody and tail, both magnified to the max. The biggest difference is the overall sense of snow connection. Despite its shape and baseline, the Cham 117 was trying to maintain the sort of snow connection one gets with an all wood-and-metal laminate. The connection of the baseline of the M-Free 108 feels as solid as soup.
The M-Free 108 isn’t meant to be tethered to the planet for very long. It’s not a twin-tip by accident, but by intent: it expects its pilot to break the bonds of gravity at every opportunity, and doesn’t want to limit his options. When one is taking off and landing in loose, uneven snow, the instinct to smear is essential to survival.
When there are only three lengths in a size run, length selection is critical. The 3 sizes of the M-Free 108 couldn’t be more different. If you want it to feel “extremely stable for the amount of tip and tail rocker,” as Sawyer Alford from Bobo’s found it, you’d best be on the 192cm. Don’t worry about the M-Free 108 losing its capacity for short turns, as its progressive shape and short platform underfoot can always be twisted sideways.
The M-Free 108 is able to stay calm while tearing through crud in high gear because it wraps its unusual PU and poplar core in a fiberglass torsion box, which is essentially a giant, coiled spring. Just because there’s just a touch of Titanal in it underfoot – a lesson learned in the Cham series history – doesn’t mean it’s some sort of dainty pixie. It has some heft to it, enabling it to stand up to crispy crud.
As long as this son of Cham has a cushion of snow to push on, it’s a secure ride with “surprising hold on hard conditions,” according to one of the Footloose faithful. America’s youth will probably gravitate towards the 192cm, but in its shorter sizes its suitable for designation as a Silver Skier Selection.
