Like most of the skis covered here, the Dynastar Proto Factory didn’t have the benefit of ideal test conditions. A thoroughbred to its Paulownia core, it didn’t seem to care. Where other skis had been buffeted around in spring slop like a toy boat in high seas only a run or two before, the Proto Factory made a mockery of their tribulations, maintaining snow contact on an imperturbable edge. Skiers who remember Dynastar fat sticks of yore will recognize traces of burly old boards like the ones Nobis flashed, changing the way big mountains are skied forevermore.

Only available in a 189cm length, the Proto Factory performs like a Technical ski in a fat suit. Despite its bulbous girth, it readily responds to its pilot’s carving intentions, getting into the turn as soon as its rockered and tapered tip permits. The midsection of its 5-point sidecut is powerful, energetic and totally trustworthy. Ready to break into a smear or cut into a carve on a moment’s notice, the Proto Factory is a decathlete of off-trail skiing.

You don’t have to adapt to the Proto Factory to enjoy it and you shouldn’t be put off by its Team-level-only persona. It isn’t more than what it needs to be: a well-balanced exemplar of the modern Powder ski.