The American skier’s ongoing infatuation with fat skis has so distorted our collective notion of what an all-terrain ski should look like that we no longer remember the days when the best skiers’ everyday ride was a race ski or something similar.  As recently as the late 1990’s, a ski as wide as Dynastar’s Speed 4×4 963 would have been regarded as a powder-only behemoth.

Dynastar remembers that epoch because it helped re-define the all-terrain ski when it launched the original 4×4 in 1998.  With a less exaggerated sidecut than the shaped skis of the era along with a wider waist, the first 4×4 was immediately recognized as a breakthrough ski in an all-mountain category that had previously been stocked with race ski spin-offs. I remember taking my first runs on them at a Solitude trade fair where I took them out first thing and never brought them back. My belated apologies.

The 21/22 version of the 4×4 is attached to the Speed family, but it’s actually a separate breed.  In keeping with the overall trend to lighter skis, the 4×4 963 uses a multi-material core with laminated beech providing the primary structure and a band of polyurethane (PU) between the wood and the outer sidewall. The PU adds a dampening element as well as being lighter than the wood it replaces.

Another weight-reduction comes from paring away material in the shovel to create a 3D profile that reduces swingweight. To preserve stability on edge, a section of Titanal anchors the midsection.

For a ski with a race lineage, the 4×4 963 is oddly more in its element off-trail than on, as it transitions from a carve to a scrubbed turn without a hitch.  Peter Glenn’s Steve Parnell was impressed by its versatility as he navigated through a melee of spring conditions at Squaw Valley. “Went from groomed to crust to powder today. This one will make your day. Made it all easy.”

The Speed 4×4 963 is a system ski, meaning it comes with its own Look SPX 12 binding. A well-balanced ski with nearly equal scores for all performance criteria, it should have a broad appeal across all ages and abilities. As this generous age bracket includes those with an AARP card, we again award the 4×4 963 a Silver Skier Selection.