BEST FOR: Intermediates and up who want to do it all.
LENGTHS: 169, 175, 181, 187
DIMENSIONS: 132/98/120
RADIUS: 23@181
SUGGESTED RETAIL: from $400
OTHER MODELS: 90, 80
Athlete demands drive innovation. So while there are plenty of new skis with all kinds of new ideas, none are as modern as the Menace. It’s part of Dynastar’s new Freestyle collection, a family of skis that spans everything from park and pipe to landing switch in big-mountain terrain. The Menace 98 lands in the middle and as such is a novel beast, capable of all kinds of feats of freestyle creativity, but also just skiing the entire mountain. “Sweet in bumps and crud,” wrote Shane Rowtley. “Really easy and stable on groomers.” It has a versatile and forgiving construction: poplar wood core, titanium inserts, full sidewalls, and early rise in the tip and tail. Testers found it did just as well holding an edge on firm groomers—“It never chatters,” reported Steve Butcher—as some found it did in soft snow. Whether it’s to push freestyle progression or just knowing your skis could, the Menace 98 is stable, playful and adept all over the mountain.
THE LIGHTEST LEGEND
Light but powerful. Nimble and stable. The Dynastar Legend X 96 is a ski of contrasts. Part of the family of Legend skis that combines freeride and all-mountain performance, the X 96 is on the lighter side, made from wood, carbon and Titanal. The 96mm waist and variable sidecut give it a ski-it-all versatility. $750; dynastar.com
