I'm cross posting this from TGR, but I thought the PUGSKI crowd might appreciate this as well.
188 Dynastar Legend X106 mini review:
Me: 29 yrs old, 5' 10" ~200lbs, ski instructed for a while and mostly like to just freeski fast, ski in a Lange RX 130 LV. Not a hucker but love skiing open bumped out terrain in a "GS" style. Fairly solid technique and I can ski anywhere on any mountain in any condition. Full disclosure: I like Dynastar and somehow got sent these skis for the TGR masses to try out. So I'm not on the take but take my review with a light salt grain. Hopefully this info helps someone learn more about these skis.
Other skis I like: 192 Legend Pro 105, any ski with good edge grip, damp layup and a traditional mount point. Blizzard Bonafide, Bodacious, Line Influence, Armada Inviticus TI, Head Monsters (new and old) , etc come to mind.
Don't like lots of tail or more centered mounts. Hated the Blizzard Gunsmoke for instance.
I used my x106 2 days at Mount Baker Ski Area. Conditions skid: mid-winter chalk, proto-corn, refrozen, lumpy chair 8 "groomers" (anyone who skis else where would not consider them groomers), recycled old pow, crud. Majority of the time spent lapping Upper Canucks Deluxe to Upper/Lower Honkers. Enjoyed the lack of people and got a wide variety of conditions in. (Side note, why does no one in the PNW ski off-piste post storm anymore? Some of my favorite ski days have been skiing bumps and crud.)
Conditions:
The skis:
188cm
139-106-123
19m Radius
Snow feel: Damper than the Cham 107 2.0 with much better edge grip. Real tail rocker makes for an easier slash than any Dynastar I've skied to date. Definitely not an old school Legend Pro race feel but they have guts for sure. Although they look similar, these skis are more Legend Pro than Cham. But unlike the old school LP, you don't have to go 40 mph to make these skis feel fun. They reward good technique and a fall-line approach to the mountain. Finishes turns much more readily than either the Cham 1.0 or 2.0. I think it has something to do with the extended taper/sidecut radius.
I started out at 0. At this mount point the ski feels super quick edge to edge and while it requires some forward pressure you are rewarded by big lateral movements and a slightly neutral stance. Sometimes in the bumps I would slightly notice the tail. But the tip is plenty supportive for me and I never once felt like I was overpowering the shovels. A tiny bit too quick on the groomers for me. Decided to go -2, just for kicks.
-2: Probably the best position for pure groomer skiing but the pin tail felt like it was sinking too much in soft stuff and they felt slugish.
-1: This is the perfect spot for more. almost as quick as on the line, can really push on the tips and the ski feels super balanced. If you're a more traditional skier and can really bend a ski, I bet this is the spot you'll like.
I never wanted for more stability or length, however a 193 version of this ski with a ~25m radius would be killer for a truly "big" mountain like Big Sky or Snowbird. For most PNW terrain I ski (tighter, more complex exits from areas) and lack of open terrain to let the ski run, the 188 is plenty. On the flipside, this is not an overbearing burly ski that requires sizing down. If you're an adult male who is at least an advanced skier, average height and over 150lbs I personally see no reason to go smaller than the 188, especially at the 0 mount point.
Anyways, more later once I get more days on the skis. My 188s have demo bindings on them and anyone on Pugski who wants to try them out are welcome to send me a PM. I'll be floating between Mission/Stevens/Alpental this winter, so hit me up if you want to give them a try.