2015 Dynastar Cham 117 Review (Video)
A few years back, when powder was bottomless, fat skis were new and rocker was rocking our world for the first time, powder skis were a one-trick pony, and people loved them. As time has gone on, skiers have started to figure out that powder doesn't last all day, and often conditions sent skiers running back to their car by lunch to swap out those powder specialists for an all mountain ski.
More recently, ski manufacturers have started to figure that out too, producing powder skis with a little added versatility so you can ski them all day - and for a few days after the storm. Enter the new Dynastar Cham 117, new for 2015.
Both building on and tweeking the successful Cham 5-point ski design, the Cham 117 hits a sweet spot between pure powder grins and all-mountain versatility to keep going when the soft stuff gets tracked out. Rocker in the tip, just a tiny bit of rise in the tail, and taper both in front and back with traditional camber and sidecut underfoot make up the shape, and lightweight metal-less wood core construction sets up the flex and ride.
We got to test the new Cham 117 in a variety of conditions last winter from powder, to wet and heavy crud and groomers, and everybody who skied them was impressed. In the soft stuff early in the day, they floated effortlessly, thanks to the big rockered tips and overall width.
As the wet snow settled and got cut up, the tapered tips kept the ski from hooking, cutting through the crud with ease, and the tails were easy to brake loose to throw the ski sideways when needed. The shape of the ski really lent itself to a variety of turn shapes in this snow, and the lightweight made them easy to pop up in transition.
On the groomers, they were surprisingly confident for a ski this width, arcing competent turns all the way back to the lift. The ski has the energy and pop we expect from a Dynastar, and the flat(er) tail gives you something to push off of, whether turning or popping off lips off piste.
The lightweight construction and shape of this ski makes it a unique option for powder-driven backcountry skis as well.