Dynastar Cham 97 Ski Review - Our Take

The Dynastar Cham 97 was just awarded Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year for 2013 - Best Alpine Skis.

(Click to enlarge)

It's definitely an interesting ski, worthy of consideration from a wide range of skiers for a great all-mountain ski.

Here's what the Start Haus's Philpug said over on Epicski.com:

"If any ski is primed to dethrone the (Blizzard) Bonafide, it is the new Cham 97 from Dynastar. Dynastar's Cham collection is about the freshest collection of skis to come out of Chamonix in recent memory. With it's early rise/extended tip profile/tip rocker, and cambered underfoot and pin tail, the Cham sports unique visual differences from other collections coming from other mainstream manufacturers. On snow the Cham 97 was a great performer even in a size below what I would choose for myself. It handled great in the high speed groomers and even the cut up crud didn't affect the 97 at all."

Quincy skiing the Dynastar Cham 97, courtesy of Keoki Flagg.

Quincy, another Start Haus employee, spent most of last winter testing this ski out:

"The Dynastar Cham 97 is the best one-ski-quiver I've found. I love the versatility of this ski - when the morning powder is tracked out, I hate wishing I had a skinnier pair of skis - so I just grab the Cham 97 when I leave the house. They're floaty and maneuverable in powder with the rocker tip, but the camber underfoot is almost as responsive on the hardpack as your favorite carving ski.
I went to Alaska on a family ski vacation and had to make a decision on which pair of skis to bring. I chose my Dynastar Cham 97 because I knew no matter what the conditions would be (slush, powder, or corn), I would be able to keep up with the pro's."

So if you're in the market for a super versatile all-mountain ski with the hard-charging heritage of Dynastar Skis, check out the Dynastar Cham series.

Quincy ripping on the Dynastar Cham 97 at Squaw Valley, courtesy of Keoki Flagg