The Dynastar M-Cross 88 Open, officially classified as an All-Mountain ski, clearly flirts with freeride. It’s very comfortable in challenging snow conditions — chopped-up snow, spring snow, powder, crust — you name it. The front rocker and shovel make transitions through tricky snow much easier.
This ski offers excellent pivot. It feels playful, enjoyable, and light on the feet. With no noticeable inertia, it excels around moguls, in tight trees, and anywhere that requires quick turns. The ski’s front end absorbs impacts effectively, and we really appreciated how little shock is transmitted back to the legs. It’s a true all-terrain ski.
On groomed runs, the effective edge length is fairly short. Even so, the M-Cross 88 Open holds an edge well. It can be pushed into relatively aggressive edge angles — though not extreme ones. While edge grip isn’t unshakable, it’s reliable. That said, under the feet of a powerful skier, its performance may start to break down. But for skiers with a more average build and style, this ski is a solid, versatile tool that lets you ski anywhere with no trouble. It handles most conditions more than adequately. It might not be the most exhilarating ski out there, but it’s always responsive and supports progression in all types of terrain — exactly what you want from this category of ski.
On hardpack, the tip tends to vibrate significantly. At very high speeds, this can slightly reduce confidence. However, the underfoot section is responsive and solid.
Flat pivoting and skidded turns are handled effortlessly. For large carved turns, it responds quickly once on edge and accelerates nicely. It stays on its natural radius without requiring much fine-tuning of balance. If your boots are stiff enough to apply forward pressure, you can engage the ski actively and fine-tune the turn shape. It also performs well from the heel, without any unexpected behavior.
Turns are smooth and fluid, with a consistent, linear feel. There’s no dead spot in the flex. The design is fresh and colorful, with a plastic tail that may catch slightly when skis cross.
In short, this is a very pleasant ski, although limited in high-end performance if pushed too hard. Still, it’s a great All-Mountain tool with a clear leaning toward freeride terrain.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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