The 2020 Dynastar Legend X 96 is a fantastic option for soft-snow skiers who are looking for a fun, playful, and floaty ski for fresh, soft, or broken snow. The 5-point sidecut really works in this application, as it increases the tip and tail taper in order to get a shorter turn radius in a wider platform. At the 178 cm length, the skis have a 15-meter turn radius, and this is on the short side, so increased maneuverability is the end result. For straight-line, high-speed skiers, this might not be the best choice, but for most advanced skiers who are looking to add a wider ski to their quiver, or use it as a one-ski application, the Legend X 96 is an awesome choice. Built with a lighter weight Paulownia wood core and a Titanal insert reinforcement, the skis remain light and nimble in the tips and tails, while underfoot, the skis are stout and stable. This is a great combination for soft-snow skiing, and Dynastar really nails it with the versatile Legend 96. Our testers loved the quickness for the width, and the floatiness was fun and easy.
Brooks Curran skied the 178, but would have preferred the 186. As such, his high score of 4 out of 5 for quickness and maneuverability is not a surprise. All other relevant scores were all 3’s, indicating that Brooks thought the Legend 96 was a well-rounded ski. He calls it “super-quick edge to edge.” Due to the shorter test length and resulting turn radius, Brooks found that it “doesn’t love speed.” Brooks skis pretty fast, so we’ll take that criticism with a grain of salt. On the flip side, the ski “seems very versatile and would love the east coast trees as it’s great for short turns in tight places.”
Evan Caha also noticed that the 178 was a bit short for him, as the 186 would most likely be the proper length. He had a lot of high scores—all 4’s except for a couple of 3’s for stability and torsional stiffness. As this is more of a fresh snow specialist, those lower/average scores aren’t that shocking. Evan notes a similarity between this and the Rossi Sky 7. “Very playful and poppy. Liked tighter, more standing turns. Not the best ski for hardpack, but that’s not the design. That said, the tip wasn’t too chatty.” Nice comparison here, as the Sky 7 does share a bunch of the same shaping philosophies as the Legend X 96.
Annie MacDonald also notes the high levels of maneuverability of her 178 cm tester. She scored 5’s out of 5 for quickness, playfulness, and forgiveness. Her overall impression and flotation scores of 4 out of 5 are equally impressive, as the Legend X 96 is a strong performer across all boundaries. “Very playful ski! Good for noodling around in the woods. Very forgiving with good maneuverability.” Again, pin-pointing the shorter turn radius, Annie remarks that the skis are “not super-stable at speeds as the rockered tips flapped a bit on the hard pack. Super light ski is good for someone who doesn’t want to work hard but rather have fun!” There’s a lot to be said for a ski that has a good ease of use, and the Legend X 96 certainly seems to fit into this category.
David Wolfgang felt pretty good on these skis. “This ski can make you a legend, too! Fast turning and a ripper, too. The pronounced tip is screaming ‘show me the powder’ but a rock-solid platform on the hard pack.” David astutely points out that the tip shape is better suited for soft snow, but the underfoot zone is strong and balanced and when you’re centered, it holds tight to firm snow.
There’s a lot to like about the soft-snow versatility ingrained in the 2020 Dynastar Legend X 96. The shape is perfect for floating through fresh snow, and if you find yourself in the trees and moguls with soft stuff on top, all the better. Advanced skiers will love the ease of use and balanced nature of these great skis.
