2022 Dynastar M-Pro 84

The 2022 Dynastar M-Pro 84 returns unchanged for this winter, and that’s a good thing for a huge number of skiers. This mid-80's category of all-mountain/front side cruisers flies a little under the radar, and for no particularly good reason. There are a lot of skiers out there who should be on a more manageable ski like this, but they gravitate to the burlier and more advanced skis, perhaps doing themselves a disservice in the process. If you spend most, or all, of your time skiing groomed trails and firmer snow, but still like a more versatile shape, then skis in this realm are going to be a lot easier and better for progression. For more advanced skiers who value maneuverability and agility, these make an awesome option as well, allowing excellent control and precision in the bumps and trees. They blur the line between that front side and all-mountain ski, so they inherently have a lot of versatility built in to the full poplar wood core. These 84’s are still more like the previous version of the Legend 84, so they have more of the five-point sidecut shape that allows for easy turning and smooth pivots. For 84 mm underfoot skis, they’re very stable at speed and a lot stronger than they likely get credit for. Sometimes, a simple design and build works really well, and this is one of the better ones out there. Our testers are continuously surprised by these skis, and we love hearing the positive reviews and the high-end potential that the M-Pro 84’s elicit.

One of those skiers was David Wolfgang, who doesn’t really have much business skiing a 170 cm ski, but it turns out he had a wonderful time on his M-Pro 84. “Surprisingly great!” he commented about the length. At over 6 feet, David could certainly ski the 184, but my guess is that he’d compromise and end up on the 177 if he had a choice. David scored the ski all 4’s out of 5 with the exception of a 5 for overall impression, which is as surprising to us as it sounds like it was to him. 4’s for flotation, quickness, maneuverability, versatility, torsional stiffness, and edge hold are all great, but it’s really quite something to see that 5 for overall impression. As owner of the business, he’s always got his eye on value, and he notes on that in his comments: “This is the best of the best in the value category. An absolutely fun, stable and playful all-around ski. Kudos to Dynastar.” It even sounds like price aside, this was one of the best skis David has been on, and that’s saying a whole lot.

Reuben Jalbert was on the 177, and noted that it felt a tad short for him. Reuben’s scores were more in the 3-4 range, with 4’s out of 5 given for quickness, maneuverability, and forgiveness. Other than a lowly 2 for flotation, the rest of his scores were 3’s which seems to fall in line with what Dynastar is looking to accomplish with this ski. Right down the middle, Reuben notes that his experience was “Pretty lukewarm. Ok in most aspects, excels at nothing in particular, as to be expected. These are for sure an entry level all-mountain ski. Great for intermediate and advanced skiers who've been on skinnier set ups but want to branch out to something more all-mountain oriented.” I think the “branching out” part is important to highlight here for sure. Jeff Neagle notes about his 177 that “This is a really nice all-mountain ski. You don’t get the metal in the 90 or 99, but I’m glad they left it out as it makes this 84 more accessible and more approachable for less aggressive or intermediate level skiers. You still get the shape benefits of the new M-Pro line too. Super versatile tip and tail shape, in fact this 84 actually feels even more maneuverable than the 90 and 99 as it has a little more rise and more taper in the tail. Quick and nimble, but also can hold an edge on firm snow too. An expert skier or someone who’s really aggressive may want a stiffer, more powerful ski, but I think the vast majority of skiers in the world would benefit from skiing an M-Pro 84. Really good ski for a skier who is progressing and trying to improve their ability level and overall technique. It’s a great tool for learning moguls, trees, and other off-piste terrain, but still feels right at home just cruising groomers, which in my opinion is really important for an intermediate level skier.”

There's a lot of room in the market for a ski like this, and they often get overlooked as either too narrow for all-mountain or too flexible for front side, but I think they split the difference quite nicely. Skiers who are looking for a good time without having to really drive the ski at high speeds will love the friendly nature of the M-Pro 84 and their very well-rounded personality.