10/11.3: Ski Test: Dynastar Sultan Legend 94

Day Three of our ski season coincided with the Avoriaz Ski Test. Nice of them to think of us. A Ski Test is where you can, in exchange for a blood sample, your family history to 6 generations, and you own head (on a plate), you can try out any skis you like. You get an hour and a half to go and do whatever you want.

The ski test stalls in Avoriaz

I have been itching to try out the Dynastar Sultan Legend 94s. I'm an intermediate skier and have been on Rossignol Bandit B78s for the last three years. Nothing wrong with the Bandits but I am beginning to think that their "all-mountainness" means that, yes, you can go anywhere and they can do anything, but also that that means that they don't do anything particularly well. They aren't good carvers, i find them wobbly on hardpack, and just average off-piste.

Specifically, i've found that i'm sinking in powder and I need to put a lot of energy into the turn to get it to happen. As I said, i'm only intermediate (and a very aggressive skier) so this is certainly down to bad technique but at the same time, i think a fatter ski is going to help.

For those still reading who don't have a clue what i'm on about the numbers in the ski name indicate how wide the ski is at the middle of the ski. My current Bandits are 78mm across the waist and the Sultan 94s are 94mm at the waist (the waist being the middle of the ski). Fatter ski equals more float in powder. More float in powder equals awesome skiing experience - like flying down a mountain just a few centimeters above the ground at 30kph.

So anyway, we eventually found the Dynastar stall and i asked about the 94s only to be told that they had four, but that they were all out on tests. Just before starting to weep, a man appeared next to me (clad in golden armour which shone with a light from within - Armor +6) and presented the lady at the stall with a pair of skis. Not just any skis but Sultans. Not just any Sultans but 94s and not just any 94s but 178cm (length) Sultans.

Incredible good luck as that is the perfect length for me. After getting my hire card (which actually was very straightforward: drivers license and credit card) i was clutching the 94s only moments later.

Eagerly clutching my Sultans

The label said "Come On Ski", so we did heading over to Fornet. The variable conditions we've had here over the past two weeks were actually great for my test. I found ice, steeps, some shallow powder, bumps, and nice groomed pistes as well. Each ski is only 16mm wider than my Bandits but the difference is incredible. Even on only a very light dusting of powder you're riding much higher. And even on crusty stuff i found that i was on the snow as opposed to in it like i am on the Bandits.

I have a lot to learn and clearly, this being the first fat ski i've skied, the skis are much better than me, but that's the point - to learn something new. I found that they are much more stable than my Bandits. They have wider sidecut of the Sultans at 18m vs the Bandits with 16m. Even though these are really off-piste powder skis, i found them much more fun to carve on the pistes. Bumps were more difficult and I couldn't really do my whippy turns that i can do on the Bandits on moguls.

Natalie off-piste on Fornet. I really like this part of the PdS.

The biggest test was going back to the Bandits after and hour and a half on the Sultans. My Bandits felt weak and whishy-washy after the power and stability of the Sultans. I think I adapted to the Sultans pretty quickly. I realised immediately that these were a totally different beast. On powder I found myself being super-aggressive as usual, but these didn't like that at all. I needed a much lighter touch to carve a turn on the powder. I can't wait to try them in proper deep stuff.

As Natalie said, the fact that I noticed the difference was a good sign. I'm not really good enough to ski these yet and I'll have to take it easy at the start, but I think they will be an excellent 2nd ski for me. Father Christmas, are you reading this?

PS. Avoriaz did a great job keeping the resort open on Saturday. Heavy rain has decimated the snow all over the Portes du Soleil but they managed to groom some great pistes and even build the Arare snowpark. The snow has started again today, so it's still looking like a very good start to the season.