178cm Dynastar Contact 11
Where: Skied the set at Beaver Creek on 12/14/06.
Conditions at Beaver Creek: 6 to 12" of new natural snow fell on 12/12/06. 60% of the mountain was groomed into a soft corduroy and 40% was left natural with soft moguls and boot top deep crud conditions. Blue sky, 18F at dawn, 28F at 3PM.
My specs: 5? 11", 225lbs. male, 40th season skiing, former USSA & High School 7-day-a-week competitor in New Hampshire, GS & DH specialist.
Skis used in the last 2 years: Fischer RX8 & WC RC, Volkl AC4 & Mantra, Head Monster 77 & 88, Dynastar Intuitive 74 & Inspired by Nobis, several others?
Boots: 2003 Salomon Course (red, 130 flex).
Comments: This is a superb ski. I had planned to demo 3 skis, including the AC4 (for the second time) and the Dynastar Legend Pro. However, I did not want to take these off and stayed on them all day.
The ski was comparable to my Fischer WC RC on the groomed corduroy, with massive edge-grip and very quick reflexes. A ski with very large sweet spot. Turn shape is very versatile. I could bend the front of the ski and produce rapid slalom turns or stay slightly back at higher speeds with no punishment. I could rub my elbows on the snow at the apex of the turns and produce large edge angles on the soft groomed surface. The ski will generate so much power out of the turn that I could project off the snow and transition into the next turn immediately. The Contact 11 is a true race-carver with 122-72-102mm dimensions.
The soft snow performance of the ski was even more impressive. Dynastar autodrive skis are always smooth performers with cap construction at the tip and vertical sidewalls underfoot. This construction shines in crud & bumps. I could exit the groomed areas and enter soft mogul fields with total stability and smoothness. The ski could be used two ways in loose snow. I could ski big lines and ignore the choppy conditions or I could ski down the fall lines and dance with quick edge changes. The only other ski I have used that was this good in soft crud is the AC4.
This ski can ski crud with the best all-mountain skis but can also carve the hard pack like a race ski.
A few niggles. The ski is not perfectly stable at very fast, Super G speeds. The ski does not misbehave at race-tuck speeds, it?s just not inspiring to use. I would also be interested to see how they perform on Vermont ice. My guess is that very good edge-hold on polished ice is available, but a little below the level of a pure laminate construction race-carver ski.
I?m going to Demo a few more boards this year, but I?ll be surprised if I find a better do-it-all ski.
Michael