Curated Expert Theo G. got his hands on the Dynastar M-Free 108 and put it to the test at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but don’t forget, every skier is unique; if you have any questions on the 2023 Dynastar M-Free 108 or would like recommendations on what ski would be ideal for your needs, reach out to a Ski Expert here on Curated.

Before we jump in, a quick note that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands, all of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Dynastar claim about this ski? Dynastar markets the M-Free 108 as a do-it-all, all-mountain freestyle ski. It's in the wider waist width category at 108, approaching 120 millimeters, which is the modern maximum for all-mountain, powder skis. Pretty much all skis these days max out about 120, so the 108 is pushing that upper limit.

Dynastar doesn't put any limits on the performance they believe the ski can produce, saying it's a good all-mountain ski, a great carver, and something that you can take into pretty much any terrain, no matter the snow condition.

Overall Impressions

What's your overall impression of the ski? I had a smile on my face the entire time. I've really enjoyed the M-Free in soft snow. They were ultra-maneuverable, fairly quick and light considering their 182-length. and 108 millimeters underfoot. I think they would be super fun on any power days that aren't the deepest days of the season.

Carving

How about edge hold? In terms of carving, the M-Free 108 exceeded my expectations. You can lay it on edge and carve giant slalom turns. It's not a snappy, energetic carver as most piste skis are, but that's because it has 108 millimeters underfoot—that's a lot to roll back and forth. It is still pretty quick edge to edge, despite that width. It's just not a side cut heavy, really aggressive carver that's going to snap you in and out of turns.

When you do lay it on edge, it's confidence-inspiring. You can put down trenches. I was on groomed, firm terrain and I was in some fresh snow. In all of those conditions, it performed consistently. It didn't throw me for any loops. I felt like I had a handle on the ski and I was able to approach the mountain in a creative way without worrying too much about what was on my feet.

How does it turn? It is a maneuverable option, so you are able to pivot from turn to turn. That goes hand in hand with not getting locked into turns and not being a snappy carver. I felt like no matter how far on edge, or how close my hip was to the ground when carving, I was able to rebound into my next turn without too much energy throwing me off balance.

How is it at speed? I was ripping them pretty fast and they were a blast.

Is it stable? I felt the most confident. I was skiing like I do normally on my Magnus 102 underfoot skis from ON3P, which I ski on most days here in Utah. I think that was because I really enjoyed the M-Free 108, as it was exceptionally stable.

Freestyle

Any playfulness in the ski? It has a really playful, aggressive rocker in the tips and the tails. An early rise in the tips and the tails allowed me to get into all these presses on the tails, and maneuver very easily into switch skiing. This is something you don't see out of a ton of mid-fat powder skis.

Freeride

How does the ski feel in powder? These are great skis on a powder day. Dynastar does make an M-Free 118 which I would take out on those two or three-foot days that happen once or twice a year. On every other day, the 108 is going to provide an enormous amount of float. It has really wide shovels in the tips, which give you float in combination with the rocker that Dynastar has engineered into these M-Free 108s.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this ski to? Overall, I think this ski would be best for someone on the West Coast as their daily driver, except on the lowest snow days. Or perhaps in December, or if you have a particularly dry February as we did this year when it's icy. I think it is a performant.

If you're looking for a playful, really versatile, pivotable, yet stable and charging, all-mountain, mid-fat powder ski—this is your ski.

Any advice on sizing? I skied the 182, but it comes in a 192 as well. If you're north of six feet tall, I would absolutely recommend that version.

Skis work differently for different people. If you need help finding your next setup, reach out to Theo or another Ski Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best gear for you.