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The 19 Best Alpine Skis of 2013

Those lift-line elitists snickering at your old traditionally shaped skis could use some manners, but they’ve got a point: the new rockered shapes make skiing more fun. Which ones should you buy? There are two schools of thought. One, invest in a quiver. If you already have a modern set of day-to-day frontside or all-mountain skis with some life left in them, pay for a professional tuning, keep them in rotation, and consider some powder skis for the times you skip work to chase fresh snow. The second line of thinking: Ditch your fully cambered relics in favor of a pair of do-everything all-mountain (East Coast, Colorado) or big-mountain (Utah, California, Washington) skis that rip on groomers, navigate bumps, and float enough for storm days. Here we review the top performers from our Snowbird, Utah, ski tests. They’re all great skis; the goal is to find the ones that best suit the conditions and terrain you ride most often. So while it might be tempting to get some huge and surfy powder skis, if you see only four or five blower powder days a season (be honest with yourself), those fat boys are probably not your best choice.

2013 Winter Buyer's Guide
Monday, October 29, 2012

Dynastar Cham 97

By: Category: Winter Buyer's Guide, Gear of the Year, Snow Sports, Alpine Skis
Dynastar Cham 97 Photo: Dynastar

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GEAR OF THE YEAR: Rocker (an upward bend of the ski) and taper (a narrowing at the tip, tail, or both) are arguably the biggest innovations since metal edges. Getting the right balance is the tough part. Not so with Dynastar’s Cham 97, named for the French company’s hometown of Chamonix. The Cham 97 is one of the most versatile all-mountain skis we’ve ever tested. The tips float you in everything short of waist-deep glop, while the camber underfoot and flat tails let you power through turns in classic hard-charging Dynastar style. Our only gripe is that the wide, rockered tip flutters a bit on hardpack. But that’s a small price to pay for a true one-ski quiver. 118/133/97/113/94

Overall: 5
Carving: 4.4
Resort Float: 4.8

Brand: Dynastar

$800

Brand Name Description Price Date Keywords
Salomon Snowcross CS The Snowcross CS joins our prestigious Gear of the Year club. $200 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Running, Gear of the Year, Running Shoes, Snow Sports, Gear
Atlas Race The Atlas Race, at just over two pounds, is one of the lightest snowshoes on the planet. $320 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Gear of the Year, Snowshoes, Gear
K2 BackDrop The K2 BackDrop snagged a spot in our prestigious Gear of the Year circle. $880 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Gear of the Year, Snow Sports, Skis, Backcountry Skiing, Gear
Rossignol Temptation 88 All skill levels will enjoy a lively ride on the Temptation 88. $700 2013 Winter Buyer's Guide Winter Buyer's Guide, Women's, Ski Gear, Alpine Skis, Gear

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