Dynafit Speed 90
Best for touring
Brand: Dynafit
Model: Speed 90
Our take
When we found ourselves looking down a narrow chute of still-frozen avalanche shrapnel, we were a little uneasy having the Speed 90s attached to our boots. “But these are no skimo noodles,” our tester says. “They stayed rigid while I sloughed down the sketchy part and held solid through a series of ride-or-die turns.” Credit the full-length sidewall—unheard of in a ski this light. Dynafit calls it “micro,” but it still makes the ski stiffer and increases the edge pressure, giving the Speed 90 more control than most skis this light. (This construction, along with wider dimensions, makes the Speed 90 considerably more stable than the X Alps, left.)
The details
The shovel tips scoop above soft snow for decent float. On climbs, the Speed 90s feel quick, thanks to a lightweight paulownia-and-carbon core. Note: Dynafit reorganized its ski line into four categories. We generally preferred the skis in the Speed line for their versatility, but would recommend looking into the Tour line if you want something more affordable or softer—the Tour 88 ($600) tested well for us.
Trail cred
“They hit the sweet spot between skimo-light and downhill-stable,” says a tester who used the Speed 90s in a rando race at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, then immediately took them on a hut trip in the San Juan Range.