Dynastar M-Free 108 Skis

The secret sauce in Dynastars M-Free 108 Skis is their Hybrid Core which blends poplar wood with polyurethane (PU). While a Poplar wood core provides a responsive, stable yet energetic ski the PU provides additional vibrational dampening and smooths out the ski’s overall performance. A titanal plate underfoot adds much-needed binding retention to the mix along with more power and rigidity to the ski underfoot where it is appreciated most. By combining the poplar and PU in their Hybrid Core, Dynastar has given the M-Free 108 Skis a very symmetrical flex while still remaining damp for such a wide ski. The flex pattern is pretty consistent overall with the tips and tails being relatively stiff and ramping up even underfoot. The result is a strong yes fun ski that is confident not only in deep snow but also in variable snow and chunder.

Dynastar gave the M-Free 108 Skis a freeride-oriented shape and profile to ensure that they are easy and fun to ski no matter the terrain or snow quality. The first thing you notice is how big the tip and tail rocker is on these skis, this progressive profile then transitions to a generous amount of camber underfoot. While the tail rocker is plentiful it is slightly less than what is found in the tips, however, these skis still qualify as twin tip skis so skiing switch is an option. With so much tip/tail rocker it’s easy to swing the ski around in turns—especially in deep snow.

In addition to the tip and tail rocker, the ends of the M-Free 108 Skis are tapered so they're easy to pivot and surf. With minimal edge contact over the length of the ski, buttering and starving turns are effortless yet they still bite on hardback when you need them to.

While the M-Free 108s are a little heavy for dedicated touring skis, this additional weight is what makes them so much fun and versatile across all types of terrain and snow. I paired the M-Free 108 Skis with Marker’s M-Werks Kingpin 12 Bindings which matches the skis capabilities and ensures that the binding isn’t underpowered in this duo. At 4,400g per pair, the M-Free 108 Skis are on the heavier side and if you are willing to give up a little of their strong and stable personality for something a little more touring friendly then you will want to consider Dynastar’s M-Tour 99 Skis which we reviewed previously. With less girth underfoot and substantially less weight, the M-Tour 99 Skis are an ideal touring specific ski and nice sidekick to the M-Free 108 Skis. If you are only touring a handful of times over the season or just going out for side-country laps, then the M-Free 108 Skis alone will keep you more than happy.

Core - Hybrid poplar/PU wood core + Titanal binding plate + Fiberglass laminate
Sandwhich Full Sidewall + Minicap - Full-length vertical sidewalls from tip and tail maximize grip, precision, balance and power.
Fiberglass Torsion Box – The wood found in the hybrid Core is surrounded by Fiberglass which increases vertical reinforcement, enhancing the comfort of the skier and the on-snow feeling.

• Hybrid Core Poplar / PU
• Progressive Rocker
• Full Sidewall Construction
• Fibreglass Torsion Box
• Sintered Base
• Adaptative Sidecuts

Dynastar has done an impressive job with their new M-Free 108 Skis. The ski’s smooth progressive tip and tail profile get steeper as it gets closer to the ends of the ski so they float amazingly well in deep snow and can plow through broken snow of any kind. They are understandably fun to smear and butter given the minimal effective edge but still somehow manage to impress on groomers. I’ve not found a ski with this much rocker profile that can still be this fun on groomers. With early taper in the tips and tails, turn initiation is a breeze which makes the M-Free 108s playful, energetic and full spirited—regardless of snow conditions.

These skis are smooth and balanced thanks to their 108 underfoot dimension. At 4.4kg for the 182cm pair they are by no means light but this is what makes these skis so much fun. They are efficiently easy to drive and can hold the line you set. The camber underfoot provides lots of pop and personality so linking turns is effortless even for a 108mm ski.

My first day of testing was December 25th also known as Christmas Day to many people and I was blessed with 30cm of cold smoke pow to enjoy. The M-Free 108 Skis were the right tool for the job this day as the conditions started light and dry and ultimately turned to broken snow and choppy pow which the M-Free’s made easy work of. I knew that given their shape they would be fun in all types of snow but I had no idea that the fun factor would transition so well over to hardback and groomers also. With so much tip rocker, there was undoubtedly some tip chatter but overall they are a very composed and forgiving ski with incredible edge hold on packed snow. 

The M-Free 108 Skis are fairly stiff tip to tail with much more rigidity underfoot so they are stable at speed and made for aggressive skiing. Their minimal edge contact due to their tip and tail rocker profile allowed them to be spontaneous on groomers yet firm and direct as well as being manoeuvrable in deep snow with lots of float and surfy fun.

Overall, this ski impressed me in all conditions and was a pure joy to play with. It’s primarily a freeride ski made for soft snow which is why the backcountry is also where it excels. The only real downside is the ski’s 4.4kg weight, yes, it’s a huge plus when things get dicey but on the skin track you need to be in shape or young at heart (better yet both) to haul it up the mountain. Weight aside, this is a great one-quiver ski for those that can’t afford a single ski for each discipline.