Taking over where the much raved about Intuitiv Series left off, Dynastar’s Legend Series was introduced during the 2004-2005 ski season to much fan fare. The Legend 8000 filled in the gap between the previous year’s Intuitiv 74 (equated to the Legend 4800) and the Nobis Inspired/Inspired Big (unchanged except the top sheet in the Legend 8800). The Super Nobis continues on as the Legend Pro Rider topping out the line.
The specs for the Dynastar 8000 include a 116/79/102 sidecut and a 20m radius on the 178mm length weighing in at a respectable 3530g. The wood core ski retains a decent weight due to the Autodrive SD cap structure which gives the ski some great action while retaining a solid feel under foot, but reduces the durability compared to a full sidewall such as in the Legend Pro Rider. The Legend 8000 returns for the 2005-2006 ski season with no major changes with the exception of moving the boot center mark 1.5cm’s (I recommend mounting in the 2004-2005 position as the new mountain point does not serve the ski well).
Before detailing my review further beyond the specs of the ski, it is important to preface my experiences with details regarding how I ski, where I ski, and what I enjoy in a ski. Too often people have a bad experience on a ski and simply say the ski is not good, when what they mean to say is that the ski is not a good fit for them. That said, any review detailing ski performance without details and background information on the person writing the review is not worth the keyboard it was typed on.
Weighing in at 220 pounds and standing six feet and one inch tall, I am a heavier than average skier that can bully lighter construction skis. My previous skis include a Rossi 9x 9.9,Volkl P40 Platinum, and Volkl P50 Motion with the P50 Motion with my preferences being towards the Volkls and especially the P50. I have a racing background but have since gotten off the groomers and look towards the woods and narrow lines of New England woods for my turns. I can always bust out the P50 for some groomer action, but I live for natural snow, tight turns, and lots of them.
With my background, demands, and terrain preferences addressed, I will waste no more time without saying that the Dynastar Legend 8000 is aptly named. The ski is simply amazing and Legends surely will be told of its greatness if Dynastar ever decides to abandon or alter the model. Whereas the current pack of Mid-fat All Mountain Skis generally do everything okay and excel at nothing, the Dynastar rips on natural snow and is especially nimble when making quick and tight turns. If I did not know any better, I would often believe the ski knew where I was going to go before I did. And that is not to say that the ski was leading me, but rather the ski has Intuition which is not surprising considering Dynastar’s former name for the line (Intuitiv)!
You can do anything with the 8000 but will find the real joys in powder, crud, trees, and other assorted varieties of natural snow. The 8000s even do surprisingly well in the bumps despite the large tip and tail size which tended to smack each other a little when bumping out. The skis encourage bumpers to use finesse instead of attacking the bumps with brute strength. Not that these skis can be over powered very easily, but rather they turn and handle best with a little subtlety combined with a whole lot of chutzpah!
For comparison, other skis in the 8000’s class include the Volkl 724 Pro, Elan M666, Rossi B2, and one of the Atomic Metron models (which I have not skied). The 724 Pro prefers the groomed to the natural snow whereas the 8000 prefers the natural snow to the groomed. The M666 was a rocking ride, but felt very damp and occasionally not as responsive as I would have preferred for an off-piste ski. I particularly did not enjoy skiing the B2 which felt very unresponsive and sloppy in turns (not surprising, this was the foam core ski of the bunch!). In this skier’s humble opinion, the Legend 8000 schools all of these supposed All Mountain mid-fats. The Legend 8000 truly can do it all, though it admittedly lacks some kick and pop on the groomers preferring to carve rather than aggressive cuts. Also, the Legend 8000 is not a big mountain ski for steep couloir descents in the back country. Though I did mount a Legend 8000 with a Freeride Touring Binding and had lots of success in the backcountry, I much preferred the big brother 8800 for the big mountain free riding experience.
An essential quiver for the dedicated skier should include a groomer ski, a powder and natural snow ski, and a big mountain back country rig. The Legend 8000 fits the powder and natural snow ski selection perfectly and most especially for East Coast skiers who often have to deal with variable conditions and will appreciate having only 79mm underfoot for tight trees and quick and nimble turns. The Legend 8000 carries my highest recommendation and has made this skier a big fan of the Dynastar brand.