Dynastar Exclusive Carve vs Volkl Attiva S5

[slroc]

Hi everyone
I have an opportunity to buy previous seasons skis at an incredible discount. The catch is that I won't be able to demo them before I buy. I am looking to try women's specific skis because they have improved so much in the last couple of years and I am not a big person 5'5" , 130 lbs

Based on online reviews and specs I am down to Dynastar Exclusive Carve vs Volkl Attiva S5. I ski in Quebec (hard pack) on fairly big mountains (Tremblant, St Anne etc). I ski pretty much exclusively black diamonds, am not afraid of speed, love moguls as long as they are not too monstrous and love glade skiing (which is not very powdery compared to out west). I also tend to be a slalom skier and prefer lots of short radius turns. I considered the K2 Burnin luv but read that they aren't great at high speed and don't really do well on ice.

I feel the Attivas and Dynastars will do well at speeds on hard pack but really want to know if anyone has compared them in hard eastern moghuls (rather than fluffy western bowl moguls) and in eastern glades. I would also love any other recommendations that anyone might have for my needs.

Many Thanks

 

[ski diva]

Hi, slroc! Wecome to the forum!

I can't speak for the Dynastars, but I demoed the Attiva S5's last season and really liked them.

Here's what I said i a previous thread:

Volkl Attiva S5: Demoed 153 cm. A very nice ski. Not as lively as the Fischer Vision 73s, but the more I skied them, the better I liked them. Very stable, great in the long and short turns, holds an edge very well. A great carver. Second favorite of the day

.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Volkls always feel sort of "heavy" to me, but that could be me/my skiing style. I am just a huge, huge fan of the Dynastar Exclusive line and am on my 2nd pair. They're fine in eastern bumps - I thought the Volkls, again, were on the heavy side for me. I'm not a super-aggressive skier, but, like you, I definitely prefer the black diamond runs. The Dynas never seem to miss a beat. Hope to get to Sugarloaf's demo days on 12/8 and try some more. Will report back when I do.

 

[slroc]

Volkls are heavy

Yes I always found Volkls heavy and stiff for moguls. I have a unisex pair now that I love for straight steep stretches ...even on ice they grip like crazy but they are pigs in the moguls. Mind you they are way too long 178cm ...actually fine for me on the flats but unweildy in moguls.

I had Dynastar Slaloms before and quite liked them but wasn't sure if the exclusive carves would be too light for glades and moguls ...did not want to feel like I was being pushed around.

Based on MaineSkiLady response I am leaning towards the exclusive carves ...Did you find that the heel lift on the binding in the exclusive carve threw off your skiing at first?? That was my other concern.

 

[Little Lightning]

Do you use heel lifts in your boots? If so, the ramp angle (heel lift) of the Carves may put you to far forward. Something else to consider, how much ramp angle does the binding have?

The combination of the two may work against you. You won't know until your try the skis. The ski shop your buying from may be able to give you the information. While a mm or 2 doesn't seem like a lot it does make a big difference in your stance.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I'm not sure of the degree of the Dynastar Exclusive binding ramp angle - I certainly can take a quick measure later today. I don't have heel lifts in my boots - just custom orthotics. The Exclusive binding placement is also slightly forward compared to that of unisex skis. This is what Jeannie Thoren had been advocating for years in her women's ski seminars, and now she is the "head guru" for Dynastar Exclusive construction

About the best advice I can give anyone is---DEMO. Even if that involves a HP day rental. Many on/near slope ski shops offer at least the Exclusive Legend (or did).

My first foray into the women-specific Dynastar line was about 7 (8?) years ago, when I acquired the Dynastar Intuitiv 69L. They were my "breakthrough" skis. I seemed to almost instantly be able to handle anything (wow!). Not everyone is going to appreciate this technology in terms of their skiing, but it certainly is worth trying, IMO. They sure worked for me!

 

[slroc]

Love them

Hi all

Well it is now June and I apologise for the slow response. I ended up buying the Dynastar Exclusive carves based on feedback from this forum (I got last years model on ebay for 1/3 the cost of 2007/2008 models).

I love them. I love turning A LOT...as these are short radius skis ...they fit my ski style. I also found them great on eastern hard pack moghuls (whereas my old volkls ...although great on steep ice...were way to stiff for moghuls). Also they do not chatter at high speeds which was another concern I had. Enjoy the warm weather ...ski season is just a few months away...and thanks for all your help!