By Brand

Dynastar Big Trouble Skis

The Dynastar Big Trouble has been around for a few years and is just recently starting to get a significant following as an All Mountain ski. I attribute this to the full twin shape, the graphics and marketing which originally drove the ski toward the park/pipe community. This is not a symmetrical ski but does have a full twin tail height and long tip and tail splay which would seem to place it within the park/pipe niche. However, the Big Trouble is more than that and is actually a better all mountain choice than it is a park/pipe ski. The key attribute that makes the ski different is its flex. The key element in that flex is the "spring blade" which is a core with a stepped profile milled into it. This allows it to be significantly soft in the tail as a park ski should be, while it gets notably stiffer underfoot and in the tip. The Big Trouble grips very well underfoot and punches crud exceptionally well. Among the twins that we categorize as 50/50 skis, the Dynastar Big Trouble is really maneuverable and is superb in moguls for a ski of its rather wide (92mm) shape. It is also among the best of all the 50/50 skis in any category of soft snow. Is there a tradeoff for all this? Yes. The Big Trouble skis short due to the long tip/tail splay and while very grippy, it is not the carver that some others are. For the skier looking for a twin with good park capabilities, Dynastars Big Trouble will offer that skier better all mountain capabilities than most. There are twins that are better at the all mountain game but they dont offer the same park capability. There are twins that are better in the park but not as good at all mountain skiing. Its all about priorities.

One should take careful note about binding positioning on this type of ski. For all mountain use, I suggest placing the boot center fairly far aft in the rather wide mounting zone. Naturally, for more park-oriented skiing, mount in the forward part of the zone.