Elite 3 review

Overview

The Elite 3 is the second step in Dynastar's 26/27 women's piste line, sitting between the entry Elite 2 and the sidewall-built Elite 5, and it comes as a pack with the Look Xpress W 10 GW binding. The geometry is identical to the Elite 2: 69–70 mm underfoot, 116–117 mm tips, five lengths from 138 to 170 cm and a radius of 9 to 14 m. So is the build — poplar wood core, fibreglass, CAP construction, tip rocker — and so are the published weights. What Dynastar changes is the positioning and the price: the Elite 3 is "designed to give beginner and intermediate women skiers" uncompromised fun on the piste with "dynamic short-radius turns", listed at €470 against €420 for the Elite 2, in its own graphics with a black Granit binding. Neither Dynastar nor the retailers we compared publish a flex or layup difference between the two.

On-snow performance

Read the spec sheet and the Elite 3 should ski like the Elite 2: a quick-turning, light carver happiest in short and medium turns at moderate speed. The 9 m radius at 138 cm and 11 m at 154 cm are slalom-short, so the ski comes round with little effort once it is on edge; the moderate tip rocker eases the entry and lets the ski pivot flat, while the camber and flat tail keep the edge working through the end of the turn. Snowleader rates the stiffness 3 out of 5, which fits a progression ski rather than a performance one. The limits are those of any cap-and-fibreglass ski: on scraped-off hard snow the grip is adequate rather than tenacious, and at higher speed the ski will feel light and lively rather than planted. The flat tail and the Adaptativ Sidecut should also let the ski release easily from a turn, a plus for anyone still working on finishing her carves.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Poplar Wood Core, a traditional 450 g/m³ wood core.
• Construction: CAP, a core wrapped in fibreglass with no vertical sidewalls, for a lighter, more forgiving and more manoeuvrable ski.
• Reinforcement: fibreglass, braided glass filaments in various weights. No metal, no carbon.
• Profile: Tip Rocker, moderate rocker in the tip only; camber underfoot and a flat tail.
• Sidecut: Adaptativ Sidecut, smoother transitions between the underfoot sidecut and the tip and tail shapes.
• Durability: Reinforced Durability, semi-integrated tip protector and a reinforced topsheet.
• System: Xpress plate with the Look Xpress W 10 GW B83 binding (DIN 2.5–10, ISO 5355 A and GripWalk soles, 260–332 mm).
• Dimensions: 116-69-102 mm (138, 146 cm), 117-70-103 mm (154, 162, 170 cm); radius 9 / 10 / 11 / 13 / 14 m.
• Weight: 1,200 g (138) to 1,600 g (170) per ski. Made in Spain.
• Lengths: 138, 146, 154, 162, 170 cm. Dynastar lists the pack at €470.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Elite 3 suits beginner and improving intermediate women who ski groomed pistes, want a complete pack and value an easy, light ski over outright grip. Because it shares every published spec with the Elite 2, the honest advice is to buy whichever of the two is cheaper or better looking at your retailer; the real step up in the line is the Elite 5, whose sandwich sidewalls, Hybrid Core 2.0 and Xpress 11 binding are for women who already carve. In the same women's range, the Dynastar E cross 78 trades a little edge-to-edge speed for all-mountain width. Across brands, the Atomic Cloud c8 (72 mm, 143–164 cm) is the matching second-rung women's carver with a system binding; the Rossignol Nova 6 from the same group is wider at 75 mm with a similar lightweight philosophy; and the Head Real Joy (75 mm, 143–163 cm) is the light Graphene alternative for the same rider.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Slalom-short 9–11 m radius in the shorter lengths for easy, rhythmic carving.
• Light poplar core and CAP build keep effort low all day.
• Tip rocker plus flat tail gives easy entry without losing tail grip.
• Pack with a GripWalk-compatible Xpress W 10 GW binding, ready to ski.
• Five lengths from 138 cm.

Cons

• No published difference from the cheaper Elite 2 beyond price and graphics.
• CAP construction limits grip on icy pistes compared with sidewall skis.
• Soft, light feel at speed; strong intermediates will outgrow it.
• Fixed system binding, DIN 2.5–10, cannot be swapped.

Verdict: A light, forgiving progression carver that is a safe pick for beginner and intermediate women on the piste — but compare its price against the identical-spec Elite 2 before you buy, and look at the Elite 5 if you already carve.