Elite 5 review

Overview

The Elite 5 is where Dynastar's 26/27 women's piste line changes construction. Below it, the Elite 2 and Elite 3 are cap skis with a plain poplar core; the Elite 5 moves to a Sandwich Full Sidewall build around the Hybrid Core 2.0 of poplar and polyurethane, adds unidirectional fibreglass and Dynastar's Omega Fiber wrap, and gets a sintered HD base. It is sold as a pack with the Look Xpress W 11 GW binding. The shape is a women's slalom-inspired carver: 69–72 mm underfoot depending on length, 119–121 mm tips, five lengths from 142 to 170 cm and a radius from 10 m to 14 m. Dynastar aims it at "intermediate to advanced" women, tags the performance level as advanced, and promises "fluid carving and reliable control" with a ride that "absorbs vibrations".

On-snow performance

Everything on the sheet points to a ski that carves cleaner and holds better than its cap siblings without becoming a race ski. Full-length vertical sidewalls channel pressure straight to the edge, which should make grip on hard, scraped pistes noticeably firmer than on the Elite 2 and 3. The PU in the Hybrid Core 2.0 is there for damping, so chatter at speed should be lower too. Yet Dynastar is explicit that the Omega Fiber wrap, compared with the Omega Ti of its Speed race skis, gives "a lighter ski that is less stiff in torsion" — there is no metal here, so the Elite 5 stays accessible: it will release from a turn easily and will not punish a late move. The 10–12 m radius in the 142–155 cm lengths keeps it a short-turn ski; the 164 and 170 cm versions, at 13–14 m, open the arc up for taller or faster skiers. Tip rocker only, with camber and a flat tail, means edge contact stays long once the ski is tipped. Soft snow and bumps are a detour, not the brief.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Hybrid Core 2.0 Poplar Bi-Directional PU — poplar veneers laid longitudinally (for dynamic flex response) and transversally (for torsional control), combined with polyurethane for damping; Dynastar's eco-design core that uses less glued fibreglass.
• Construction: Sandwich Full Sidewall — vertical sidewalls over the full length "to maximise grip, precision, balance and power".
• Reinforcement: Unidirectional Fiberglass plus Omega Fiber, a fibre wrap around the wood core inspired by the Omega Ti of the Speed Omeglass; no titanal or steel in the Elite 5.
• Base: Sintered HD Base, Dynastar's high-density piste base.
• Profile: Tip Rocker, moderate and in the tip only; camber underfoot, flat tail.
• Sidecut: Adaptativ Sidecut; Reinforced Durability tip protector and topsheet.
• System: Xpress plate with the Look Xpress W 11 GW B83 binding (DIN 3.5–11, ISO 5355 A and GripWalk soles, 260–332 mm).
• Dimensions: 119-69-104 mm / 10 m (142), 119-70-104 / 11 m (149), 120-71-105 / 12 m (155), 120-72-105 / 13 m (164), 121-72-106 / 14 m (170).
• Weight: 1,200 g (142) to 1,600 g (170) per ski. Made in Spain.
• Lengths: 142, 149, 155, 164, 170 cm. Dynastar lists the pack at €585.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Elite 5 is for intermediate to advanced women who carve on groomed snow, want real sidewall grip and damping, but do not want the weight or the demands of a metal race carver. Within Dynastar, it is the step up from the cap-built Elite 2 and Elite 3; above it sit the Elite 7 Xpress and the Konect-plated Elite 8 and Elite 9. Its men's counterparts in construction are the Speed 250 and Speed 350 (Xpress system) and the Dynastar Speed 550, which adds more power for strong skiers. For women who want width for off-piste detours, the Dynastar E cross 78 is the all-mountain pick. Across brands, the Atomic Cloud c9 (72 mm, 143–164 cm) is the direct rival as a women's intermediate-plus system carver; the Salomon S max n8 (72 mm, 145–165 cm) plays the same role in Salomon's range; and the K2 Blur 74 womens is a slightly wider, flat-binding alternative for those who want to choose their own binding.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Sandwich full sidewalls for firmer edge grip than the cap-built Elite 2 and 3.
• Hybrid Core 2.0 with PU for damping on hard, chattery pistes.
• No metal, so it stays light, easy to release and forgiving for intermediates.
• Sintered HD base and the Xpress W 11 GW binding (DIN up to 11) in the pack.
• Slalom-short 10–12 m radius in the shorter lengths, 13–14 m in 164 and 170 cm.

Cons

• Noticeably more expensive than the Elite 2 and 3.
• Without metal it will not match a titanal carver for stability at high speed.
• System binding cannot be swapped; DIN 3.5–11 suits most but not all.
• Narrow waist makes it a piste-only ski.

Verdict: The Elite 5 is the sweet spot of Dynastar's women's piste line: sidewall grip and PU damping in a light, metal-free carver for intermediate to advanced women. If you want more power, look at the Konect-plated Elite 8 and 9 or a titanal carver; if you are still learning, the Elite 2 or 3 will do.