Speed 250 review

Overview

The Speed 250 is the entry model of Dynastar's Speed piste line, carried over unchanged into 26/27 as a system ski with the Look Xpress 10 GW B83 binding. Dynastar says it was "designed for beginner skiers who want to get into carving", and everything about it follows that brief: a soft cap construction over a poplar wood core, a short radius of 10–14 m in the 146–170 cm lengths, and a binding that starts at DIN 2.5. The sidecut is narrow and conventional, 116-69-102 mm at 146 cm growing to 118-71-104 mm at 178 cm, with Dynastar's moderate tip rocker to make the ski pivot easily when skidded.

On-snow performance

On paper the Speed 250 is as easy as a carving ski gets. The 69–71 mm waist means little effort to tip from edge to edge, the 10–13 m radius in the shorter lengths lets a beginner feel the ski turn on its own at low speed, and the tip rocker is designed to let the ski pivot flat for skidded turns while the camber underfoot still gives a full edge once it is tipped. The cap construction and light build (1.3–1.7 kg per ski by length) make it forgiving and undemanding of technique; the ABS sidewalls Dynastar mentions in the description are there to send what energy there is to the edge. The limits follow directly from the construction: a cap ski without metal will fold at speed on hard, icy snow, the longer 170 and 178 cm sizes have a 14–16 m radius that a beginner will not fully bend, and a 70 mm waist offers nothing off the groomed piste.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: poplar wood core — Dynastar's traditional 450 g/m³ core, chosen for its balance of elasticity, strength and weight. The marketing copy also refers to the Hybrid Core (wood with PU); the spec sheet lists a poplar core.
• Construction: cap construction, which Dynastar says makes the ski lighter, more tolerant and more manoeuvrable, with ABS sidewalls channelling energy to the edge.
• Reinforcement: one fiberglass layer. No metal.
• Sidecut: Adaptativ sidecut, a smoother transition between the underfoot sidecut and the tip/tail shapes.
• Profile: Tip Rocker — moderate rocker in the tip only, camber underfoot.
• Durability: semi-integrated tip protector and reinforced topsheet (Reinforced Durability).
• Binding: Look Xpress 10 GW B83 Black, DIN 2.5–10, 73–83 mm brake, 720 g per binding, tool-free adjustment for 260–385 mm soles, alpine (ISO 5355 A) and GripWalk (ISO 23223 A) compatible.
• Dimensions and radius: 116-69-102 mm / 10 m (146), 117-70-103 / 11 m (154), 117-70-103 / 13 m (162), 117-70-103 / 14 m (170), 118-71-104 / 16 m (178).
• Weight: 1,300 / 1,400 / 1,500 / 1,600 / 1,700 g per ski (Dynastar's 26/27 catalogue, listed per pair and halved).

Who it's for & comparisons

This is a ski for beginners buying their first pair and for cautious, low-speed intermediates who want a cheap, light, forgiving piste ski with a binding already on it. Within the line, the Speed 350 is the next step with a sandwich sidewall construction and the Xpress 11 binding, the Speed 450 adds Omega Ti metal, and the Dynastar Speed 550 is the plated model for strong carvers. Against other brands, the Rossignol Forza 20d is the closest match from Dynastar's sister brand, also a soft beginner carver at 74 mm, the Salomon S max 8 is a slightly more capable system ski for progressing intermediates, and the Rossignol Experience 80 carbon is the wider, all-mountain-flavoured alternative at the same level.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Very short radius in the 146–162 cm lengths makes the first carved turns easy.
• Light cap construction is forgiving and undemanding of technique.
• Xpress 10 binding included, DIN from 2.5, tool-free adjustment, GripWalk compatible.
• Five lengths from 146 to 178 cm cover small to tall beginners.

Cons

• Cap construction without metal gives up grip and calm on icy, fast pistes.
• Will be outgrown quickly by anyone who progresses past the intermediate stage.
• The binding tops out at DIN 10 and cannot be replaced.
• Nothing to offer outside the groomed piste.

Verdict: The Speed 250 is an honest first ski: short radius, forgiving cap build and a low-DIN binding at an entry-level price. Buy it to learn carving; buy the Speed 350 or 450 if you already can.