Review: 2026 Dynastar M-Pro 98 W

Dynastar M-Pro 98 W Specs

• Size skied: 170cm
• Lengths available: 154cm, 162cm, 170cm, 178cm 
• Sidecut: 133mm - 99mm - 123mm
• Radius: 16m (170cm)
• Profile: Progressive Rocker
• Weight: 1900g (178cm)

Shape, Flex and Construction

Dynastar updated several components of the M-Pro 98 W from the previous model, namely decreasing the turn radius and updating the tail shape and rocker profile. At 16 meters, the ski has a fairly short turn radius in comparison to other all-mountain women’s skis and uses something Dynastar calls the Adaptiv Sidecut in order to provide a smoother transition between tip and tail geometry. A high, long tip rise and increased tail rocker mean the M-Pro W 98 is fairly maneuverable both in the air and on the ground.

The M-Pro 98 uses Dynastar’s Hybrid 2.0 wood core construction, which is the brand’s foray into more environmentally-friendly ski design. The core sandwiches together poplar sheets with each layer alternating between a longitudinal, vertical, and transverse orientation to resist compression and provide torsional flexion and control. These layers are bonded with and surrounded by Polyurethane, which doesn’t require machining along the wood length and reduces the use of fiberglass, both of which are more eco-friendly initiatives. The M-Pro W 98s also use a unidirectional fiberglass layer to reduce the need for composite fiberglass.

In order to provide stability while staying fairly lightweight, the M Pro W 98s use a “specific geometry” design in a Titanal layer to dampen the ski and provide stability, meaning the Titanal is shaped throughout the skis length. That metal layer, combined with the tri-directional wood core and fiberglass mean the M Pro W 98 is a pretty stiff ski, but that’s to be expected from the M-Pro lineup.

On-Snow Performance

I skied the M-Pro W 98 on some pretty darn firm groomers before taking it a bit further into some big mountain terrain at Banff Sunshine. At first glance, they were a great groomer ski. Easy to turn, stable, minimal chatter, held an edge–all the things you’d want in a resort ski. As I skied the M-Pro W 98 more, I found that the faster you skied, the more the ski responded and the better it performed. Other testers agreed, saying it was “good for charging, carving, and skiing fast.”

Once I took the M-Pro W 98 off piste into some chopped up snow, tight trees, and moguls, they continued to perform pretty well. Warm weather that turned into several storm/refresh cycles followed by some cold, sunny days resulted in plenty of weird frozen chunks at certain spots on the mountain. The M-Pro W 98 wasn’t shy about plowing through that chunder, holding an edge on less-than-ideal hardpack, while still providing some float in fresh snow. A bit lighter than other similar skis that still have metal in them, the M Pro 98 Ws were a super intuitive ski–I could just click in and go without having to think too hard about what ski I was on, confident that they would perform. 

Where I found the upper end of the M-Pro W 98s performance was in steep, big mountain terrain with more fresh snow. Is it my fault for taking an “all-mountain” ski into “big mountain” terrain on a pow day? Definitely, yes. That being said, in the steepest terrain with fresh snow, I found that they had more flex in the tip and tail than I liked when trying to link turns aggressively and got a bit bogged down by deeper snow, forcing me to spend more energy keeping them on the surface at moments when I wanted to spend energy on just skiing aggressively. With respect to the M-Pro W 98, this ski rips in-bounds. 

Comparisons

The shape of the M-Pro W 98 felt pretty similar to a Nordica Santa Ana 102 in how easy to turn and intuitive a ski it is. If anything, the M-Pro W 98 is a little snappier in tight trees and technical terrain than the Santa Ana 102, but doesn’t hold up as well in deep snow on big mountain terrain and doesn’t feel quite as smooth. To the same point, it was also a far more intuitive ski than the Volkl Revolt 101, but not as poppy or playful. 

Other testers found that the Dynastar M-Pro 98 W wasn’t as versatile as more freestyle-inspired skis like the Armada ARV 106 Ti or the RMU Valhalla 107, but held up much better in choppy, chunky terrain. 

What type of skier is the Dynastar M-Pro 98 W best for? 

The M-Pro 98 W is an excellent pick for skiers who like to rip groomers fast and ski aggressively in advanced and expert inbounds terrain. It’s not a quiver killer, but rather the ski you grab during a high-pressure cycle or after a storm when you’re looking for something that will be fun for lots of on-piste laps and will tackle whatever skied-off debris you find off piste confidently.