dynafit manaslu

**duffski** · 02-16-2009, 03:45 PM

thanks for the reassurance on the skins joe. how the manaslus been skiing for you?

**Poop~Ghost** · 02-16-2009, 05:55 PM

Kirk (joeStrummer) hit the same shark fins that I did on a morning at Berthoud Pass. I was on my praxis w/ dukes and ended up with a nasty shralp on the ptex. Not to the core, but pretty damn close. Considering what I'd hit previously on the praxis w/ NO damage - this was pretty severe.

The Manaslu looked no worse for the wear than my praxis.

Totally subjective, because who knows how hard we actually hit the rocks - but I was impressed.

holding those skis w/ the skins on made me a fan really quick. If I could find a dynafit boot that didn't just sink me financially and actually fit - I'd be on board.

**JoeStrummer** · 02-16-2009, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by duffski

thanks for the reassurance on the skins joe. how the manaslus been skiing for you?

I just put 9 straight days on them, most of them with significant skinning every day (i.e. 5k-7k each day.) Happy to have the super light weight and they skied like a champ, although the snow was consistent and soft so not much of a test.

They ski Colorado windjack just fine, although not my first choice for that duty.

**BurnHard** · 02-23-2009, 07:17 PM

Pretty set on getting a pair of Manaslus for my Dynafit rig ... Other option would be 188 Wailer 105s in Flex 3. Slightly heavier, but bigger and wider. Dunno. Bent Gate has the Manaslus for a great price right now, might decide to buy em within 24 hours...

Had been considering them for quite some time now, reading this thread, etc, and just recently actually TOUCHED them at Neptune's ... DAMN they're stiff for their weight! I was expecting to hold overcooked noodles! Wow, very impressed.

**Mark-R** · 05-02-2009, 12:50 AM

Just rode the 187's this morning.
Climbed like a dream. Was my first time on dynafit bindings and skis. I knew it's what I wanted and this morning I felt the advantage for the first time. Probably my best time up the east col on Blackcomb and ripped the skins off at the top racer style with skis still on, almost falling on my face too. I thought I'd use my old G3 skins but no way after trying the Manaslu skins they are well worth it. They are light, The glue is much more managable, hence the racer style rip removal with the front knob.

As for skiing, I was impressed, good on the hard pack icy stuff, and today was lots wet mushy spring snow. Never felt the tip dive or grab, felt good and stable at high speed too. I'm thinking they'll be great in the powder.
It took a few runs to get used such a light ski, and after they felt great.
And the bindings, didn't expect them to be so simple. Easy to get in, out, tour, etc. I skied them hard and they felt solid.

Pretty sure this is the setup I'll be getting next season.

**khyber.pass** · 05-02-2009, 11:38 AM

They are light & poppy in pow, with a lot of rebound, and require a talented powskiing approach (no just 'stand & surf' skiing here: you actually have to know how to ski pow, imagine that!!). The Manaslu holds an edge well, and has never let me down in tight spots. I wouldn't want to huck anything too big, but that's a general rule for any Dynafit setup. These skis are ridiculously light for the size -- if I was to get a dedicated touring setup focusing on the 'light is right' rule without going to a truly skinny pair of ski sticks, these would be the pair.

**Jonathan S.** · 05-03-2009, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by khyber.pass

They are light & poppy in pow, with a lot of rebound, and require a talented powskiing approach (no just 'stand & surf' skiing here: you actually have to know how to ski pow, imagine that!!).

Seemed like the opposite for me this season: made powder skiing so easy that there was almost nothing to do (although than have a great time).

**khyber.pass** · 05-04-2009, 12:44 PM

^^^ Depends on the kind of pow -- we're talking deep Whistler stuff here.

**Dromond** · 05-04-2009, 12:53 PM

It also depends on what you're used to skiing. Jonathan is used to a stiff, fully cambered 84mm ski for powder, (At least I think so.) I'd like the give the 178s a try someday.

**verbier61** · 05-04-2009, 01:14 PM

FWIW, looks like they're made by blizzard (which used to have a very strong reputation for durability.... but I've recently seen some of them broken )

**Jonathan S.** · 05-04-2009, 01:18 PM

My widest Dynafit-mounted setup previously was 169cm x 86mm (i.e., FT10, which is 88mm in longer lengths).
My widest Diaxo-mounted setups have been the 170cm original BD Verdict which is 98mm and the Icelantic Scout in an absurdly short size (was planning to share it with my wife).
So, yes, all depends on the baseline used for the comparison. (And I've never skied on any sort of rockered ski previously).

YB · 05-04-2009, 07:41 PM

On the 178 with a 315 boot sole length I think the more forward toe mount position is the way to go even though the sticker that comes on the ski suggests using the innermost mount points. That puts you way back on a ski that's pretty soft and twinned in the back, not helpful on steep, hard snow.

**Jonathan S.** · 05-04-2009, 07:43 PM

I did essentially the same thing with a 296mm bsl and 169cm ski, i.e., ignore the instructions that said to use the aft-biased toe unit predrilled holes and instead use the fore-biased set. Seems to offer the optimal combination of float and initiation. (Plus with the aft-biased set I would have had trouble stretching forward to grasp the skin tip attachment to remove the skins while still keeping my skis on!)

**panchosdad** · 05-05-2009, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by YB

On the 178 with a 315 boot sole length I think the more forward toe mount position is the way to go even though the sticker that comes on the ski suggests using the innermost mount points. That puts you way back on a ski that's pretty soft and twinned in the back, not helpful on steep, hard snow.

And do you have much experience with them on steep, hard snow? How is a rockered tip ski in those conditions? Inquiring minds want to know.

YB · 05-05-2009, 01:06 PM

Not a ton, but the little bit I have wasn't good with the "factory" mount. I was roller skating out anytime I tried to push the back half of the ski so I re-mounted as soon as I got home from a recent trip. Never questioned the Dynafit supplied instructions until I skied them on some steeps in Europe last week. I still wouldn't call it a great ski for that sort of stuff but hopefully at least not scary.

The Manaslu isn't really rockered much, more like the Volkl Katana- just zero camber. I don't think that is as big a factor in the way it skis overall as the twinned tail of the ski. At the end of the day I love the insert system but would like to be more forward on the ski.

**AsheanMT** · 12-17-2009, 01:01 PM

So how is the durability for you guys. I'm thinking about getting a pair. Have they held up well for you?

**AsheanMT** · 01-29-2010, 08:29 AM

So I've been skiing these a few days now and fucking love them!!

I demo'd the 178's a couple of weeks ago. Skinned them up our local hill at night in 6 in of fresh. Skinned like a dream as to be expected as its light and the neutral camber of the ski ,combined with the mount being a little further back than most skis, made it super easy to break trail.

Skiing the 178's in the six inches of fluff was effortless. With the its skinnier tail (21m) and fatter, slightly early rise and soft tip I had no tip dive and the ski was super easy to maneuver.

I took the 178's out the next day after the fresh was all ski'd out. I was skiing them on hard pack nasty covered in chowder. At higher speeds they were scary. I thought I was gonna kill myself on anything that wasn't soft. They felt great on everything else but the icey hardpack. I loved how light they were and how maneuverable they felt so I decided to order some up through my shop.

Being that I am 6'2" 200lbs nekkid, I figured the 187 would be just right for me and would help on the hardpack.

I was right!!

I've ski'd them two days at the resort on nothing but icey hardpack. We've had absolutely NO fresh snow in the last week and a half and many sunny days with freezing nights. I took them out on a sunny day, witch of course began on rock solid groomers, and was pleasantly surprised at how well they held an edge of the firm stuff. WAAAAAY better than the 178's had treated me previously. Sure they weren't anywhere near as solid on the ice as my 179 BRO's but they were better than the 183 Coomback's that I had ski'd on the previous day. As the day went on, the sun came out and softened everything up. The skis were a blast!!

Super versatile turns shapes.

Speaking of turn shapes, I'm noticing the dual radius thing a lot. At first I was agreeing with some previous posters in regards to feeling that the mount was a little too far back. However, I've noticed that the ball of my foot is on the "money spot" for the ski. When I get forward and really drive the ski with my shins pressed firmly into the boot I can feel its long radius of 42.2 m. I'm able to drive these skis as fast as I want to go and they feel great at really high speeds on smooth snow. If you lean back just slightly you'll feel like you are riding on the tails of an old straight ski. It enables you to go from big, wide sweeping turns into really tight side to side pivots. It was throwing me off the first part of the day but I started to get the hang of it and loved it. Its like riding on two different pairs of skis.

Took them off the runs into some icey steep nasty shit. They are soooo easy to throw around it tight spots its hilarious. Jump turns are easy with the weight and if you get on the tails you can pivot the ski right around in much tighter spaces than you could do on most any other ski in its length.

I started the last few days thinking these things were gonna suck balls on anything but pow. Although they don't rail icey hardpack as well as a heavy ski with metal in it, it held its own enough that I would trust them on anything that I wouldn't rather just have crampons for.

Contrary to what I thought, they ski very well for how stupid light they are.

I had the opportunity to spend a day on the 183 Coomback to compare and I thought the manaslu was way more versatile and held better on the hardpack. Aside from the float factor of the Coomback vs. the manaslu, the manaslu skis much better. IMO

**AsheanMT** · 01-29-2010, 08:38 AM

On the mount thing-

I'm in a 28 Titan with a 322mm bsl. According to the sticker I am supposed to use the furtherest forward toe hole's and the furthest rear heel hole. When I placed the binding onto the top sheet on said holes and held my boot over the binding I thought that the rear holes were too far back for my boot. It would have worked but I would have had to set the heel of my binding almost all the way forward to get the 6mm requirement. I put the heel on the forward holes instead and found it to be perfect.

**AsheanMT** · 03-21-2010, 05:56 PM

Got about 20 days on them now. Lots of tours plus I've been skiing a lot of groomers on them. I've ski'd them on everything now including some rocks and they are holding up great. Really, really like them. They handle breakable crust well, ski powder really well, rail groomers surprisingly well, and spring mush has been a joy.

**JoeStrummer** · 03-21-2010, 06:03 PM

I finally compressed an edge and tore up the bases but given that this winter I've managed to strike every shark fin in the 970, not surprising.

Great skis, probably not making the cut for me for Europe this year and the skins are starting to take a crap. Can't beat the weight, though.

**Mark-R** · 03-21-2010, 06:59 PM

I've had many days on my 187's now and have recently moved my binding mount to the forward holes and I it feels better to me when skiing. Really enjoy touring with them.

**neck beard** · 03-22-2010, 01:19 AM

Agree with Ash. I love skiing on them, I really do. BC or inbounds, they have made me a better skier.

**BFD** · 03-22-2010, 04:28 PM

I really enjoy skiing these skis. Sadly I must say mine have fallen apart. The edges are pulling out of the bases. Dynafit customer service was excellent they immediately replaced one ski just off an e mail and photo. sadly the other one has begun to have the same problem. I need to contact them again. I am dissapointed. I only have a quiver of one and I though this was going to be it. They were not able to handle my every day skiing. The skins are still holding up but not quite the same color they started as. Hopefully they can figure out their quality issues and produce a light weight ski that will hold up.

**khyber.pass** · 03-22-2010, 07:57 PM

weird they only replaced one ski, given skis are made in pairs ..

**BFD** · 04-06-2010, 03:04 AM

so now my skins are pretty much toast. Rivets are ripping out of the skins. I really enjoyed the set up. One of my best seasons ever. Have to wonder if skis and skins shouldn't last more than 100 days. So are they still going to produce the Manaslu next season? Is the stoke going to replace it? Sounds like they recognized the edge issues and maybe fixed that with the Stoke. Now thinking about choosing between Wailer 105, Coomback or Stoke.