REASONS TO BUY
Light
Stiff
Optimized for firm and steep skiing
REASONS TO AVOID
Narrow application; not good in tough snow or powder snow
Dynafit Blacklight Pro Review
A specialized pair geared for ski mountaineering, offering steep terrain security and minimal weight
Credit: Dynafit
RELATED: Best Backcountry Skis of 2024
Our Verdict
The Dynafit Blacklight Pro is among the lightest skis in our test and one of the most specialized. Its narrow stature, stiff construction, and ultralight form come together to make a hot rod for high-volume, steep ski mountaineering. Think about busting out a volcano or a Teton peak before brunch, or linking multiple Colorado 14ers in a day.
Editor's Note: We tested the Blacklight Pro through the entirety of the 2021-22 ski season and wrote it up for you for the fall of 2022.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Dynafit Blacklight Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  |  | |
| Price | $850 List | $899.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $800 List $799.95 at Evo | $536.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | If you seek the steep, wild and strenuous in mainly firm snow, this is a good choice for you | This relatively wide all-season ski is one of our favorites and great for all-around human-powered use | A high-performance, all-around backcountry ski for all types of wild skiing | Heavier skis that offer meaningful performance on the downhill, ideal for newer backcountry skiers or for experts who don't mind trading a bit of efficiency for a bit more fun | This affordable pair is great for a wide range of human-powered skiers and mountain conditions, with proven all-season downhill performance |
| Rating Categories | Dynafit Blacklight Pro | Blizzard Zero G 105 | Atomic Backland 100 | Salomon QST Echo 106 | K2 Wayback 106 |
| Weight (25%) | |||||
| Firm Snow (20%) | |||||
| Powder (20%) | |||||
| Crud and Poor Snow (20%) | |||||
| Stability at Speed (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Dynafit Blacklight Pro | Blizzard Zero G 105 | Atomic Backland 100 | Salomon QST Echo 106 | K2 Wayback 106 |
| Weight Per Pair (lbs) | 4.3 | 6.7 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 6.9 |
| Weight Per Pair (g) | 1922 | 3025 | 2661 | 3557 | 3075 |
| Weight Per Ski (g) | 978, 994 Average: 986 |
1515, 1510 Average: 1513 |
1338, 1323 Average 1331 |
1784, 1773 Average 1779 |
1518, 1557 Average: 1537 |
| Weight Per Surface Area Ratio (g/cm²) | 0.59 | 0.72 | 0.64 | 0.8 | 0.71 |
| Measured Length (cm) | 170 | 178 | 178 | 180 | 179 |
| Manufacturer Claimed Length (cm) | 172 | 180 | 180 | 181 | 179 |
| Available Lengths (cm) | 158, 165, 172, 178 | 164, 172, 180, 188 | 164, 172, 180, 180 | 157, 165, 173, 181, 189 | 172, 179, 186 |
| Measured Dimensions (mm) | 116/79/99 | 133/104/118 | 129/100/119 | 140/105/125 | 135/107/123 |
| Manufacturer Claimed Dimensions (mm) | 116/80/100 | 133/105/118 | 130/100/120 | 136/106/123 | 136/106/124 |
| Construction Type | 3D Sidewall Cap | Sandwich | Dura Cap Sidewall | Sandwich | Sandwich Cap Hybrid |
| Core Material | Paulownia | Paulownia | Poplar and Caruba | Poplar and Caruba | Paulownia |
| Waist Width (mm) | 80 | 105 | 100 | 105 | 107 |
| Radius (m) | 18.5 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 22 |
| Rocker/Camber | Tip and tail rocker | Tip and tail rocker | Tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot | Tip and tail rocker, camber underfoot | Tip rocker, slight camber underfoot |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Blacklight Pro is Dynafit's lightweight ski for high, steep, far, and firm. These are spring volcano skis and skis for skiing bulletproof windboard well above the trees. They are also well-suited to inbounds "fitness uphilling". Pairing these skis with suitable boots and bindings will be important. Think light as you do so.
Performance Comparison
We call it "dawn patrol" now, but early morning sessions have always been a staple of busy mountain athletes. Having something light and reliable for such training efforts is a great tool.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Weight
One Dynafit Blacklight Pro weighs just under one kilogram. The "kilogram threshold" is relevant in both skis and boots. Skis and boots less than 1000g are definitely well into the ultra lightweight category.
Compared to "normal" backcountry skis, you will hardly notice the Blacklight Pro on your backpack.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Few skis we test are lighter than the Blacklight Pro. There are some out there that are lighter, but the market just isn't leaning in that direction currently. Our test team is selective about just when we will take out skis this light. We do it to go far, to go high, and when the pace is quick.
Our longest test mission on the Blacklight Pro was a mid-January excursion to the true summit of the Teton's Treasure Peak. This mission involved almost 20 miles of travel in the short mid-winter daylight hours.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Firm Snow
Some amazing backcountry skiing takes place on firm snow. You might not reach that conclusion looking in magazines and mass-market ski movies. But facts are facts: big, beautiful mountains regularly involve the harder forms of snow. When that is the case, narrow ultralight skis will do far better than wide ultralight skis. The Dynafit Blacklight Pro is a narrow ultralight ski.
As such, we found it to be a stellar performer in the high and steep. During a legendary mid-winter drought (and during the first weeks of his offspring's life, incidentally), our lead tester Jed Porter snuck the Blacklight Pro out to clock his fastest-ever round-trip time on the notoriously exposed East Face of Buck Mountain in Grand Teton National Park. This effort involved skiing very, very hard snow (some would call it "ice"; however, anyone that's skied on the eastern portion of this continent would beg to differ) in steep terrain above cliffs. The stiff, well-balanced stature of the Blacklight held on very well in that setting. This is exactly where it excels. For fast and light missions on smooth, hard snow in serious terrain, you can't do better.
Powder
You don't choose these skis for powder snow performance. They are narrow and stiff. These are the opposite descriptors for optimal powder snow skiing. That said, they suffice. Our test team, in pursuit of reliable information, skied some early season powder days on Teton Pass. It wasn't the optimal equipment, but we did it for your benefit. If you're on an expedition with these skis and it happens to snow a ton, you won't be left "high and dry" on the Dynafit Blacklight Pro.
The Dynafit Blacklight Pro, on this unexpected spring powder day, did well with the "dust on crust" conditions we found. Otherwise, we don't recommend them for fresh snow hunting.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Crud/Poor Snow
Poor snow exists along a continuum, and ski performance in poor snow also exists along a continuum. Finally, skiers have a broad range of abilities to cope with tough snow. The intersection of all these variables makes assessment a difficult one. Let's focus on typical skiers in typical "bad snow" conditions. Expert level resort skiers in refrozen breakable crust will have to resort to "survival skiing" at some point. On the Dynafit Blacklight Pro, you will revert to those basic tactics sooner than on bigger skis. It is physics. The mass and width of bigger skis help navigate tough snow. This is more exaggerated for the Blacklight Pro in breakable crust than it is in sloppy "mashed potatoes" snow. The narrow profile will dive through the crust and catch. Slower, methodical turning is required. You'll get through it, but it won't be pretty. You have to add a bunch of mass and width to do better than the Blacklight Pro. Even skis with similar dimensions don't do as well as the Blacklight.
Sunrise over Western Wyoming from the top of Glory Mountain with the Blacklight Pro. The snow this day was tracked and crusty. Excellent testing, poor skiing.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Stability at Speed
Ski stability is roughly correlated with weight. This is especially true at higher speeds. The mass of the ski provides much of that stability. Light skis like the Dynafit Blacklight Pro will inevitably get tossed around. The same can be said for stability in steep terrain. In this setting, though, the tenacious firm snow grip of the Blacklight helps mitigate some of the stability concerns.
Deep in the wilderness of western Wyoming, the Blacklight Pro was great for these firm, windswept, mellow-angled slopes.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Should You Buy the Dynafit Blacklight Pro?
This is a ski model with a relatively narrow application. It is likely this won't be your first backcountry ski setup. If, though, you've found weight and firm snow limitations of your "all around" backcountry skis, the Blacklight Pro is a worthy second ski for steep and firm or inbounds fitness training uphilling.
The dimensions of the Dynafit Blacklight Pro aren't widely appealing, but perhaps they should be. Much of the actual human-powered skiing that gets done (corn snow, groomed snow) is well suited to these skis.
Credit: Jediah Porter
What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?
If you want even lighter little skis, lean towards the Movement Race Pro 77. The Movement trims mass, but you lose even more downhill performance.
—
Jediah Porter
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