- Joined
- Mar 5, 2017
- Posts
- 1,202
Philpug: Line is no stranger to throwing a design against the wall to see if it sticks, Hell, it's the company's founding philosophy, back to when Jason Levinthal disrupted the industry with the Snow Blade. The all-new Line Blade is the latest in a long line of skis from that trend. At first glance -- and first ride -- it feels like the love child of the Icelantic Shaman and Elan SCX, two designs that broke the mold in their own generations. The Blade floats like the Shaman and carves like the SCX.
I am disappointed that I didn’t get as much time on the Blade as I wanted to. I skied it at both Winter Park and Snowbasin in the same conditions -- good groomers with a layer of soft, edgeable snow on top -- and the Blade was a ton o' fun. You might think its extreme shape would lock it into a turn, but it didn’t. The carve you expect is indeed there, but not only can the ski be worked into different turn shapes, it can also be released and locked back into a turn at will. Due to the shortened season, I never got to play with the Blade in powder, an area I really think it will excel.
I am disappointed that I didn’t get as much time on the Blade as I wanted to. I skied it at both Winter Park and Snowbasin in the same conditions -- good groomers with a layer of soft, edgeable snow on top -- and the Blade was a ton o' fun. You might think its extreme shape would lock it into a turn, but it didn’t. The carve you expect is indeed there, but not only can the ski be worked into different turn shapes, it can also be released and locked back into a turn at will. Due to the shortened season, I never got to play with the Blade in powder, an area I really think it will excel.
Insider tip: Err on the shorter of two lengths.
Andy Mink: You read that correctly: the tip on this ski is 154 mm wide. With those measurements, this could be the Barbie doll of the ski world. What does this mean to you, the realistic skier? The Blade is an absolute blast on groomers. Line claims this will "leave only ... a sh*t eating grin on your face." Well, does giggling out loud suffice? If you like carving, I mean really like carving, this tool deserves your attention. On the firm groomers at Mammoth, it worked wonderfully. Short and slow? Check. Short and fast? Yep. Long and fast? No problem. It just lays tracks. The tip shape and width might make it a handful in the bumps, but it should float and carve some powder pretty well.Insider tip: Get used to people wondering if you're nuts for laughing or grinning for no apparent reason.
- Who is it for?
- Fair-weather powder carvers and soft-snow tree skiers. You love to carve all over the place and want something unique but still very capable.
- Who is it not for?
- Zipperline bump skiers, because a 154mm tip will not be your friend.
- Skier ability
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- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Ski category
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- Frontside
- All Mountain
- Ski attributes
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- Groomers
- Off Piste
- Trees
- Segment
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- Men
Specifications
- Available sizes
- 169, 176, 181
- Dimensions
- 154-95-124
- Radius
- "tight," per Line's data sheet
- Rocker profile
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- Camber with tip rocker
- Construction design
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- All new
- Binding options
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- Flat