2022 Line Blade

[SkiTalk Test Team]

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.

Long-term update (from last year): The all-new Blade is an acquired taste, one that needs to grow on you, one that you cannot get in the one to three runs we usually get at an industry demo. Fortunately I was able to ski the Blade for a good couple of hours in conditions that I expected the ski to be able to shine in. In voicing my way to clarity with @Andy Mink I ended up dubbing the Blade as the Crudbuster 2000. This ski loves crud, it dices, slices, cuts, chops, and annihilates crud.​

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I had a chance to take these away from where we have been normally skiing them, Mt Rose to Squaw Valley. Because of conditions at Rose, these were pretty much limited to the groomers, but at Squaw we were able to spend a lot more time off piste and in more mixed and variable conditions. Coming from the KT lift down to through the Saddle to the Headwall chair, the Blade did super in the bumps, cut-up snow, and natural terrain of the Saddle. True to its name, the Blade diced and sliced through the bumps and was extremely playful as the terrain changed from turn to turn. I had the same experience when skiing off of the traverse from the Headwall chair, where there were still some fresh tracks to be made in the 3 to 4 in. of windblown snow. You might think the broad tip and extreme shape would make the Blade nervous in these conditions, but it absolutely does not. The only caveat is that the skier should be a two-footed skier with a wide stance.​

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Insider tip: Err on the shorter of two lengths.​

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Andy Mink: You read that correctly: the tip on this ski is 154 mm wide. With those measurements, this could be the Barbie 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.

Long-term update (from last year): I had a chance to ski these again in some nice conditions at Mt Rose, and did I mention in my initial review they make me giggle? They are a wide carving ski that plows through piles like a hot knife through butter. They are very stable at speed, and even high-speed long turns generate little to no tip chatter. I was expecting at some point the wide tips would start to lay down, but it never happened. Arc-to-arc tracks at lower speeds can generate enough pressure to make your legs tired after a few runs. I don't know that I'd want them as a daily driver in Tahoe but they would sure be fun as a second or third ski in a quiver. I look forward to trying them in 6 to 10 in. of fresh. I think that's where they should shine. Turn, turn, turn!​

Insider tip: Get used to people wondering if you're nuts for laughing or grinning for no apparent reason.​

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Anders_Nor: Zoooooooomg, this ski on corn and spring snow!!! FUN. I'm totally exhausted after skiing the Line Blade today! That was the best ski workout I've had in a short period of time in a while. With no liftlines as we arrived after the morning rush, I was laying down tight-radius turns in the slush-bump-fest of conditions we had today, jumping piles, carving through piles .... The most fun was probably in the 30 to 35mph range but I had no issues just straightlining at 45 mph through stuff when I tried (again surprised). I expected it to be a bit hooky, but I could surf it sideways into a slow 180, even going through piles of stuff sideways. I am just kinda amazed.

 

[Wendy]

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.

Long-term update (from last year): The all-new Blade is an acquired taste, one that needs to grow on you, one that you cannot get in the one to three runs we usually get at an industry demo. Fortunately I was able to ski the Blade for a good couple of hours in conditions that I expected the ski to be able to shine in. In voicing my way to clarity with @Andy Mink I ended up dubbing the Blade as the Crudbuster 2000. This ski loves crud, it dices, slices, cuts, chops, and annihilates crud.​

​

I had a chance to take these away from where we have been normally skiing them, Mt Rose to Squaw Valley. Because of conditions at Rose, these were pretty much limited to the groomers, but at Squaw we were able to spend a lot more time off piste and in more mixed and variable conditions. Coming from the KT lift down to through the Saddle to the Headwall chair, the Blade did super in the bumps, cut-up snow, and natural terrain of the Saddle. True to its name, the Blade diced and sliced through the bumps and was extremely playful as the terrain changed from turn to turn. I had the same experience when skiing off of the traverse from the Headwall chair, where there were still some fresh tracks to be made in the 3 to 4 in. of windblown snow. You might think the broad tip and extreme shape would make the Blade nervous in these conditions, but it absolutely does not. The only caveat is that the skier should be a two-footed skier with a wide stance.​

​

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 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.

Long-term update (from last year): I had a chance to ski these again in some nice conditions at Mt Rose, and did I mention in my initial review they make me giggle? They are a wide carving ski that plows through piles like a hot knife through butter. They are very stable at speed, and even high-speed long turns generate little to no tip chatter. I was expecting at some point the wide tips would start to lay down, but it never happened. Arc-to-arc tracks at lower speeds can generate enough pressure to make your legs tired after a few runs. I don't know that I'd want them as a daily driver in Tahoe but they would sure be fun as a second or third ski in a quiver. I look forward to trying them in 6 to 10 in. of fresh. I think that's where they should shine. Turn, turn, turn!​

Insider tip: Get used to people wondering if you're nuts for laughing or grinning for no apparent reason.​

​

Anders_Nor: Zoooooooomg, this ski on corn and spring snow!!! FUN. I'm totally exhausted after skiing the Line Blade today! That was the best ski workout I've had in a short period of time in a while. With no liftlines as we arrived after the morning rush, I was laying down tight-radius turns in the slush-bump-fest of conditions we had today, jumping piles, carving through piles .... The most fun was probably in the 30 to 35mph range but I had no issues just straightlining at 45 mph through stuff when I tried (again surprised). I expected it to be a bit hooky, but I could surf it sideways into a slow 180, even going through piles of stuff sideways. I am just kinda amazed.

How does this compare to Renoun’s Z90? Curious.

 

[anders_nor]

this felt kinda relevant, switch carves are fun.

 

[Philpug]

Long term update: The Line Blade should have been called the Crudbuster because nothing phases this ski. I took it out today at Palisades Tahoe (the ski area formally known as Squaw Valley) and the conditions were far from stellar, in fact they were bordering on marginal but it was opening day, an openiong way early than scheduled, so we accepted the hand we were dealt. The snow was, heavy, chopped, rocky, wet and punchy, descriptive words that never make for a good day. But ... the Line Blade laughed in the face of all if them. You are familiar with my Steadfast rule? Well, the Blade passed withflying colors because there was no other ski I would have wanted to be on today than the Line Crudbuster (the ski I formally called the Blade).

 

[Dougb]

View attachment 146810 Long term update: The Line Blade should have been called the Crudbuster because nothing phases this ski. I took it out today at Palisades Tahoe (the ski area formally known as Squaw Valley) and the conditions were far from stellar, in fact they were bordering on marginal but it was opening day, an openiong way early than scheduled, so we accepted the hand we were dealt. The snow was, heavy, chopped, rocky, wet and punchy, descriptive words that never make for a good day. But ... the Line Blade laughed in the face of all if them. You are familiar with my Steadfast rule? Well, the Blade passed withflying colors because there was no other ski I would have wanted to be on today than the Line Crudbuster (the ski I formally called the Blade).

And you looked incredibly smooth skiing despite the less than stellar conditions!

 

[AmyPJ]

Is it Kizmet that I have a pair coming to me? Because I have been wanting a true crudbuster for a long time. It sounds like it will take me a few runs to adapt to them.

 

[tromano]

Will add to my demo list.

Any info if line plans to offer a sakana shape with this construction?

 

[Philpug]

Will add to my demo list.

Any info if line plans to offer a sakana shape with this construction?

With Pollard gone from Line. I doubt it.

 

[anders_nor]

crud friendly / crud finesse'er might be more correct? mantra 102 is a crudbuster, the line blade is just fun on crud and handles it very very well! loves wet skied out stuff. So the term "laughed at crud" is kinda correct

Only thing I found line blade to not like is when you would grab a normal SL ski, meaning hard/icy.

 

[cantunamunch]

crud friendly / crud finesse'er might be more correct? mantra 102 is a crudbuster, the line blade is just fun on crud and handles it very very well! loves wet skied out stuff. So the term "laughed at crud" is kinda correct

Only thing I found line blade to not like is when you would grab a normal SL ski, meaning hard/icy.

<- wonders if anyone is going to get this and put a nice set of plates on it?

 

[PaganSkier]

Anyone tired a more traditional mount on the Blade? I'm at the -4.5 line, and after 4 days I feel like I'd like to be at -8.

 

[Philpug]

Anyone tired a more traditional mount on the Blade? I'm at the -4.5 line, and after 4 days I feel like I'd like to be at -8.

I skied ours on the line, no pun intended, and it was a gigglefest.

 

[anders_nor]

are you talking -4 and -8 from REC or center? @PaganSkier ?

 

[cantunamunch]

-5 from the gigglefest line. How else can one be taken seriously?

 

[PaganSkier]

Anyone tired a more traditional mount on the Blade? I'm at the -4.5 line, and after 4 days I feel like I'd like to be at -8.

Sorry - brain was mush when I wrote that. I'm at the recommended line (-7 from center), and was thinking I'd like to try -3 cm from that line. @cantunamunch - are you saying you're mounted -5 cm from the recommended line?

 

[cantunamunch]

Sorry - brain was mush when I wrote that. I'm at the recommended line (-7 from center), and was thinking I'd like to try -3 cm from that line. @cantunamunch - are you saying you're mounted -5 cm from the recommended line?

I was just being silly, sorry, spring fever.

 

[Bogatyr]

Anyone knows what the factory tuning on these skis is ?

 

[anders_nor]

Anyone knows what the factory tuning on these skis is ?

seems like a slightly variable and at times round 1+-/2 on stock tune, I wouldnt think to much about the factory tune though, just put what you want on them, I made mine sharper 1/2 dont see need for 1/3

 

[Bogatyr]

seems like a slightly variable and at times round 1+-/2 on stock tune, I wouldnt think to much about the factory tune though, just put what you want on them, I made mine sharper 1/2 dont see need for 1/3

Since they are advertised as mainly piste (carving ski) with some abilities to do other stuff as well I'm thinking of more radical tune kind of 0.7/3 . Not decided yet .....

 

[anders_nor]

Since they are advertised as mainly piste (carving ski) with some abilities to do other stuff as well I'm thinking of more radical tune kind of 0.7/3 . Not decided yet .....

interesting thought, If your a good skier I think you would like it and it will work fine, but they are not as torsionally stiff as a SL for FIRM/ice

I dont think there is a need for 0.7, and it would make them worse for other things, but hey your skis, and going 0.7 to 1.0 is way easier than 1.0 to 0.7!

edit, just rememberd I did actually chat with a dude who said he "put an agressive tune on them" and he was ripping on fairly firm borderline ice