The Line Vision 98 is a brand-new ski for the 2020 season and is designed for all-mountain freeride versatility in an exceptionally light package. In fact, the Vision 98 comes in at just 1515 g. We don’t often list weights in our ski test, but when a ski is that light, it’s important to note. Line’s new THC Construction features aramid, carbon, and fiberglass, three materials that resonate at different frequencies. This creates a smooth feel, unlike a lot of carbon applications in skis. The flex pattern is relatively soft longitudinally, yet those materials help provide more torsional stiffness than you might expect if you just hand-flexed the ski. Line’s really focusing on the versatility of this ski, claiming it will rally blown out snow, arc groomers, and even motor up skin tracks.
Connor Gorham found himself a bit nostalgic after his test runs on a 179 cm Vision 98. “I grew up with multiple all-mountain Line skis and this brought me back to a pair of Octo-lands that I had, but with more pow potential.” Line is celebrating their 25th anniversary this season, which is quite an accomplishment. There are more and more skiers who were drawn to the brand as kids and now as adults are finding new models that speak to their current demands. “Playful and craving more snow to play in. Line setups generally make me want to pop off hops and side stashes and this ski delivered.”
Matt McGinnis also had the chance to take some runs on a 179 cm Vision 98. He admitted he wasn’t able to give them a full review because he spent most of the time on the Vision 98 follow-cam filming our other testers, but he did get them on his feet and had some great feedback about weight. “As a touring setup, I think these could be a great option. They’re super lightweight and the overall shape seems like it would lend itself well to east coast tours.”
Harrison Gorham, brother of the aforementioned Connor Gorham, is another skier who grew up with Line skis on his radar. We put Harrison on a lot of Line models throughout the test and he was psyched with the performance of the Vision 98. Harrison tested the 179 cm length as well and awarded 5 out of 5 scores for flotation, quickness/maneuverability, versatility, and overall impression from Harrison, with a circled 9.1 on the bottom of his test form as well. We’re not sure what that means, but it sounds good. “Rocker profile allowed for snappy, quick turns. Holds an edge great at speed too with minimal chatter. Very light, but skis stable. Great float in the woods. Softer tail than Sick Day 94. Quiver killer.” Anytime someone throws out the term “quiver killer” we know it’s a great all-mountain ski with tremendous versatility.
Mike Aidala, Customer Service Manager at SkiEssentials.com, often focuses on the value of a ski as he spends so much time chatting with customers. “The Line Vision 98 skis are super light all-mountain skis at a great price point.” Price matters for most skiers, and considering you get a lot of performance at a reasonable price makes the Vision 98 a great value. Mike also thought it was a great choice for someone “concerned with the overall weight of the skis.”
If you prefer a lighter, softer flexing ski over a heavy, stiff option, the Vision 98 is a great all-mountain freeride ski. It’s extremely playful and its longitudinal flex pattern allows you to play with turn shapes, do little butters and slashes, and in general just have a lot of fun on the mountain. Slap a touring binding on it and pick up some skins and you’ve got a very capable touring setup that will let you do some tricks on the way down.
