2021 Line Sakana

If, for nothing else, these skis are just really cool looking. The shape and the cutout are off the charts weird and that's fine, in fact, it's right in line with what Line skis are all about. The swallow tail and overall shape are very reminiscent of a fish board from the snowboard world. They certainly know a thing or two about floating through pow, so it's nice to see that Line was taking notes. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so snowboard designers should certainly get their due. A graphics change for 2021 is all that took place so that mid-fat feel will continue into this winter. At 105 mm underfoot, the skis do float, but it's the swallow tail that really makes them swivel. With a 150-mm tip, it's going to generate some buoyancy for sure, but it's the tail that does the gliding. As a result, the skis float and smear well above their shape. If that were it and we called it a day, the Sakana would still be an excellent choice for advanced and expert freeriders, but not all skiing is done in fresh pow. The most impressive thing about these skis is how well they hold an edge in a carved turn. While nobody is going to enter GS races on these things, it is important to note that the average turn shape of 15-meters is actually on the short side for a freeride ski. The fins of the swallow tail are actually pretty darn stiff, so they do hold tight to the groomers or ice with way less vibrations or chatter than expected. Overall, a really cool ski from the Eric Pollard Collection from Line.

Brooks Curran skied the 181, which is the longest size they make. He called them "short-ish," but since they ski differently versus other skis in this arena, it's not quite a fair comparison. He gave top scores for quickness, maneuverability, and playfulness, with 4's out of 5 for flotation, forgiveness, and overall impression. For such an innovative design, it's nice to see that high scores are still achievable. Brooks notes that the Sakana "looks like the profile of a fish and wants you to wiggle mindlessly down the fall line. Incredibly fun in soft snow and slush but the shorter radius refused to let you open up." For a surfing analogy, Brooks states that these are more like "boogie boards or wake surfers-certainly not for the big barrels and long boards, no hanging ten, but no lack of fun." So, high playfulness with a surfy attitude, sounds good!

Parker Herlihy is another tall and aggressive tester, so he noted that the 181 was just too short, just like Brooks. Line is hoping that the overall surface area of the ski will overtake skiers needs to have longer lengths and while that may be true in many respects, it can be unnerving to not see so much tip in front of you, especially if you're used to a 191 or something like that. Again, like Brooks, Parker scored 5's out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, and playfulness. These high scores are certainly indicative of that shorter radius and deep sidecut. Parker calls it a "solid Sakana. Super-playful, very turny." And again, like Brooks, Parker notes that it's "not strong at speed, but rather a lot more playful than other 102-105's. A great option for intermediate and advanced all-mountain skiers, and I'd give it a special nod for New England's tight trees." Yes, that short radius does have a lot of benefits for sure.

Line does not shy away from different shapes and styles of skis. After all, that's what makes skiing so fun, it means a million different things to a million different skiers.