Ladies looking for an interesting ski that’ll make crazy turns on the groomers and perform well in off-trail formats will love the Blade W. The amount of unique and fun-loving skis that Line produces each year is staggering. For 2024, we’re getting the Blade W back, this time with a more digital-looking topsheet, but overall, the ski is the same as before, and we’re all about it. Line makes some crazy skis with the ultimate goal of having fun, and in this realm, they have mightily succeeded. When we first got on these a few years ago, it was apparent that the Blade W was something totally different. While some skiers can point out similar skis from a philosophical perspective, the Blade W takes the construction and shaping to the next level and beyond. Ever since our first few runs on the ski, it became clear that you needed to alter your ski mindset to fit the ski. Personally, I found more success on this ski without poles. Poles are used for timing and rhythm, and these skis do not like those attributes. They like freedom and creativity. Poles ruin those things, so I found that skiers look and feel better on the Blade W when they are pole-free. Whichever way you choose to use the Blade W, though, you’re in for a unique treat.

It’s tough to talk about construction without bringing in shape too much, mainly because they have to implement some structure into the ski to accommodate shape. Starting with an aspen wood core, the ski gets a nice, smooth, and quiet start. Since the ski is so wide, it lacks the torsional stiffness to get the shovel off the snow in an effective manner. In this light, they install their Gas Pedal Metal laminate to the top of the core. By using a shaped titanal sheet that provides a central spine in the middle with branches running off of it to the sides, the ski can get up on edge with more power, stability, and damping. We also get thick edges and bases, so there’s some heft to this ski. It sits on the scale at 1650 grams in the 160 but that weight also equates to smoothness in the turns.

The shape is where this ski really separates itself from the herd. With measurements of 140/92/114, it’s got a massive shovel with minimal rocker and taper. It’s very wide at both ends, with a slight twin-tip swallow tail in the rear. This adds to the playfulness of the ski, but the overall shape is very much directional in nature. It loves to carve short, clean, and round turns as a result, with the radius hitting “tight”-meters in the160 cm length. This is pretty darn short for a ski this wide, and it does take some time to learn how to access the entirety of the arc. Due to the width, it’s not just a carving or on-trail ski, there’s a lot of off-piste applications here as well. Through the trees, crud, chop, and powder, the ski just motors right through. We found the shovel to be soft very few times, but overall, it’s sturdy enough to handle some aggressive skiing in rugged terrain and conditions.

Creative skiers will get the most out of the 2024 Line Blade W. It’s not like there's a real ability level cutoff with this ski—most skiers can make it go, mainly because it’s easy to turn. The ski doesn’t really have a high end when it comes to performance, more accurately, it has no limit when it comes to playfulness and inventive skiing. The only limit is what you can imagine out there on the hill. Most skiers can make it turn, but you have to be ready to expand your mind as to what’s possible on skis. Additionally, if you’re more flexible, you’ll have more fun. Rigid skiers seem to have a tougher time.