Line Vision 98 Skis 2021

Line’s Vision 98 is a standout freeride ski, blurring boundaries between tour and freeskiing. It is seriously light but, thanks to THC Construction, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t stable. The design takes hints from freestyle and with the construction, it results in a playful ski that can charge when pushed. So, whether you just want a fun, all condition ski or a backcountry model that will provide descents with more of a freestyle feel than regular BC options, the Vision 98 is something different from the rest of the rack. Terrain Type & Ability LevelTerrain Type The Vision 98 is at the narrower end of freeride, though it’s shaping does lend itself very well to powder, slush and soft snow. This means it will ski a bit of everything, with a preference for getting away from marked runs. On piste it still feels good, it’s lightweight construction and the rocker make it playful and responsive; THC smoothes the ride so it responds nicely to speed too. The easy handling means it feels good when skiing all mountain, jumping off features and using the natural terrain to mess about. As mentioned earlier, it is very comfortable in softer snow. Skier TypeAdvanced skiers who want a light, playful freeride ski that isn’t super wide. This could be because they themselves are a bit lighter, maybe they have a freestyle background or just like popping off things and skiing switch. Or they want to pair it up with a BC binding so they can access different terrain. Compared to many skis this weight, it has a more central position and raised tail, it feels looser and more fun, making it stand out from the competition. It’s worth noting that, while it is in the freeride category, it could easily be sat in backcountry tour because it is so light, weighing just 1515g in a 179cm.OverviewShapeIt’s 98mm underfoot, effective in range of conditions, and has an 18m average radius (179cm) that also aids the versatility. Where it differs from the competition is the early Rise or rocker at the tip and tail, and the early Taper that creates long tips and tails. And the fact that it is more centrally mounted and has more tail lift – almost like a twin tip. The result of this is easy handling in soft snow and excellent manoeuvrability.Rockerearly Rise at the tip and tail lift them away from the snow to bring the contact points closer to the centre of the ski. This increases the ski's lift in deep snow and allows it to engage more quickly on hardpack when rolled over on edge.CoreLine’s Partly Cloudy core uses stringers of paulownia and maple. The paulownia is a lively, flexible wood with excellent weight to strength ratio; the maple is a dense, hardwood with excellent power transfer and stability. This combination helps keep the weight down without sacrificing performance.ConstructionSidewall uses Ultra-High Density Polyethylene vertical walls over the edges to absorb vibrations and provide powerful energy transmission. Thin Tip uses a super thin core and sidewalls in the tips and tails to reduce swing weight as well as tip and tail bounce. THC Construction ensures that the lighweight core doesn’t suffer from excess vibrations, making it an especially smooth ride compared to similarly weighted skis that often can feel rattly.Key FeaturesTHC ConstructionThree different composite layups (Carbon, Aramid and Fibreglass) on top of the core resonate at different frequencies to cancel out the harsh vibrations you’d normally get in such a light ski.5Cut Multi-Radius SidecutFive different radiuses are blended into the ski’s sidecut. The result? A wide variety of turn shapes and an intuitive feel.Thin TipSuper thin core and sidewalls in the tips are 100 grams lighter per pair for reduced swing weight and tip bounce.eB tester’s comments: Luke (Buying Team) Feel light underfoot but not at the expense of the power or liveliness. I did prefer them in softer snow and would happily spend a day in powder on them. Though at 98mm and not too stiff, they felt like they could ski everything.Technical SpecificationsSize (cm)Tip Width (mm)Waist Width (mm)Tail Width (mm)Radius (m)Weight (g)1721319811916.51390179131981191815151861319811920.51690General InformationSkier Ability: Advanced/expertTerrain Type: Freeride Rocker: Tip/Tail RockerRadius: LongBase: SinteredBindings: n/aDIN: n/aConstruction: Full SidewallCore: Wood, Carbon, AramidDemo: NoSizing Description: Forehead to over head height. The increased length ensures better grip, stability and floatation and is essential to making the ski work to its full potential. Large rockers at the tip mean it is important not to size down.