Ski Canada Test 2019 On-Slope Reviews
LIKE A CHARM
Line tapped pro skier Hadley Hammer for input on its new all-mountain ski, the Pandora. “The most important thing about a ski is versatility,” she says. “You’re never skiing the same conditions all day long.” The three-ski collection takes three distinct takes on the sentiment of a one-ski quiver. The 104 uses plenty of early-rise rocker and a tapered sidecut to float in powder and crud but still hold an edge in the firm snow. The 94 has just enough rocker to rise up in fresh but with more bite and a nimble feel for firmer snow. And the 84 is designed to rip the frontside and hold its own in the fluff. Deciding the appropriate tool comes down to where and how you ski. For deep destinations, the powder-friendly 104 makes the most sense. Eastern skiers could rock the 84 on the groomers and still have fun if they score freshies. And the 94 is a quiver killer that can do it all and a great choice for Western mountains. (from $450; lineskis.com)
LINE PANDORA 94
$550 * BEST FOR: Controlled-speed, all-mountain skiing.
LENGTHS: 158, 165, 172 * RADIUS: 16@172 * SIDECUT: 131/94/117
Delightfully lightweight, easy to turn and playfully soft: that’s the 94, the middle child in the three-ski Pandora family. Line’s designers put five different sidecuts into the ski’s edge. It happily went from tight turns in the trees to piste-wide arcs—but it was made for slow- to medium-speed skiers. “As a soft ski, it did not inspire confidence at high speeds,” said Andi Ciotti at Blue Mountain. And Yoshi Watanabe noted that it’s best in soft snow. The 84 had better hard-snow and faster-speed performance; Watanabe felt it lacked bite for hard chargers. The widest model, the 104, is probably best as a dedicated powder ski. A lot of people opt for too stiff a ski for their weight and ability, and struggle because of it. For less aggressive skiers, the Pandora could be a smart all-mountain option and excellent value.
