by Jackson Hogen | Aug 16, 2019
Twenty-five years ago, Jason Levinthal began making skiboards, skis just long enough to make room for a primitive, non-releasable binding. Because they were first, foremost and forever about tricks, they had curled-up tips at both ends. It wasn’t long before Jason graduated to making full-length twin-tips, which attracted the attention of kids who wanted to take skiing in a new direction. Little by little, Line infiltrated the mass market, not by adopting its rules, but by being change agents who would help redefine the sport.
Just how high Line has climbed in market share is hard to say since online sales bypass monitored retailing, but it’s safe to assume Line has been the most successful start-up since its inception. Because the kids who continue to be its principal patrons are all about breaking the rules and taking the party to the slopes, its communications focus on fat, smeary powder skis and terrain-park twins.
But Line might not have made it to 25 if it hadn’t been for skiers over 40. For several seasons it cultivated quite a following for its Prophet series, all-mountain tools with an oddly trimmed topsheet of metal that gave them power that a lightweight skier could engage. This same principle is what helps the Supernatural 92 strike a balance between Power and Finesse properties that tilts slightly towards the latter because of its off-trail personality.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 16, 2019
Wingman is a new series from Elan that’s a hybrid of the Slovenian brand’s Frontside Amphibio collection and its off-trail Ripstick series. This formula makes the Wingman 86 CTi behave like a carving ski with a penchant for off-piste forays. It owes its hallmark tenacious edge grip – stunningly evident in all conditions – to a variety of interrelated factors.
First, its relatively deep sidecut (16.5m @ 178cm) combines with its asymmetric shape to create early edge contact that never lets go. Second, the rearbody and tail are also biased to the inside edge, so instead of whimping out at turn finish as so many rockered tails do, this Wingman drives through the arc on a solid platform. Third, Elan loads up the inside edge with more material so force concentrates there, improving stability. Finally, a brace of end-to-end carbon rods work in harmony with a sheet of Titanal to suck up shock and convert it into rebound energy that keeps the Wingman motoring even when the snow gets clumpy.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 16, 2019
The only change to the Blizzard Brahma for 20/20 is the addition of “88” to its moniker, the better to distinguish it from its new little brother, the Brahma 82. As surface area roughly equates to flotation and ease of operation in irregular, off-trail conditions, the Brahma 88 remains the better choice as a one-ski quiver. While we are encouraged by the trend to narrower skis, there’s no doubt that from the perspective of terrain versatility, a wider ski offers more benefits than liabilities.
The Brahma 88 has been among the top models in the All-Mountain East genre since it’s debut. The reasons for its sustained popularity are several, beginning with its Flipcore construction. To give you an idea of how different Flipcore construction is, when you get a Flipcore ski like the Brahma too hot when ironing on wax, the ski will try to revert to its originally molded position, revealing that it inherent camber is upside down. (BTW, don’t do this, please.)
Primary among Flipcore’s virtues is that there is no stress where the relatively mild tip and tail rocker connects with the middle of the ski; when the ski is tipped and pressured, the full length of the ski comes into play. An added benefit is that the ski follows terrain brilliantly, a big bonus in crud bumps. If the skier wants a little more oomph out of the turn, dual multi-directional fiberglass laminates provide energy on demand.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 16, 2019
The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 is the Michaela Shiffrin of the U.S. ski market: now in its fourth year of dominance, it’s crushing the women’s field and setting sales records that leave all the men’s models in the dust, too. Like a cartoon snowball rolling downhill, its sales success grows each season as a new legion of adherents joins the chorus of praise, spreading the gospel in countless one-on-one chairlift chats.
If you break down the dynamics of a ski sale, you’ll discover how the Black Pearl 88 edges out the competition. Every sale hinges on a description of a skier’s current status and her wish list of what she wants the new ski to be able to do for her. It almost doesn’t matter how a recreational skier assesses her ability or her desires, the Black Pearl 88 will end up on the very short list of most desirable alternatives.
The Pearl 88 can be legitimately recommended to any ability range from terminal intermediate to budding expert and is suitable for any terrain from groomers to 18 inches of fresh. That’s an 8-lane freeway in terms of how many different skier styles and preferences can be accommodated by this one ski. It’s light, easy to skid or carve, ideal for developing confidence in off-trail conditions and won’t wilt under pressure on hard snow.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 16, 2019
