Gear Reviews

Seeing in 2020: All-New Line Vision 108 Review

Line is seeing clearly in 2020. The all-new Line Vision 108 does it all.

When we were first introduced to all the new 2020 gear the Denver’s Outdoor Retailer trade show, we noticed several industry trends. Perhaps the biggest? The rise of “lightweight freeride skis”. Tools that ski like real skis, crush powder, and are light enough to use for backcountry skiing. One of the chiefs among them? The Line Vision 108.

line vision
The Line Vision 108, and its narrower brother the Line Vision 98, epitomize the growing category of lightweight freeride skis.

Field Notes

I tested this ski at Loveland Ski Area. A storm dropped 14 inches of fresh the day before my test, so the snow was soft but tracked up in spots.

Before I started making turns on the all-new Line Vision 108, I had some first impressions. This ski is silly light, even with a heavier demo binding on there. It flexes fairly soft in the tips and tails but stiffens up underfoot. The tip has more early rise and splay than the tail, but it still has a centered, playful mount point and could be ridden switch easily.

Groomers

These skis initiate turns extremely easily, and they feel very automatic and intuitive. They reward a neutral, more centered stance. That softer flex in the tip soaks up chunder fairly well, so there is not a huge amount of feedback to the skier.
The hard snow performance of the Vision 108 is exactly what you would expect from a ski of this width and shape. That is to say they are easily manageable and fun on groomers, but the edge hold is not quite the same as it is on stiffer and narrower skis. These skis do have a bit of a speed limit as well, but I will touch on that later.

Bumps and Trees

These skis excel in tight places. They allow you to shut down speed immediately. The combination of a forward mount, soft flex, and light weight create a ski that is incredibly nimble. The tips and tails have a fair amount of taper, and you feel it. There’s zero hooking from either the tips or tails when you make turns in tight spots. They just react to what you are asking them to do with little fuss.
All told, trees and bumps are the types of terrain where the Vision 108 feels hands-down the most comfortable.
line vision 108
The Line Vision 108 slays soft snow.

Powder and Mixed Snow

The Vision 108 floats very well. The soft tip does a good job getting up on top of snow in a hurry. But keep in mind that the mount is fairly centered, so it takes a bit of time to adjust to the positioning on the ski. The same mount point that creates the incredible maneuverability of this ski causes it to sacrifice some deep snow flotation. That being said I would not hesitate to use this as my only ski if I lived on the west coast, as its powder performance is on par with others in its class.

Shop for the Line Vision 108

Downside

The main downside to this ski for me was the tip chatter at higher speeds on hard pack. It is not something that impacts how the ski performs in those conditions, but if you are looking for the most damp ski you can find this ski is not it. Realistically the person looking at this ski is not planning to use it to ski GS turns on groomers as that was never it’s intention, but it is worth noting.

Bottom Line

The Line Vision 108 could be perfectly combined with a Salomon/Atomic/Armada Shift binding as a westerner’s do-it-all setup. The lack of weight and bulk is truly astonishing, and I was pleasantly surprised by the skis’ capability in tracked-out snow given its dainty profile. It is very intuitive and does not demand much from its rider.
The Vision represents the best of the current wave in the industry of lightweight skis that can manage any terrain. It’s a great time to be a skier.
Peep all the latest Line skis in their 2020 ski lineup.

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