Review: Line Vision 114 Skis

• Size skied: 175cm
• Lengths available: 175cm, 183cm
• Sidecut: 139cm - 114cm - 132cm
• Radius: 21m
• Profile: freestyle twin rocker, with camber underfoot
• Weight: 1850g (@ 183cm)

Shape, Flex and Construction

Line Skis uses all kinds of funny-sounding tech in their skis, like “THC” construction and “5-Cut” Radius, all of which further showcase the brand’s playful approach to the sport. THC construction is just Line marketing speak for a layup that features Carbon, Fiberglass, and Flax material in the core, designed to keep the ski as chatter-free as possible. The theory here is that those three materials resonant at different frequencies, and cancel out vibrations. Sounds pretty heady, man. Hey, pass that bong.

All jokes aside, the ski is certainly built with saving grams in mind. The shape is actually nearly identical to Line’s hard-charging freeride ski, the Optic (formerly the Blade Optic), but the lighter construction keeps the weight to a respectable 1850 grams for the 183 length ski. It features healthy amounts of tip and tail rocker, a nearly centered recommended mount point (stated as -3.9cm from true center), and a relatively long 21-meter turn radius. The Vision 114 features no metal in the core, and is substantially softer-flexing than the Optic. In fact, it’s one of the softest powder skis we tested this year.

On-Snow Performance:

We tested the Vision 114 as it was intended to be skied: primarily as backcountry powder touring ski, with some inbounds pow laps when conditions were deep. It was mounted with a pair of Salomon Shift 2 bindings and tested with a variety of boots, including the Atomic Hawx BOA W 115 XTD.

In fresh powder, the Vision 114 is one of the funnest skis we’ve ever been on. “Fun” is the operative word here–it’s certainly no high-speed charger, but it makes skiing deep snow really easy, playful, and encourages creative line choices and hitting small to medium airs. It's not quite stiff enough for really aggressive FWT-level skiing, but that's fine. 

The wide 114mm waist width, paired with the huge amounts of tip and tail rocker give the ski impressive amounts of flotation, even in heavy and dense snow. Line Skis are designed in the PNW after all, so that surfy, floaty feeling is no surprise. The nearly centered mount point and super-low swing weight make these really easy to toss around in tight terrain and slarve turns, scrubbing speed with your tails. If you’re a front-of-the-boot kind of skier, the loose nature of these skis might take a few runs to get used to, but you'll soon learn that it’s exceptionally fun.

One tester, who rode the ski everywhere from Jackson Hole, to Chamonix, to Revelstoke, says: “The Vision 114 is not quite as pivoty as some other pow skis, but it’s far more versatile in firmer snow. Turn radius is a bit on the longer side, and in everything but super tight trees I found it to be perfect. I found it to have easy turn initiation, making it really friendly for a variety of ski levels. It’s super stable while skiing fast down big chutes in BC or Cham, especially in surfy, heavier snow. I was even impressed at how well it could hold an edge while dropping into some steep and chalky entrances.”

The light weight makes these an excellent choice for big-mountain and powder touring, especially the kind that is accessed via some mechanized help like a chairlift or snowmobile. The Salomon/Atomic Shift 2 seems like the perfect binding for a ski like this, but we wouldn’t hesitate to put a lightweight pin binding on there and use it as a big-vert-day powder ski. The weight and versatility also make this a great option as a one-ski quiver for traveling to ski pow, when you plan on doing a split of touring and resort riding. 

One downside of the light construction is that the ski certainly gets tossed around when things get chopped up, crusty, or icy. Despite the damp core, there isn’t really enough mass there to fully take the edge of uneven snow, especially when skiing fast. Edge hold on icy snow was also lacking, but that’s not really what you’re looking for in a 114mm-underfoot ski. This was mostly noticeable on resort days.

How does the Line Vision 114 compare?

Line’s Vision 114 is a pretty unique ski, combining touring ski construction with a really fun freestyle/freeride shape. A few skis worth comparing it to are the 4FRNT Hoji, Atomic’s Bent 110, Salomon QST X, and the Vision’s stouter sibling, the Line Optic 114.

Compared to the fully reverse-cambered Hoji, the Vision 114 feels like much more of a toy meant for playful skiing, though most skiers will probably find the Vision more approachable and usable thanks to the softer flex and the camber underfoot. Meanwhile, the Hoji caters towards higher speeds and more aggressive fall-line skiing.

Perhaps the closest comparison is to the Atomic Bent 110, another lightweight twin-tipped powder ski that’s designed to split time between the backcountry and resort. The Vision offers a bit more flotation in pow, and the longer turning radius and slightly less rocker (more edge contact) make these a little easier to skin uphill on than the Bents. However, we think the Bent 110 is better suited for skiing inbounds.

Salomon’s QST X shares a similar shape and weight to the Vision 114, but feels like a much heavier, damper ski thanks to the cork inserts inside the tip and tail. It takes a bit more energy to ski than the Vision, but feels like it’s got more in reserve for higher speeds and more aggressive skiing.

Finally, despite the nearly identical shape, Line’s Optic 114 is a significantly stouter ski than the Vision. The completely different core construction (heavier, stiffer wood, and a shaped metal plate) makes the Optic a super-aggressive freeride charger best suited for resort-only riding, or freeride comp skiing.

What type of skier is the Line Vision 114 best for?

I think the Line Vision 114 presents a pretty clear target audience, freeride backcountry skiers that are bored with current offerings on the market and want a ski that can go for long walks and bounce around in pow all day long. It’s not a ski mountaineer’s ski, nor is it a resort ski that could go touring, instead, it’s a purpose-built backcountry freeride/freestyle tool that’s meant expressly for having fun. We do wish these came in more sizes, as the 183cm and 175cm options (while great) are pretty limited.

However, if the sizing is no issue and you see yourself touring to ski pow, jump off things, and just have a good time out in the mountains with your friends (and love a cheetah print topsheet), get yourself a pair of these.