2023 Line Blade Optic 96

By taking the unique application of metal from the Blade, and combining it with the fun-loving shape and personality of the Sick Day 94, the new 2023 Line Blade Optic 96 is a well-rounded all-mountain ski that doesn’t feel or behave like anything else out there. Built with an Aspen Veneer wood core, the skis get Line’s new Gas Pedal Metal Overdrive laminate. This space-age concoction of metal shaping allows the engineers at Line to fine-tune the stiffness and dampness of the ski. With more wing-like portions underfoot extending to the edges, and a more linear tip to tail central spine, these skis are quite a bit stiffer than you may expect, but they do a great job of keeping them accessible and fun for a variety of skiers in a multitude of terrain and snow conditions. As a ski in the mid-90's we’re expecting versatility out of it, and that’s exactly what we get. From firm groomers to deep snow, these well-rounded skis can serve quite well as one-ski quivers for skiers ranging from upper intermediate all the way through the expert levels. There’s some good rocker in the profile as well, making it a decent floater, despite the stiffness. In the 177, these skis generate an 18-meter turn radius and tip the scales at 1780 grams per ski. With mostly sidewall and cap in the tips and tails, these have a lower swing weight and are incredibly maneuverable from side to side.

On the 184, Ryan Daniel noted that the “length was nice.” He had some nice, high scores for this ski as well, giving it 5’s out of 5 for flotation, playfulness, and versatility. 4’s ran the rest of the scorecard for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, quickness, maneuverability, and stability. Ryan calls it a “Good ski. Good edge hold. Bit too much tip/tail rocker for me. Ski was stiff under foot. I bet people would love this for moguls and park or just jibing on the side of the trail. It works as a directional carver but not the best.” That blend of performance attributes is what made the Sick Day so much fun, and it’s nice to hear that Ryan thinks it carries forward into Blade Optic as well.

Bob St.Pierre also skied the 184, and he put a couple of days on this ski, and also had a more race application as well. He scored it top marks of 5 out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, and edge grip. 4’s went for playfulness, versatility, and overall impression. “On the first day I skied this, it was raining, but the snow was actually pretty nice. While the longer-radius turns didn’t quite go the way I wanted, the short to mid-range turn shape was amazing. I loved keeping these skis on the sides of the trail and making short-swing turns on the edges. They have fantastic energy and rebound, and it’s a ton of fun keeping them consistent and poppy. I could open them up and make them go fast, but that didn’t seem to be what the ski wanted to do. Great in the trees, easy to turn in the bumps, this would make a great all-mountain ski for advanced and expert skiers. The second time I skied on them was in our local Ski Bum race, and this one happened to be a slalom. I thought the short-turn acumen of the Blade Optic 96 would fit well in a Slalom course and I was somewhat right. The ski was fine, just a bit too wide to make clean carves at that shape, but it was easy and fun nonetheless. I highly recommend these skis to advanced and expert skiers looking for a blend of fun and performance in the mid-90's range.”

If you want something that has a lot to offer, with a blend of shaping and construction attributes for true all-mountain performance, the Line Blade Optic 96 is a great choice. With a freeride shape and more of an all-mountain build, these skis can handle it all, and do so at a very high level of performance. As always, Line is creative in their ski construction, so there’s not a whole lot else out there like this 96.