The 2023 Line Blend gets a bit of a graphics recharge for this year, but remains the same bendy and flexy ski that freestylers have known and loved for the past few seasons. Whenever we make a wall of comparison videos and organize them by flex, the Blend is on the soft end by a pretty good margin. They use a Maple macroblock wood core, but do so in a thin manner with this Blend, and that gives the ski an insanely playful feel to it that is certainly better used in a freestyle format versus an all-mountain one. At 100 mm underfoot, these skis are definitely wide enough to handle softer snow and more freeride aspects of the mountain, but for the most part, the ski is far more at home in the park and in features that require creativity and bendy ankles. With a partial cap and vertical sidewall construction, these skis are surprisingly grippy underfoot while remaining total noodles in the tips and tails. At 1940 grams per ski in the 178, they’re not feather-light, but most of that weight comes underfoot. With symmetrical rocker, these skis are predictable and confidence-inspiring and far more durable than the flex may indicate.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber / Rocker
CORE MATERIALS
5-Cut Multi Radius
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Park, All Mountain, Powder
On the 178, Bob St.Pierre noted that “the Blend skied true to its size relative to its style and application. I wouldn’t say that it feels like a normal 178, mainly because it’s a very different ski than most others. I’d choose the 185 for myself, but even then, at my weight, that still won’t be enough substance for anything other than park.” And that’s fine—not every ski has to be for everyone, and if you’re not skiing park or freestyle flatland features, the Blend is likely not the best choice for you, and that’s especially true if you’re over 220 pounds. Bob scored it top marks of 5 out of 5 for playfulness and forgiveness, and 3’s for flotation, versatility, and overall impression. Stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold all got 2’s, showing the more specific application of this ski. “Obviously this isn’t something that’s on my radar, as a non-park skier, but it’s always great to see what they can do. The Blend makes surprisingly round turns, and I guess I should have expected that given the ability to access the entirety of the sidecut due to the flex. I had to stay very centered on the ski, as any direct pressure to the tips or tails made the ski bend in a rather unnerving manner. When you’re in the middle, though, it’s really fun to push the ski to the limit and find the upper end of the ski’s mentality. I tried to do some butters, ollies, nose blocks—all that fun stuff—but I just don’t have the skillset.”
Nick Wright was also on the 178, and he noted that it “felt short for me but it did ski true to size.” Nick scored the Blend 4’s out of 5 for versatility, forgiveness, playfulness, quickness, maneuverability, and flotation. 3’s rounded out his card for overall impression, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and stability. “Another ski where I am not sure if I can give an accurate assessment because of length but overall, I felt myself getting beat around and wasn't able to maintain an edge hold the way I would like to. I could tell it was quick to turn and felt very light but the conditions and the length left me wanting something more.” Clearly, the flex had a lot to do with Nick’s experience, as his ski style leans to the faster and more aggressive side of the spectrum.
If you’re more of a freestyle skier who wants something flexy and fun, the Line Blend must be at the top of the list. It’s built really well. Whenever we get it in the studio for hand-flexing, we remark at how amazing it is that this thing doesn’t just break. You can literally stand on the tail and it just bends into the floor—it's unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and that’s what Line is all about these days with their ski construction and shaping.
