2023 Line Sakana

Is this a top-3 coolest ski on the market right now? We’d make a case for yes. More so, the difference between what you expect or think the Sakana is going to be like and the reality of the situation is quite remarkable. It’s insanely impressive how strong and stable the skis are, not just for having a swallow-tail shape, but also for the width and the overall look of the ski. This is the ultimate “do not judge” on its looks type of ski. Built with a blend of paulownia and maple in the wood core, the skis also feature a titanal swallow tail. If you think that the tail is soft and floppy, you need to grab on and twist it for yourself—it's pretty darn strong and stiff, giving the ski an amazingly tight finish to the turn. While the gargantuan 150-mm shovel shape pulls you into the turn, the 105 mm waist holds incredibly well while that 138 mm swallow tail gives the ski crazy kick at the end. Just by looking at the ski, you’d have no idea that it carves as well as it does while floating through fresh and busting through crud and mank like nobody’s business. Smooth, solid, and stable, the Line Sakana is one of the most refreshing skis on the market today, and neither Line nor us here at SkiEssentials.com would have it any other way.

On the 174, Bob St.Pierre notes that “I was impressed with the 174, but I think I’d fit a lot better in the 181. Hard to tell if it skis true to size or not since it’s so different than traditionally shaped skis.” Bob gave the ski top marks of 5 out of 5 for torsional stiffness, edge hold, overall impression, versatility, stability, and playfulness. 4’s were given for flotation, quickness, maneuverability, and forgiveness. This is a pretty high baseline of scores for a ski that’s pretty different from the rest. “I’m pretty darn impressed with the Sakana. I went into it with pretty different expectations than the reality that came out of my experience. It carves so much better than any other 105 mm ski out there, and a lot of it has to do with the tail, but also the short turn radius. Anyone who’s expecting a soft and mushy tail can go look elsewhere—this thing hooks in and holds on. On softer snow, though, that same tail feels a lot more playful than the stiffness lets on, so that’s another interesting aspect to this ski. You have to adjust your style a bit to accommodate what the ski does, but that’s all part of the fun.”

Matt McAlary skied the 181, and like Bob, had a hard time noting whether it was true to size or not given the different personality of the ski. He notes that “This ski carves very well on firm snow and floats well in deep powder. I had a hard time figuring it out in really deep spring slush towards the end of our testing day. I think this must have been due to its short radius. I feel like longer radii handle that type of snow better. Regardless, Line struck a balance of float, playfulness and edge hold that is hard to achieve. With an unfamiliar shape that might deter the common skier, I think a lot of skiers would have a blast on the Sakana should they be open-minded enough to overcome its unique and shapely profile.” Most of that block is mental, we think, as the ski is actually pretty intuitive if you come into it with an open mind.

Line is a very successful ski company in that it is able to create and build amazingly unique skis that offer a lot of things to a lot of different skiers. The Sakana is a very interesting blend of carving and freeride that not a lot of other skis out there can match. We love the sharp turning ability of the ski combined with the playfulness of a modern-day freeride board. If you’re looking for something different that rips, take a square look at the Line Sakana.