2025 Line Sakana

This ski just keeps coming back for more accolades. Line has some of the most progressive and interesting shapes in the industry, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in the 2025 Line Sakana. Fortunately, this ski remains structurally unchanged for this year, and even more fortunately, it gets an enormous upgrade when it comes to graphics. This year, each length gets a different form of a bandana-style graphic. From a placement perspective, it’s very difficult to say where this ski fits in with the rest, as it has no peers, and there’s no real other ski in the world that can do what it does or look the way it looks. Sakana is a ski unto itself, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of riding down a mountain on it, we strongly suggest you find a way. The combination of attributes in this ski does not make sense. We pair a wide footprint with a short radius and a swallow tail and end up with a totally remarkable ski that is very hard to define. That’s truly the best part—there's no real way to define it, you just have to ski it.

While the shape mostly takes top-billing, there’s still something going on with construction. Built with a blend of aspen and paulownia in the wood core, the ski has a mix of light weight, energy, and smoothness. Paulownia is normally thought to be just light, but it’s also got some stiffness to it as well. The aspen quiets the ski and makes it chatter-free and fun-loving. Additionally, we’re getting a strip of Carbon Flax Tape to stiffen the ski without adding much weight. This central strip gives the ski a ton of rebound and energy while keeping the middle smooth and stable. The swallow tail can be included in both shape and build, but for the build side of things, they use metal in the tail to stiffen the end of the ski. It’s a lot stiffer than you may think, making the finish of the turn very satisfying and strong. That said, it’s still only 1770 grams per ski in the 174, keeping it on the lighter side for how well it carves. Tester Bob St.Pierre states that “the Sakana is a one of one type of ski. This thing lights it up on groomers and motors through crud and chop. I’d ski this thing every day, and I may just do so when I retire.”

The shape and profile of this ski are very paradoxical. A 105 just shouldn’t be able to turn like this, but it does, and it’s one of the stranger overall ski sensations out there. In no way should a ski with dimensions of 150/105/138 be considered a front side or even an all-mountain ski, but that’s just the way it is with the Sakana—it does not fit in any kind of box that you try to put it in. Not only that, but the radius is a paltry 15-meters in the 174, making it a short turning ski, not just a well turning one. The wide shovel also has some taper to it, adding to the soft snow and flotation aspect, and it also has long and low rocker. There’s some nice positive camber underfoot, but the tail is pretty darn flat, and given the swallow tail, it’s also squared-off in a weird type of way. The longer effective edge contributes to smoothness, while in deeper snow, it lets the shovel ride up and stay on top of the snow increasing flotation. St.Pierre continues, noting that “carving on a 105 isn’t something everyone just wakes up wanting to do. Line force feeds you this amazing shape and profile and expects you to like it. One taste, though, and you’re hooked.”

It’s tough to call this ski versatile, but it does it all. It’s very difficult to confidently say that it’s a perfect one-ski quiver for a wide variety of skiers. The reality is that it’s something different altogether, and there’s no good way to label it at all. In that light, all we can say is that it’s progressive, fun, active, agile, unique, crisp, and individualistic. It’s versatile, but not in a traditional way. As a matter of fact, nothing about this ski is traditional, and for those who love it, they wouldn’t have it any other way. The one of one Line Sakana is a must-ski for any free-thinking skier.