2027 Line Optic 96

The 2027 Line Optic 96 gets a graphic change but returns otherwise unchanged. Versatility and power meet up nicely in the Line Optic 96. This ski has all you need for a successful and fun day on the hill, creating deep and clean carved turns to go along with a floaty nature for when things get deep. Line has been making incredibly fun skis for years, and now that they’ve established themselves in a variety of different applications, the Optic line is the next natural progression. For adventurous and aggressive skiers looking for a mid-width freeride ski that can handle it all, this ski is an absolute blast. At 96 mm underfoot, the usefulness and fun factors are both off the charts. While it has more of a twin tip style, there’s not as much park performance as there is freeride or all-mountain.

The construction of the Optic 96 is pretty sophisticated. Line uses a very innovative blend of wood and metal in this Optic 96. It all starts with an aspen veneer wood core, and these stringers of aspen combine to make a smooth and poppy ski that’s also on the quiet side. For the energy and weight, it’s surprisingly stable and silent. On top of the wood core, we get Line’s Gas Pedal Metal Overdrive laminate. This follows the layer that we see in the Line Blade, but with some more all-mountain-oriented tweaks that allow for extra power and damping skills. There’s a wide central spine to the metal laminate, with branches reaching off and to the sides. This allows for greater torsional stiffness and edge grip while keeping the ski surfy enough for soft snow and powder. One of the other interesting aspects of the ski is how they shape and mill the core to be thicker underfoot and thinner in the tips and tails. This practice aligns well with the metal, making the ski agile and maneuverable when you want it without losing power. In the 184, we're getting a weight of 2000 grams per ski, so while it’s getting up there in heft, it’s still not nearly as heavy as some other mid-90's skis with metal in them. Since most of the weight is in the middle, the swing weight is still quite low. The metal produces torsional stiffness and edge grip that’s not usually found in a ski like this. Tester Grant Weiler calls it “Super fun and incredibly responsive skiing. Exceptionally versatile as it was happy to ski any type of terrain and cooperate well in any type of turn. In fact, I couldn’t find one thing that it didn’t really like to do… After playing in some moguls and bumps and jumping around, I laid it down on edge on a groomer and found it confidence inspiring how well it held an aggressive turn.” It is a surprising ski when it comes to performance.

We are big fans of mid-90's underfoot twin tips around here. When you add the freeride shape and profile to the mix, it makes for an even more playful and floaty ski. At the same time, the metal and the thick underfoot zone allow this ski to carve fantastic medium radius turns. With an 18.3-meter arc in the 177, it’s right there in the middle-zone that puts more emphasis on the skier and their willingness to either let it run or tighten it up. Mostly, we’ve found that the ski is happy in the middle, and we’re cool with that, too. The rocker profile is ample enough to make it look like a freeride ski, with moderate to progressive splay in the tips and tails that lines up with the thinning of the sidewall to cap. This is on purpose, and it works to make the ski feel light and floaty in the ends while keeping it business-like in the back. Tester Caleb Carbonneau notes that “it was a fun ski for making long turns but in the bumps, it wasn’t as forgiving as I was hoping. I feel like this ski would handle great in terrain like glades and softer groomers.”

Line’s Optic 96 has an interesting vibe in that it both fits and and stands out. Given that it carves well, though, does not take away from its versatility in an all-mountain and freeride format. We’ve loved our time on the Optic 96, as it gives a think-free ski experience. It’s very natural and intuitive, showing you the way down the mountain without complaints or issues. What’s amazing about this ski is that it can be compared easily to other big-ticket skis like Blizzard Rustler 9 and it’s hard to find notable differences in performance and quality.