2027 Line Sakana

The 2027 Line Sakana gets a bit of a refresh for this year, with more of an emphasis on freestyle, creativity, and smoothness. We’ve always noted that the Sakana is a cheat code in an on-trail format, and that no 105 mm underfoot ski should carve nearly this well, but now we’re seeing more of a multi-dimensional aspect of the ski that should take it even further into cult status. This allows it to be a playful and surfy ski with a lot of surface area. While some psychos may feel the need to ski this thing backwards, we’re just so darn thrilled with how it works forward.

Length166 · 174 · 181cm

Side cut

150/105/138 mm

at 174 cm length

Turn radius

15 m

at 174 cm length

Recommended terrain: All-Mountain, Freeride, Groomers
Ability level: Advanced, Expert
Rocker profile: Rocker/Camber
Construction: Paulownia Maple Wood Core, Fiberglass, Carbon, Sintered Base

These skis are built with a blend of paulownia and maple. From our experience, these two woods could not be more different. The stiffer and lighter paulownia plays off the heavier and more flexible maple to create a unique and righteous blend. Sakana also uses a carbon flax tape along the central chord of the ski to add stiffness and smoothness. They've also made the move into the Thick-Cut sidewall realm which is found in the Bacon and Chronic series to maximize edge grip and power transfer. Even so, Line states a weight of 1770 g/ski in the 174 so these are light enough to be mobile and agile.

The Rocker / Camber / Rocker profile of the 2027 Line Sakana

In addition to the alterations in construction, we also get a more playful and creative shape. The sidecut dimensions on this ski are kinda wild, with a split of 150/105/138 that creates a paltry 15-meter turn radius in the 174 cm length. It hits that radius pretty easily as well, as long as you’ve got the balance to stay up on a high edge angle and run the ski through the long effective edge and feel the smooth power and control involved. With an added emphasis on playfulness this year, the Sakana gets a more turned up tail, for what we can only assume is a boosted priority on freestyle use. Interestingly, they don’t list this added tail as part of the rocker in the catalog as they are still claiming zero rise in the tail. Our guess is that they don’t measure from the swallow portion to the very end.

Fun, surfy, poppy - this ski was just a joy to ski without any of the demanding input required of the Optic 104.

These skis still maintain their alien-like qualities, and we think that’s a good thing. Skis should be different enough to please more users, and the Sakana offers many use cases and applications that no other ski really can. Now with the added bonus of a kicked-up tail and a stronger underfoot zone, the Sakana is more polyvalent than ever before. These can help skiers who are looking to carve and make clean turns but also want to expand their boundaries and become more exploratory in nature.

Tester Reviews

3 testers reviewed the 2027 Line Sakana

tester:

Matt McGinnis

Ability: Expert
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180
Days / Year: 65
Age: 35
Years Skiing: 23. Also insane.

Chargey, sendy, and seeking transitions. But now that I'm 35...also calculated. I'm not saying yes to every hit anymore, but if the snow is soft and the landing is good, I'll send it.

Ski:

2027 Line Sakana Skis

Size Tested:

181 CM

Location, Terrain, Snow Conditions Notes

Cliff trail to nose dive to lift line, loose granular

Did this length feel short, long, or just right? Would you recommend sizing up or down, or does it ski "true to size?" Would you choose this length for yourself?

Just right

Scores

Floatation:9/10

Stability:7/10

Quickness:9/10

Playfulness:10/10

Forgiveness:10/10

Edge Grip:7/10

Versatility:8/10

Overall:9/10

What's your first impression of this ski? How did it feel?

So it’s important to note that I skied this right after the Optic 104, as the two skis have a lot in common on the spec sheets. Similar length, similar width - the Sakana has a slightly shorter turn radius. But, the builds themselves are completely different, and so too was the riding experience. The Sakana is a ski that’s nothing but fun to ride. It’s relatively soft, has a super wide shovel, and a swallow tail. You look at this ski, and you immediately know that it’s going to be incredibly playful. As it turns out, sometimes you really can judge a ski by its cover, because the Sakana proved to be exactly that. Fun, surfy, poppy - this ski was just a joy to ski without any of the demanding input required of the Optic 104. Overall, I just found this ski refreshing for its playfulness.

For what type of terrain would you recommend this ski? Why does it perform well in that terrain?

I could see this ski being really fun in tons of snow conditions. The shovel would make it super fun in powder while also enabling it to handle chopped up trail conditions. Likewise, its aggressive sidecut leads to a low turn radius which would be really fun on fresh groomers. I will say, they likely have a speed limit, so fast and firm days might not be the best for these, but if the snow is soft, the Sakana is good to go!

What's the appropriate ability level and/or style for this ski? Why is it appropriate for that type of skier?

This is the rare ski where I think anyone from intermediates up would have a lot of fun. They aren’t a hard ski to ski, and their playful nature would allow intermediates to feel the joys of skiing. For advanced riders too, the Sakana is an opportunity to leave the ego behind and just enjoy a carvey, surfy, poppy form of the sport. The Sakana isn’t about speed, it’s about fun.

If you could change anything about these skis, what would you change and why?

Just a *little* more rise in the tail to make switch skiing less scary. They ski switch, but I could see the snow flying up at the lowest point of the V. It was a little disconcerting.