The largest growing segment of the ski market for the last several years is all about going uphill. Alpine Touring (AT)—where skiers climb uphill then ski down, forgoing the need for a chairlift—has seen consistent growth in both participation and gear sales with no signs of slowing down. And it’s easy to see why.
Lift ticket prices have swelled to a staggering $209 per day at Vail and it’s rare to find a resort anywhere in North America that charges less than $150 for a day on the mountain. Meanwhile the rise of the so-called Mega Season Pass (such as Epic and Ikon) has clogged lift lines around the country, inspiring one Outside Magazine op-ed to suggest "The Mega Season Pass Is Killing Skiing.” As lift tickets grow more expensive and ski areas get more crowded, the backcountry beckons.
Luckily the rise of participation in backcountry riding has seen something of a renaissance in the design and development of AT equipment. There are more brands in the AT market than ever before, with gear growing lighter, more user friendly and—most importantly—fun to use on the ride down.
Despite the increase in options and users, prices for AT gear remains high. The cost of an AT setup—including skis, boots, bindings, and skins—comes to around $2,000. Whether you’re just getting into touring or you don’t log as many days on snow in the resort as you’d like, investing in a dedicated backcountry setup can be hard to justify.
To help offset costs, many skiers are increasingly looking for one-quiver setups that are AT-ready but still rip hardpack and the occasional park lap inbounds. And the freeride pioneers at Line Skis are paying attention.
2020/21 Line Vision 108 Freeride Ski
The Vision series is geared toward expert-to-advanced skiers who expect their equipment to keep up with their speed and terrain choice. We put the Line Vision 108 to the test on a range of conditions from the backcountry of Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains to inbounds at Alta and found it to be stable at high speeds in everything from chopped up powder to zamboni’d East Coast style ice. The secret ingredient to the Vision’s rip-ability lies in its core construction.
Dubbed by Line “THC Construction” (sorry, no weed jokes here fam) the core is packed with a proprietary blend of carbon, Kevlar-like military grade aramid and fiberglass. The result is a ski that’s incredibly lightweight and responsive yet sturdy. The old backpacking saying that a pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back holds true, especially when you’re schlepping up a 30-odd degree slope in (hopefully) a foot of new snow.
Thanks to the ski’s high tech construction the Vision 108 weighs in in around 3.2 kilograms (varying slightly based on length). That’s comfortably in the ballpark of comparably sized touring skis from competitors like Black Diamond and Salomon, but this ski is designed to enjoy the ride down, too.
Moderate tip and tail rocker ensure easy float when the snow gods deliver. The 108 underfoot is the middle of the pack in the vision lineup (there’s also a narrow 98 and a pontoon-esque 118). In deep snow we found the Vision 108 quickly planed to the surface while remaining playful for slashes and airs.
While the Vision 108 leaves little to be desired in perfect snow, it really shines when conditions are sub-par. On wind-scoured hardpack and chopped up days old snow, the Vision 108 knows no speed limits and rips on edge like a World Cup race ski. While we wouldn’t subject such a ski to the abuse of rails and boxes, it handles park jumps with ease and the subtly raised tails are turned up enough for switch take-offs and landings.
