Line Bacon 108 Review

This season I was able to test out the all-new Line Bacon 108. The Line Bacon’s have dominated the ski market for as long as I can remember and this years edition has some major upgrades. The Line Bacon 108s are playful, poppy and just wonderful for fresh snow and laps all around the mountain.

Line Bacon 108 Flex

The Line Bacon 108 have gone through a complete redesign making them a more progressive ski then ever before. Possibly the first thing I noticed was the spring and flex in these skis. They are loaded with pop and can butter all day long. This combination is great for jibbing all over the mountain and floating effortlessly through powder. But what about the other stuff?

How Stable is the Line Bacon Ski?

I was pleasantly surprised when the Line Bacon 108’s held their own on groomers and felt quite stable at high speeds. The skis have great dampening and there is almost no chatter even on harder snowpacks. I believe the excellent dampening comes from the new Bio-Resin construction which I will discuss more below. This ski also performed well in the park even with the wider underfoot.

Where I didn’t love the flex was on moguls and highly technical skiing on harder snowpack. Because the tip and tail are so playful, the energy transfer from the back of the ski to the front of the ski isn’t great for technical terrain. If you catch yourself slightly backseat around a turn the ski will not pop you back to an aggressive stance. The tails will likely just continue to flex.

Overall, I would bring this ski to the mountain on powder days, softer days and for cruising around with friends. While this ski doesn’t preform great on technical hard pack, this ski can stomp big powder landings all day long.

Line Bacon Featuring Bio-Resin Technology

The Line Bacon 108s are beautifully constructed skis that are built to last. This years edition are built with the new Bio-Resin technology which results in better bonding and improved cold temperature toughness. I also believe this Bio-Resin along with the Maple Macroblock core is responsible for the skis excellent dampening and playful pop. I haven’t ridden any ski quite as poppy and smooth as the Line Bacon 108.

Thin Tip and Thick Cut Sidewall

On top of the excellent durability of the Bio-Resin, the Line Bacon 108s come with a beefy sidewall, thicker base and better tip and tail bonding. In other words, these skis are bullet proof. The Thin Tip technology is a result of the a more durable glass on glass bonding technique. This decreases the weight of the tips and results in easy spins and great maneuverability.

The Thick Cut Sidewall and Fatty Base and edge are also a game changer. This technology decreases the likelihood of a blown edge and results in a much longer lasting ski. The deeper base also dramatically increases the durability of the ski and allows for a much longer tuning lifespan. Surprisingly, I found the skis to be reasonably light and wonderfully maneuverable even with these features.

Recommended Mount of Line Bacon Skis

I typically mount my skis anywhere from 1 to 3 cms above the recommended mount. This allows for better switch performance (skiing backwards) and a little more tail for landing off cliffs and other features. The Line Bacon 108 recommended mount however is already progressive and closer to the middle of the ski then normal. I would recommend sticking to the recommended mount for this ski. The ski skis switch wonderfully and can stomp landings from the recommended mount.

Specs

• Shape: 142-108-137
• Weight: (G/Ski) 2180
• Sidecut Radius Avg (M): 17.4
• Stance Back From Center (mm): -40
• Profile (Tip-Waste-Tail) (mm): 12-2-12
• Flex Pattern: Symmetric
• Wood Core Material: Maple Macroblock
• Geometry: Single Radius
• Base Depth: 1.7mm
• Ski Construction: Thick-Cut Sidewall™
• Edge Dimensions (mm): Fatty Edge 2.5 x 2.2

Line Bacon 108 Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Playful and poppy for fresh snow.
• Stable at high speeds on groomers.
• Excellent durability with Bio-Resin technology.

Cons:

• Not ideal for moguls or technical terrain
• Energy transfer in turns can be lacking
• May not perform well on hard pack

Overall Impression

The Line Bacon 108 Skis ($749.95) are a wonderful all mountain ski for a variety of conditions. I would specifically recommend these Line Skis for softer days and making the mountain your playground. This ski has wonderful dampening, durable construction and a flex like no other.

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