[The Line Bacon 108 was treated to new graphics for the 24/25 season but is otherwise unchanged from its launch in 23/24. This review was originally published in May 2023.]
All of the Bacon.
For a decade, the Line Sir Francis Bacon has been a type of coveted, culty skis that construct a faithful following amongst skiers. Cool high sheets, cool title, enjoyable, and pretty distinctive on the snow—it’s straightforward to see why individuals appreciated it. This ski tester owned a pair of the 2014 model (the blue tree, when you’re within the know).
It’s at all times fascinating to see how manufacturers strategy overhauls of legendary fashions. Line’s transfer? Extra bacon.
Line Bacon 108 Evaluation: Subject Notes
The brand new launch drops the “Sir Francis” (sorry bud), provides a mannequin (the brand new Bacon 115), and incorporates a revamped development. In keeping with Line, the Bacon 108 is extra sustainable and extra sturdy than the earlier model.
How, you ask? Through the use of extra bio-resin and fewer plastic, Line is pushing ahead with extra sustainable ski constructing. Plastic comes out of the ideas, the place it’s changed by glass, which bonds higher and lowers the skis’ swingweight. Line calls this “Skinny Tip” tech, and the brand new suggestions do look fairly a bit slimmer than common. That cup must also enhance sturdiness. So, too, ought to Line’s Thick Lower Sidewalls. Further materials underfoot ought to enhance edge grip (a la Salomon’s Double Sidewall) and make the skis more durable.
Checking further tech specs, a pair different numbers come out. The skis’ 17.4-meter radius (within the 184cm dimension) retains in keeping with the quick radius from the earlier model. Notably, although, the brand new Bacon is, effectively, thick minimize. It beneficial properties weight versus its predecessor, weighing in round 400 grams heavier at 2,180 grams per ski.
So, what does all of it do on snow? Let’s bounce in. Notice: I stand 5’7″ excessive and weigh a pair IPAs north of 160 kilos. I skied the 184 cm and the 178 cm for this take a look at at Loveland Ski Space and Crested Butte.
Groomers
One shocking function of the Sir Francis Bacon was its groomer efficiency. For a soft-flexing and playful mid-fat ski, it may type of rail. If, that’s, you don’t object to carving wider skis with progressive flex patterns.
The brand new model can too. It feels rather more damp underfoot, because of that additional heft and added supplies. Laying trenches with a centered stance was a downright blast (so long as the snow was soft-ish). Driving the shovels, you discover the decreased mass and gentle flex up entrance, and within the 178cm dimension, I felt near going OTB greater than as soon as. My suggestion: Keep centered and lay into these puppies with the whole lot you’ve bought. That pronounced sidecut and progressive flex will present you a superb time.
With including sturdiness, the additional beefy sidewalls—which is turning into a design pattern I can get behind—additionally enhance edge grip. I skied the Sir Francis Bacon many instances down the windswept higher reaches of New York’s Whiteface Mountain, so I’ve felt the purpose when its edges had been performed gripping. Although all my testing of the Bacon 108 was performed within the West (and never on a lot ice), I can confidently inform you the distinction is an enormous one. The brand new Bacons really feel rather more dependable underfoot on agency stuff.
Bumps and Timber
One take a look at the Bacon 108’s deep rocker strains and you realize it’s going to pivot and smear. So when it’s good to scrub velocity, slash a wind drift, or throw them sideways to keep away from a shark, the Bacon 108s will facilitate. I had a blast descending chalky bumps down Crested Butte’s Headwall, the place these skis’ meaty platform felt planted and dependable. Their low swingweight and pivot-ability gave me a whole lot of confidence negotiating steep, tight locations and altering my line as-needed. Underfoot, they really feel extra like a big-mountain ski than the Sir Francis Bacon, because of the additional mass.
In gentle, extra forgiving bumps, the Bacon 108 was additionally a blast. Preserve a dynamic, shock absorbing ski-position, and so they provide you with a pleasant mix of stability underfoot with playfulness within the suggestions and tails. The sidecut profile helps maintain them nimble reasonably than clunky.
In agency bumps, these suggestions get deflected a lot simpler. You continue to can maintain onto your line because of the stable platform under you, however loads of skiers will choose a extra constant and predictable flex sample for this sort of terrain. Particularly, they’re the parents who wish to ski bumps quick and straight and assault the fall-line no matter snow situations.
Powder and Combined Snow
I had the nice fortune of snowboarding the Bacon 108s on a powder day at Blister Summit, the place I took them into Spellbound Bowl for some recent steeps, airs, and tree photographs. That is the type of terrain the place the Bacon 108 actually thrives—the playground zones.
Once more, I dig that stout platform underfoot for landings and spicy spots (and whenever you get your self into hassle). The tails aren’t probably the most supportive amongst skis on this class. However you do commerce tail stiffness for pop and play. Whenever you’re airing the whole lot in sight with gentle snow flying round you, the Bacon 108 hollers from underneath your ft to remind you that that is how snowboarding is meant to be—enjoyable! Like, who really cares when you wheelie from time to time? I’m no steeze-master, and my nostril butters don’t look fairly even once they often work, however the Bacon 108 is made for snowboarding free and free.
When situations pattern towards chop or heavier pow as a substitute of soppy and lightweight, you discover that the Bacon 108 desires to be skied extra exactly. It’s not the kind to blast the whole lot out of its means. Reasonably, it likes to skip throughout the highest by way of gentle chop and edge or smear round heavier, mankier snow piles. Once more, I believe the flex sample, mass distribution, and sidecut profile have quite a bit to do with that. The Bacon 108 likes to be pushed with a centered stance that engages the platform underfoot. It prefers to be turned—carved or smeared—reasonably than straightlined. In different phrases, it likes to be doing one thing reasonably than simply pointing it.
Whenever you do have interaction the ski and bend it, you get a surprisingly exact, vigorous journey with a singular really feel. The Bacon 108’s quick radius and low swingweight mixed with that planted really feel underfoot encourage dynamic tip-and-go snowboarding. Slice and cube, child!
Draw back
Nothing new right here. The oldsters who might not get together with the Bacon 108 are those preferring (or demand) a stiffer and extra supportive journey within the suggestions and tails of their skis. If jibbing, airing, smearing, slashing, or slicing ‘n dicing imply nothing to you, the Bacon 108 most likely isn’t your ticket to journey. Or, at the very least, not your one-ski-quiver. I’d argue that if having two skis on this class is a actuality for you, the Bacon 108 is a candy selection because the extra playful, zesty possibility. Assume area of interest reasonably than common.
Backside Line
Even with all of the aforementioned updates, the Bacon 108 targets loosely the identical skier that the Sir Francis Bacon did—adventurous freeride skiers who wish to mess around and discover. By rolling out the Blade Optic collection a 12 months in the past, that are constructed with metallic and extra directional shapes than the Bacon, Line gave themselves some room to experiment with the Bacon redesign. They landed on a ski with extra character that’s extra distinctive, but arguably rather less versatile, in contrast with its predecessor. In a world the place it’s straightforward to really feel like all of the skis are the identical, the Bacon 108 stands out. That by itself says one thing.
The individuals who will benefit from the Bacon 108 as a one-ski-quiver are the parents who often ski gentle snow, like softer skis, and strategy the mountain with a free and playful type. In that context, they’ll discover it extra succesful in most snow varieties than numerous comparably fun-oriented skis. The place I see the Bacon 108 becoming finest, although, is as a sidekick to your each day driver. A option to pattern a brand new spicier taste and add selection to your winter. Thick minimize, please.
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