09 Line Blend Mounting Point

[umby]

I just picked up a pair of 2009 Line Blends in 178. I am 5' 11" and 180lbs. I ski mostly on the east coast in the trees. These are going to be my powder/soft snow skis. I do not ski park too often so I do not want to go center. The recommended mounting point is 78mm back from center. Does any one have any experience with mounting points on these skis? Any advice would be appreciated.

[wolfelot]

I have a well-used pair of these in 178 cm length that I am mounting with some Naxo NX21s. I'll maybe ski park 5-10% of the time tops and was just going to mount them on the recommended line. Thoughts?

[wolfelot]

Surely somebody around here skis these.

[DRZ1050i]

Was going to get these until I got the Candide Pows.... I also asked around, seems -4 from true center is a popular mounting spot.

[bornincolorado]

mine work just fine at the recommended line, but I have the 18Xcm versions. decent cheap chinese skis.

[wolfelot]

^^^Thanks for the responses guys. EVC_CO, could you elaborate on what you mean by the "18xcm versions"?

Perhaps I misunderstood, but I'm not familiar with those.

Anybody else mount their Line Blends on the line with good results?

[DRZ1050i]

think he means he has the 183's, he just forgot the exact # but knew they were 180something....

You say you don't fuck around much in the park.... how much switch skiing do you do? Lots? Maybe go a little forward. Little? The recommended line will prolly suit you just fine.

[wolfelot]

Oh duh, they are 180-something. That makes sense. I'll be skiing switch quite a bit less than 5% of the time and going through the park less than 5% as well. I think I'm just going to mount them on the line.

Thanks fellas!

[bornincolorado]

think he means he has the 183's, he just forgot the exact # but knew they were 180something....

this

just bought the longest version available

[jetski]

I have had a few sets of those mounted at different points. Sounds like you should mount back slightly! The ski was designed as a go to everyday ski for freestyle minded shredders. Since that doesn't describe you mount .5cm back from the line. Trust me on this one. Half a cm doesn't seem like a huge deal but it will help you in the pow. On the line is fine as well if its too late.

[wolfelot]

Thanks Jetski. I'm putting them on the line since I'll rarely go into the park and I shall slay away! There were parkrats over on newschoolers talking about mounting them -2 from dead center (+6 from the line). I didn't think that was a great idea for me or really anyone for that matter.

[wolfelot]

I am pleased with my results after mounting them on the line.

[monkfish]

Can't find any better thread to bump for this ... My son got his first look at his '14 Blends (178), which were mounted on the recommended line, and his first impression is that they're way far back. He has not had a chance to ski them yet. He'll probably ski around 50% park (not hugely aggressive but plenty of rails & switch), and the rest lift-served East Coast pow/chowder/crud/corn with as much of that as possible being in trees and as little as possible on groomers.

I note the rec line is -40mm from marked center, compared to Line rec mounting points ranging from dead center for the Afterbangs to -80 or more at the pow ski end of their spectrum (see next to last page here). I also see that as recently as 2011-12 the Blend rec line was -78, with construction changes since then like capwall rather than sidewall. I think there's been a reduction in weight & swing weight, at least in part from introduction of their "ThinTip" thing where they supposedly shave 100g out of the tip & adjoining sidewall.

FWIW with boot in binding as mounted, the rec line appears to be the center of weight balance. I would think that's good for rails/spins/switch but what do I know about park.

I am counseling my son to try them and if they really don't work for him as is we'll redrill. Appreciate thoughts not only on mount point but what objectively he should be looking for when he does try them out, so we try to can isolate effects of mount location as much as possible without being able to adjust it.

(If my son has googled this, 'sup B)

[userA]

boy should ski them before making proclamation of too far back, esp. if you bought them.
b

[monkfish]

That certainly is a rational way of looking at it (16-yo's not always being rational; fine, I was there once), and no, no way I'm doing anything before he skis them. But this gets to the objectivity thing - how to evaluate the situation without his preconceived notions unduly influencing his observations and conclusions. How to know "I can't do X," should it come to that, really is because of the mounting position and not something else.

I think my weight balance observation and perhaps the fact that Line moved up the rec. line with reconstruction last year has helped open my son's mind a bit but the "park skis should be center-mounted" mojo may still be strong. In short, if there are any child psychologists here please jump right in.

[userA]

dentists you know, most athletic kids can adapt to about any set up, fine tuning will come with experience.
not a psycho here but a dad of mountain kid
right on staying involved and active with your son!
b

[kc_7777]

Hi,

We have had various Line Blends in our family (2011s and 2012s). They are an underrated ski and so fun, though a bit soft for mach speeds.

My 14 and 16 year old sons and I have had many discussions about mount points....they originally liked -0 for spinning, as the "park skis should be center-mounted" force was strong in them.

But now they are skiing really fast and they just lately have figured it out that center mount is great on a rail but sucks when maching over bumps and steeps. My older son is skiing some Belafontes at -8cm and loves them .....same kid who was only on park skis a few years ago is now telling me he needs a pair of 179 Hojis and 176 Governors cause in his words "I just want to go really fast and jump off sh*t".

And they do figure it out . My kid will ski Line Stepups (-0cm), 4FRNT YLEs (-2.5cm) and Moment Belafontes (-8cm) all in the same day. He doesn't care.

Re the Blends, I originally mounted a pair of 178s (2011s) at -7.8cm (rec) for me. They were great to goof around on in spring snow. Then I got some 183s (2012s) and found -6cm perfect (or +1.8cm from rec). But I don't ski backwards.

My sons have always skiied their older 173cm Blends (2011s and 2012s) at -4cm or -5cm (+2 or +3 cm), so it is funny to see that is where the rec is now (-4cm).

Tell your 16 year old son that my 16 year old son says that -4cm is perfect (cause your son won't believe you or me). At -4cm he can 360, ski backwards, and still rip on them outside the park.

K

[wolfelot]

I had some Blends from a few years ago mounted on the recommended line which I think was a little further back than it is now. loved them, but really didn't do much park with them. I think he will be totally fine leaving them where they are.

[monkfish]

Tell your 16 year old son that my 16 year old son says that -4cm is perfect (cause your son won't believe you or me). At -4cm he can 360, ski backwards, and still rip on them outside the park.

Now that's what I call actionable intelligence.

Thanks all.