Line Opus: A Review

[good4nothing]

I've read a whole bunch of non-specific hype about this ski and seen a few semi-useful videos, so I figured that being 6 days deep into my relationship with this ski I would share my thoughts for anyone else with the opus on their radar. I'm a big guy who's not always that into turning a lot, so this ski is a major departure for me.

Me: 6'2", 215. SLC via CO with plans to evacuate back to CO, at least one big trip a year (BC, heli, etc). half touring - half resort, prefer to walk around when I can.

Skis I've really Liked:
- 186 Line prophet 130 09-10 edition - My favorite resort pow ski. ever. Flex, sidecut, camber, everything = perfect. I paid extra to have these heli'd into the Selkirks with me last year so I could have them for pillows/mini-golf, fucking love them
- 190 DPS 120 hybrid - Backcountry pow ski. Any shape turn you want, any speed you want. huge tip rocker= resort suck for me. With a pair of Plum guides: ultra-touring slayage.
- 195 Line Mothership - Best iteration of the XXL etc "mach fucking chicken" type ski. be ready to hold on to something.
- Armada ANT - lots of camber, very stable, rips in anything less than 4-6 inches resort-new. Too stiff and too much camber for any more snow than that, where it became a tail-gun vs tip-diving death machine.
- 18? Head mad trix mojo, 2-snake topsheet edition: center mount, nimble, poppy, fun. be prepared to stuff your tips and go over the bars in deep snow


My Opuses: 185, Plum Guides, mounted on the line (which I believe is -2cm from true center).

Initial off-snow impressions: Factory line is very much a center mount, lots of tail, not much tip. Subtley complex shape, kind of hard to wrap your mind around the early taper in relation to the rocker. Medium tip rocker, modest tail rocker, modest cambre underfoot. Hand flex seems soft, but if you pay attention it's all in the very tip and tail. They're stiffer than you think underfoot if you just flex the middle. Graphic is dope.

Conditions ski'd: marginal (Ullr is passed out on a couch somewhere this year?). 6 total days, 3 in bounds and 3 out. Best = 6-8 fresh walking around. Worst: 0" and warm temps 8 days running.

On-Snow impressions: Versatile. Amazingly versatile. The first thing that really hit me is how balanced a stance the shape/mount favors. These things are made for a very neutral skiing position, and as such are very responsive when you pressure the tips or sit back on the tails. This balance combined with the soft flex in the tips transistioning to stiff underfoot makes for a pretty crazy blend of nimbleness and stability. When you ski forward and pressure the tips in soft snow, the flex in the tips initiates a very tight turn, and the ski comes around so fast that they're really nimble in tight places. At the same time, in more wide-open soft snow, a more neutral stance brings the stiffness underfoot to bear, and the soft flex up front keeps the tips planing while you rail faster longer turns. Even with such a short tip given the center-mount, they float at low speeds while also managing to be stable enough to let you push them at faster speeds. I've had any number of skis that are either soft and super-floaty at low speeds but get overwhelmed at high speeds or are stiff and clunky at low speeds but come alive at mid to high speeds. The Opus pretty much kills it from 0-60 in the deep and lets you ski it very nimbley up front or more wide open from the middle in a way that makes it a shit-ton of fun.

The same thing is pretty much true in bounds, where the funny shape comes into play. Even with the tip and tail rocker, they still have a pretty long effective edge, and since the rocker is fairly moderate, you don't have to lean them over at extreme angles to put all of that edge on the snow. The ski seems to gets stiff in the front pretty close to where the sidecut contact starts, so even at high speeds in chopped up chunder, the ski rails on edge. Also, since you're standing right in the middle of the sidecut with not-a-ton of tip, they're really quick edge to edge and easy to throw around.

py backcountry snow conditions this year have also been pretty intresting on this ski, which I specifically bought to fill the "more nimble and easier to ski on a marginal conditions touring day" spot in my quiver. Specifically, they're still fun in hard conditions (the 120 is decidedly not in my experience), and they don't hook up in crusty conditions. This last part is a big one for me, as a lot of the newer generation big-rocker, traditional sidecut skis kill me when they hook up all over the place on crust.

The same traits that make it so nimble do come with a speed limit though, and definitely require you to stay balanced enough that you may be punished for getting sloppy. I have a tendency to get lazy and straightliningly mach-schnell my way through the runout on chopped up resort days, and these are not as stoked about that type of behavior as something like the 130 is. If you were on little cloud on friday watching as I harrowingly watched my non-braked ski rocket down the hill after tomahawking x3, you know what i'm talking about. Still, I can set them on edge in a super-G type turn and they go back to railing at anything that's sub-warp speed. The same is true in deep snow, and I've also managed to stuff a tip being too far up front at mach speed after a long touring day when I was getting sloppy. Hard to fault the ski on that one.

Overall impressions: The Opus is an awesome ski, and is kind of making me feel guilty for owning many other pairs of skis. It's fun, playful, and will surprise you with it's stability. It favors a very balanced stance, and will reward you with a huge performance range if you can stay centered and drive it. It floats like a champ. If you want to straightline everything and sit in the back seat, it is not your ski. All in all, it would probably be the perfect one-ski-quiver for a western skier, and with the Plums, you could have a pretty dope do-everything in bounds and out setup. Score another point for Line and Eric Pollard, both of which are pretty much killing it right now.

[teosickrider]

Thanks!
It looks like it could be a good ski for the Alps too, as we don't ski powder all the time.

[sklar]

Have about 6 days on mine, too.
Love them, this review is spot on.

To add, these things are sweet on hard stuff, too. They can lay down some real nice turns

[Karl May]

Really solid review! Covers everything one needs if wanting to buy these.

[BluBird]

I have to agree with your complete review. I only have a few days on mine, but your review is spot on. I have a feeling this will be my go to ski for several years. One thing I would mention is that it does ski a little short, I'm 5'9" 155lbs aggressive skier and I wouldn't even consider anything but the 185. Great ski, can't wait to get more days on it!

[agwat1111]

Great review. Looking forward to trying a pair

[Jiehkevarri]

. Graphic is dope.

Seconded. Fondled those in the local shop the other day - and have to say I was impressed on the graphics. The overall quality seemed very fine too...

Line has really gone a long way from their first ("snowbladish") offerings. I've always been a huge EP fan but only lately diggin' Line skis. Opus is really their first ski I'd consider buying!

Thanks for the review.

[Mountain Relish]

One thing I would mention is that it does ski a little short, I'm 5'9" 155lbs aggressive skier and I wouldn't even consider anything but the 185.

These do look great, but it is this that worries me. For the more variable Alpine snow it would be nice to have something a bit longer. It is such a shame that Line is not making anything longer than 186cm at the moment.

[userA]

unless your huge tall, 186 is a fine ski even at mach n luny imo
obbyf

[MJbumper1121]

I demo'ed a pair, and have to agree with everything you said. It is amazing how nimble/agile these skis feel given their size. I am looking to pick up a pair for an AT setup.

[mtskier]

if any mags are in missoula (or passing through) we have a pair of Opus 185cm w/ Jesters for demo.

http://backcountryfreeskier.com/demos.html

[Line_Skis]

solid review! Thanks! We're super pleased with the outcome. When EP said for his new model he wanted to go skinnier and stiffer we thought he was crazy, then after hammering through the development we came up with a great ski. As for the mounting point, if a very neutral surfy feel isn't what you're into, you can bring the midsole back a big for a more traditional mount and they still rip. Thanks again!

[Line_Skis]

These do look great, but it is this that worries me. For the more variable Alpine snow it would be nice to have something a bit longer. It is such a shame that Line is not making anything longer than 186cm at the moment.

192 cm Opus coming out next year as well as a 192 Influence 115. We got taller

[MJbumper1121]

^^ Awesome!

[agwat1111]

Anyone on these been on a pair of Bibby's? If so comparison? Thoughts?

[Sessiøn]

192 cm Opus coming out next year as well as a 192 Influence 115. We got taller

Oh my. Sounds hot.

[Jiehkevarri]

As for the mounting point, if a very neutral surfy feel isn't what you're into, you can bring the midsole back a big for a more traditional mount and they still rip

Thanks. That's good info.

I have Armada JJs 185cm mounted on the recommended line (-5cm from the true center I guess) and Atomic Bentchetlers (tele) 183cm, mounted on the "traditional" line (which I remember is also -5cm from the true center).

Love both of those skis and the -5cm from center gives really good balance IMHO. But I am currently injured and get to ski again on march. I was considering buying these skis then (186cm), just as a personal "cheer up present" And selling the Armadas to a friend, so he can rip while I am sidelined. But the question: how do you think the Opus compare to JJs and Chetlers - should I mount on the line or go a few centimeters back, for all mountain and "sidecountry" use? Thinking about buying a pair of Barons for these or even the new F12s, might huck some easier/lower cliffs or try to find some natural features for an occasional 360 but not any technical freestyle or huge air for these skis I guess...

(I am about 6feet, about 180 pounds, mogul background, like to drive the tips but kind of used to center mount and more neutral stance cause I still ski park quite a lot...)

[good4nothing]

192 cm Opus coming out next year as well as a 192 Influence 115. We got taller

Sick. The longer influence 115 will be a welcome addition, especially after the mothership went away.

[Mountain Relish]

A 192cm Opus sounds amazing. How frustrating that it will only come out next season. My Motherships are being warrantied, and I have to decide what to replace them with, and this would have been such a nice fun option.

I should add that Line are replacing the Motherships on the basis of photos as it would be hard for me to return them. They have been a great ski while they lasted, and Line have been amazingly helpful, and kind in sorting this out for me. They really have been a pleasure to deal with (I think there was a thread about companies with great customer support, but I think it has a place here as well).

[Mountain Relish]

192 cm Opus coming out next year as well as a 192 Influence 115. We got taller

Sorry this is slightly off subject, but can you say anything about any other changes to the Influence 115? In the 12/13 gear thread there is a suggestion it is changing significantly.

[Dickeymotto]

192 cm Opus coming out next year as well as a 192 Influence 115. We got taller

Out of curiosity, how does the Influence 115 compare to last years Mothership? I'm on the 185 Mothership now and absolutely love it. From what I can tell, the Influence is a bit lighter but seems slightly less burly.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

[Line_Skis]

Sorry this is slightly off subject, but can you say anything about any other changes to the Influence 115? In the 12/13 gear thread there is a suggestion it is changing significantly.

yes changed significantly..we took the feedback of what it lacked, stepped back and figured out what a 115 waist big mtn charger should be and made necessary changes. Basically added features and concepts we succeeded with in the Opus. Creating a happy balance of rise/taper while still having more active edge to carve on the crud/groomer/not-powder (read: not skiing on skiboards with big floppy tips). Hope that gives some insight..all questions will be answer come SIA time.

[Line_Skis]

Out of curiosity, how does the Influence 115 compare to last years Mothership? I'm on the 185 Mothership now and absolutely love it. From what I can tell, the Influence is a bit lighter but seems slightly less burly.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

Influence hooks up a bit more and isn't as planky/burly as the Mo'Ship. Sure dudes who like big ass crazy skis and 10 ft tall Norweigians loved the Mothership, but it wasn't a practical ski and didnt fit in the line, hence it's dimiss. RIP Mo'Ship.

[XavierD]

yes changed significantly..we took the feedback of what it lacked, stepped back and figured out what a 115 waist big mtn charger should be and made necessary changes. Basically added features and concepts we succeeded with in the Opus. Creating a happy balance of rise/taper while still having more active edge to carve on the crud/groomer/not-powder (read: not skiing on skiboards with big floppy tips). Hope that gives some insight..all questions will be answer come SIA time.

Sounds sexy

[userA]

is there some type of bar i can mount on my EP pros to get the flapping to stop?

just kidding

glad opus solved this nuisance
bobbyf