Line Opus or SFB

[kc_7777]

Hey,

First post here.

I currently ski 185cm 2011 Line EP Pros. Really love 'em.

I have previously owned the 2010 183cm BentChetlers and 2011 185 cm Armada JJs. The Chets and JJs were nice too.....these have been sold to buddies. I just really like the centred feel of the EP Pros.

I also have a pair of 2010 Sir Francis Bacons in 172 cm (no early rise, more edge) mounted with Marker Barons as my backcountry/tight tree ski. These feel short.

I know I have a problem but I love skiis.

I really love skiing my EP Pros in anything except ice. My question. I am looking for a second ski,to complement the 2011 EP Pros....and replace the 172 2010 Bacons (and maybe even replace the EPs?).

I do like really wide skiis even on hardpack. And I really like Line skiis (have also owned the Blends in a 178cm).

1. Do I add the 2012 Line Sir Francis Bacon (140/108/136) OR the 2012 Line Mr Pollards Opus (144/118/141) to the EP Pros?

I'm thinking the 185cm Opus could really replace both my current 2010 SFB and the 2011 EP Pro?

2. But IF I keep the EP Pros.....should I then go Bacons....if so, what size Bacon (178 or 184).

The reason I ask about the 2012 Bacon length is I figure the Bacons have less early rise than the Opus, so a 178 Bacon should have similar running surface/effective edge as the 185 Opus? The 2012 Opus have less early rise than the 2011 EPs so may not feel as short as the EPs. But that is fine. The 185 EPs turn super quick.

I am thinking a 2012 178cm Bacon may feel approx. same in length as the 2012 185cm Opus due to its less early rise.

Or do I just go 184cm in Bacon too? Anyone skiied the 178 vs 184 Bacon in the 2012s. Do they feel that much different.

Me: 5'7", expert skier, 170 lbs, mostly ski Mt Baker, WA (30 days+).

Any thoughts on this perplexing decision?

Keith

[hafilax]

I bought the 2012 SFB 184 as my do-it-all ski but haven't skied the Opus or any of the other skis you mentioned. I put up a review of the SFB a while ago if you search. The width and rocker profile fit what I was looking for as a compromise between deep snow and tracked out in bounds performance. I also wanted a ski that would handle steep and hard conditions well. Felt the Opus was too wide and had too much rocker and is better suited to the deep snow side of things. The Opus is also designed on the 5 dimension end of things like a JJ or S7 whereas the SFB has more conventional dimensions making the effective edge reach the tips when on edge. A lot of people seem to like the Opus on hardpack but you have to take into account their expectations for that performance. To me, the SFB is as fun on groomers as my old white Goats were.

I'm about your size and wouldn't get the 178 SFB. The 184 handles great to me and I don't see any advantage to the 178 especially if you mount them on the line. The ski length in front of the foot is really short on these skis at the recommended mounting point.

If you want a pow ski that handles non-pow well and only one pair of skis then the Opus would probably be better. If you really like the EP Pros in the deep and want something for hardpack and crud busting days then the SFB might be better.

[userA]

check out praxis skis from truckee before you buy china skis

[Karl May]

check out praxis skis from truckee before you buy china skis

Yes, I agree with that. There's many smaller companies that make awsome, and probably better skis than chinabuilt Line skis, even though they do make good skis as well.

[kc_7777]

I don't see any advantage to the 178 especially if you mount them on the line. The ski length in front of the foot is really short on these skis at the recommended mounting point.
.

I hear ya hafilax. My 172 SFBs are mounted on the line and look way short in front of the boot. Thinking I will pass those 172's down to my 14 yr old son soon anyway....or try to sell them. And when you look at the diff of 178 to 184, the 6cm diff is only 3cm in front which is really nothing. And better to be too long than too short.

A 2011 185 EP Pro and 2012 184 Bacon quiver would pretty much cover everything for me.

[kc_7777]

One more question.....

Anyone know how much more early rise in the 2012 SF Bacons vs 2011 SF Bacons? thx

[Line_Skis]

Thanks for the Line love! Not going to get into this but to clarify yes our production is in China, in a sweet state of the art factory and everything is developed, tested, prototyped ect in the Pacific Northwest. Sounds like adding the Opus would be the best bet. The SFB rips however if you like real fat skis on hardpack the MPO is where it's at. There's much more effective edge that other comparable models at that width which will help arching turns out of the powder.

[maxwell666]

Honestly I don't really care where the skis are made as long as the people making them get a fair wage.

[kc_7777]

Hey thanks,

Funny thing. I just had a guy over to the house today who is doing some kitchen renos for us. He has a 16 year old son and I talked him in to buying my 2010 172cm SFBacons (which are looking short after being on the 185 EPs this season) without the Marker Baron bindings. With the short SFBs gone I plan to put these Barons on a new pair of the 185cm Opus's!

I figure the Opus will be my everyday ski, and the EP Pro for when it is really really deep.

A tech question for the Line dude?

I was reading the 2011/12 Line ski specs. It shows the "running surface" in mm for the 185cm Opus as 1542mm and for the 184cm Bacon as 1515mm.

How is running surface measured?...and how does the early rise tip/tail of 25cm x 15mm for the 185cm Opus and early rise/tip tail 20cm x 10mm for the Bacon come in to this "running surface" number. Does it mean effective edge. Just curious?

Thanks,

KC

[TheDon]

I would go Opus, I rode it a few days last year and it KILLS it. Such a sick ski. I think you'll throw your EP's in the trash once you ride it.

[userA]

the ep's won't end up in the trash imo, they are fun in the slush and deep pow for those days you just want to ride sideways.
line dude, i like the karhu team 100/prophet, got 400 days on em,as well as my 2010/11 ep's, just want to support the local economy.
bobbyf

[kc_7777]

Just ordered the 185cm Mr P's Opus.

Decided that I just like fat skiis, love the EPs and the Opus's sound like they are as fun but can do more. Going to mount with Barons for sidecountry at Mt Baker, WA.

Will post an Opus (vs EP Pro) review in a couple of weeks!

KC

[Harry]

Will post an Opus (vs EP Pro) review in a couple of weeks!

Looking forward to reading your review.

[time2clmb]

You have to demo the Influence...it's fucking sick. I rode a buddies 179 a few days ago and went and purchased the 186 that night. Sick skis so far in chalkly wind buff, rip on groomers, variable resort crap, hit some pillows with them today and some pow.

Thanks for the Line love! Not going to get into this but to clarify yes our production is in China, in a sweet state of the art factory and everything is developed, tested, prototyped ect in the Pacific Northwest. Sounds like adding the Opus would be the best bet. The SFB rips however if you like real fat skis on hardpack the MPO is where it's at. There's much more effective edge that other comparable models at that width which will help arching turns out of the powder.

I now have the EP's and the Influence...Line skis are the tits.

[kc_7777]

Well….2012 Opus vs 2011 EP Pro quick review!

Finally got on my new 185cm Opus’s today (144/118/141). Had them mounted with Marker Barons.

Yesterday I skied my 185cm EP Pros (151/127/150), which are mounted with Marker Griffons.

Both the Opus and the EP are mounted on Line’s recommend line (-2cm from true centre). Feels like a perfect spot.

Me: 5’7”, 175 lbs, skied my whole life since I could walk, ski 30+ days per year, like to go fast everywhere, trees, steeps, natural pipe, groomers, in shape but am getting old (45 yrs), spend the day chasing my 2 sons (12 and 14 yrs) and their buddies. They never slow down.

Conditions: Mt Baker, WA….wet, packed powder yesterday, some ice patches underneath. It cooled down and snowed 8” while skiing today making for awesome packed and windblown/fresh powder conditions.

History: I like to buy year old stuff (my buddy owns a ski store and I take his older stock), then ski it for a bit and then sell it to buddies. I have previously skied/owned in the last few year: 2006 Gotamas, 2011 Line Blends, 2010 Sir Francis Bacons, 2010 BentChetlers and 2011 Armada JJ’s.

I currently just own the 2011 EP Pros (bought at end of last year) and just bought the new 2012 Mr Pollards Opus (sold my 2010 Bacons and 2011 Armadas).

I have never really “reviewed” skiis before, but I would say a couple of things. No need to search any more. The 2012 Mr P’s Opus is a great one ski quiver. I really think that there is no need to keep owning the “fun” EP Pros (they are mint and for sale!). The EPs are fun in soft conditions….but there was no noticeable dip in “funness” going to the Opus today. The Opus rips, and is so easy to pop off little moguls, or ramps. You can basically do anything you could do on the EPs but at more speed, with more comfort/stability.
The Opus was really stable in the powdery, big bumps, but it does not feel “stiff” to me. Big bonus is you do not get thrown as much as the EPs which are really bendy, and hard to go fast in variable snow (packed powder, ice, bumps) and the EPs would sketch out if you hit an icy patch . The Opus holds way better in the variable stuff.

The last few runs today were in boot deep, windblown powder and the Opus’s just felt great. They are so easy to turn, carve or slash just like the EP. But the 185 Opus does not lose anything to the wider girth of the EP as the Opus’s tips never dove under at all as they really seem to just release perfectly in deeper snow. You just ski them and the ski keeps you nicely balanced in whatever depth of snow you are in. And the Opus rips groomers.

That’s it for now. Might update this review a bit later. Bottom line is skiing the Opus I never really had to think about the ski whatever I was in (bumps, powder, wind blown stuff) they just did it.

PS If you want some mint 2011 Line EP Pros (9 days on them) lemme know? Thinking $275 just for the skiis plus shipping = approx. $340 delivered to the US?
Marker Griffon bindings also available. Putting them on craigslist and ebay shortly.

PS PS -time2clmb Which Influence were you on....105 or 115?

K

[good4nothing]

I reviewed the Opus here, and pretty much agree with everything you said. Amazingly versatile ski. You'll only get more stoked the more time you spend on them.

[hafilax]

I have the SFBs and now I'm curious to try the Opus. Had a great day on Whistler yesterday with pockets of knee deep snow. I find the Bacon great in all conditions as well. I'd love to do a comparison.

[Donnyuga]

I have the SFBs and now I'm curious to try the Opus. Had a great day on Whistler yesterday with pockets of knee deep snow. I find the Bacon great in all conditions as well. I'd love to do a comparison.

I rode both this week at breck. I'm about 5'6" and 190lbs (I know I'm fat but I'm working on it). We just got about a foot of heavy fresh and I rode them 1 and 2 days after. I could find some fresh stashes up off of the T-bar so I got em both into boot deep. The opus is the most fun I've ever had on a powder ski. It has plenty of float and doesn't have that plowing feeling like I got with the S7 I was on during the actual powder day. It just worked. Low speed and higher speed turns and it planed amazingly fast. Then I was able to just mach the groomers back down to peak 7 and 8. I was looking back and I didn't see any skid in my tracks like I got with the S7. Just solid trenches. I was also blown away how easy they were to zipper line moguls. I really didnt' expect a ski that big to be that easy to ski. My only complaint is that at my height they to take more effort to roll over on edge on hardpack.
The SFB was just fun from the first turn. They are extremely lively unlike previous years ski (just my opinion on the last years skis, which felt damp and dead to me). They rail the groomers at any speed as well, laying trenches just like the opus. Oddly enough they didn't feel as planted in the carves as the Opus did but were still amazing. I managed to get them into some untracked heavy boot deep as well up off of T-bar and in ore bucket and they seemed to handle it fine. I was actually surprised at the amount of floatation they had. They handled moguls very well too. There seems to be a negligible weight difference between the two ( I was on marker griffon demos on both skis).
Choosing between the two is actually a bitch of a choice. Ideally I'd like to have both. SFB as a daily driver and then using the Opus on the deep days. With my height and the fact i'm planning on dropping 20lbs I'm thinking of going with the bacon due to it being easier to put on edge. I really don't think that the Opus would be that much different overall, but my legs definitely weren't as dead at the end of the day on the bacon. On the day I rode the bacon I actually had the opus on hold for me back at the shop. I ended up riding the bacon all day and didn't bother going back for the opus.
My recommendation would be: Opus if you're over 5'7" or 5'8" and Bacon if you're a shorter guy like myself. Or if you are able to have the quiver then buy both and put quiver killers in. I'm actually considering doing that down the line myself.

[PowTron]

All I know is that the 2013 Opus looks AWESOME, and it comes in a 192

Sorry, continue your discussion.

[endure]

I like the white better than the black. 192 is great

[kc_7777]

I rode both this week at breck. Choosing between the two is actually a bitch of a choice. Ideally I'd like to have both. SFB as a daily driver and then using the Opus on the deep days. .

Hey Donnyuga,

Great review, nice to ski both skiis I want in the same day. I have the 185 cm Opus now and some $ from selling some EPs and Armadas and some extra Griffon bindings sitting in the garage.

So I am looking for a daily ski when there is not much fresh.

I want to make the right decision here....I am considering the 105mm waisted Line Influence 105, 98mm waisted Line Prophet 98 and the 108mm waisted Line Sir Francis Bacon.

Given how much I like the Opus I have a question about sizing for a daily driver ski?

My thinking is that the Prophet/Influence use a more traditional stance from centre with a -7.7cm from True Centre mount position (ski looks/feels longer in front). With that back mount position I find skis feel longer. I had some 2011 Line Blends in 178cm mounted -7.7cm from centre and they "felt" longer than my 185cm Opus mounted at -2cm....probably due to tip and tail rocker on the Opus. Whereas, both the Bacon and Opus mount at the same centered stance at -2cm from True Centre.

So I would likely go 179cm in the Influence or Prophet (5'7", 175lbs) due to the more back mount position. Both only have early tip rise: 20cm x 4mm early tip for Influence and 20cm x 2.5mm early tip rise for the Prophet.

Did you ski the Bacon in the 184cm length? I am assuming the Opus you were on was the 185cm (seems everyone from 160 - 200 lbs is using the 185 cm Opus).

I see that the Bacon has less tip/tail rocker (Bacon has 20cm x 10mm) than the Opus (25cm x 15mm). Again, just wondering if a 178cm Bacon would feel similar in running length to a 185cm Opus due to the reduced length of the Bacon's early rise in the tip and tail compared to the Opus? (20cm on the Bacon v 25cm on the Opus).

Or am I just thinking way too much (I teach Accounting at University) and should just get a 184cm Bacon based on my weight of 175lbs. When I look at 6cm for a basic centre mount and imagine 3cm in front and 3 cm in back it's really nothing.

Just wondering if anyone has anyone skiied both the 178cm 2012 Bacon and the 184cm 2012 Bacon? Much difference in feel?

Thanks,

K

[Donnyuga]

I rode the bacon in the 184 and the opus at 185. I won't go to a ski under 180 again. Just not enough running length. I haven't ridden the prophet so i can't comment on those. I did find it kind of strange looking at the long tail under my feet and the shorter looking tip. The ski is balanced really well there though. You honestly won't notice the center mount. I didn't notice any difference in the turn radius between the two. Line reports the bacon at 17.9 vs 17.4 on the opus. For me it was just the ease of getting up on edge that stood out. And if you are looking for the daily driver I would go bacon. It really is the mythical one ski quiver 95% of the time. I want both skis myself. Bacon for every day and the opus for when it gets over my boots.

[hafilax]

What I like about the SFB design is that when put on edge, the effective edge is the same as a traditional ski. It doesn't have that JJ/S7 tiny ski effect. The Opus does have that going on but to a lesser extent, so yes the SFB will ski a little longer on hard-pack. I'm 5'8" 160# and have the 184 SFB and wouldn't go shorter without moving the mount point back. I'm thinking the Opus may be in my future for next year.

Sent from my GT-I9000M using TGR Forums

[kc_7777]

I rode the bacon in the 184 and the opus at 185. I won't go to a ski under 180 again.

Ya....I think in the world of tip and tail rocker 185cm is the new 175cm.

I may pull the trigger on Bacons .....or Influence/Prophet? Time to mull it ove for a week.

K

[powder_prophet]

Ahh, so when a ski bum gets a real job, this is what happens! 4 pairs of skis since 2010, and full-on over-analysis of each. hehehe.

Just to reiterate: SFB is more the daily driver. Opus for blower.

I have the 105's as my everyday ski (literally, I use them everyday day). Wish I had a full-on pow ski, but that'll have to wait till next year (192 Opus!!). If you have any quesitions about the Influence, feel free to shoot a pm. But I don't have any experience with the SFB.