2024 Line Bacon 108 Skis Review

Ride Impressions

Although I had demoed older versions of the ski, I approached the Bacon 108 with few concrete expectations. My quiver skews a little more directional, and I tend to go for a more moderate mount point - around 6-8cm back from center depending on the ski. While I appreciate a playful ride, I’m no park skier, and I like my skis to be damp, stable, and ready to eat up some crud. 

All-Mountain

With that in mind, I was immediately impressed with the Bacon 108’s ride quality on a warm, tracked out day at Alpental. The skis are noticeably more stable than previous versions, and feel much better navigating through piles of chopped up, tracked out snow. I put that partially down to the heavier build, which seems more capable of soaking up hits without bucking the skier too much. While I wouldn’t put them anywhere near the “straightline charger” category, they handle pretty well for an all-mountain ski dealing with varied snow conditions. The progressive mount point gives them a nimble, easy pivoting feel, which makes them extremely maneuverable in tight spots. I found it super easy to bring the tails around for quick turns through trees and bumps, and had no problem throwing them sideways to shut down speed.

Powder

In 8-12” of fresh powder, the 108mm waist delivered impressive float, although I had to be careful not to drive the tips too hard or risk going over the handlebars. The Bacon 108 doesn’t have a huge amount of tip rocker compared to some other skis at the same width, but the wide, soft shovels plane up on the surface fairly easily as long as you don’t overpower them. Unsurprisingly, these skis shine with a more neutral, centered stance, but they have a huge sweet spot that many skiers should be able to get along with. With a comparable amount of rocker at the tail, the Bacon 108 feels loose, playful, and easy to pivot in deeper snow. I had a blast slashing and slarving my way down the mountain. 

Groomers

As an all-mountain ski, the Bacon 108 needs to be able to get from A to B, and that means groomers. Luckily, it’s pretty damn fun! I found it very intuitive to initiate turns, with  camber underfoot providing great energy coming out of one turn and into the next. While it holds an edge just fine, the softer tips and tails mean that you won’t get the super engaged, locked in feel of some other skis. But that’s a-ok for a ski in this category. If you’re looking for something that’s going to pull you into a turn if you even think about pressuring your boot, you should probably look elsewhere. For everyone else, the Bacon 108 will enough to keep you satisfied as long as the snow isn’t completely bulletproof.

Playfulness

The Bacons have always stood out from the crowd for their poppy, playful personality, and the Bacon 108 is no different. This ski WANTS you to have fun, and you’ll quickly find yourself hunting for side hits, trannies, and natural features to boost off. The tail feels nice and supportive, and I was able to jump off small features without wheelieing out on the landing. While I can’t comment on pure freestyle performance, I did enjoy pressing off the softer tips and tails, and skiers with better buttering technique are bound to have a blast. Line’s focus on keeping swing weight low means it should do just fine for those that dabble in the park.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

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