Sakana Skis 2021

About the LINE Sakana

The latest addition to LINE's Pollard series, the Sakana is the little brother to the Pescado powder ski from which it gets it's swallow-tail shape. The original Pescado was the brain child of LINE athlete Eric Pollard- best known for his pioneering role in twin-tipped powder skiing. The Pescado took a fresh look at his super-playful style of backcountry and powder skiing with a directional shapre that allowed it surf and perform in powder differently to other skis, and now the Sakana takes that outlook and applies it to a new skinnier all-mountain shape which has skiers everywhere can't wait to try!

Aiming for true all mountain versatility, the Sakana uses a 105mm waist that's extremely happy swiotching between firm and soft snow conditions. One of the really key design aspects is the tight 15m sidecut radius- when this is combined with the extended effective edge created by the swallow tail and directional flex which softens in the tip, the result is a ski that is amazingly intuitive and flexible in the range of carving turn shapes that it makes.

Inside the ski, a full wood core combining Paulownia and Maple woods allows the ski to remain impressively lightweight, but with the stable and smooth flexing qualities expected from a full wood ski. That core is reinforced with a new composite technology called Carbon Flax fibres. Flax is a natural alternative to fibreglass which is stronger, lighter and more renewable. These fibres are laid up in stringers that run from tip to tail, and add to the pop and rebound qualities of the ski, working perfectly with its majority camber profile to deliver a style of skiing that's quick, agile and energetic. All of that's built into a capwall construction, using sidewall over the edges to promote edge hold on firm snow while using a cap construction over the sidewall which reduces weight and improves durability.

Of course, a crucial element of all-mountain skiing is how the ski performs on deeper days, too. The Sakana uses a similar wide nose shape to the Pescado, featuring a rockered profile that allows that portion of the ski to float and plane in soft snow amazingly well for a 105mm waist ski. The traditional set back mount point allows the skier to drive and surf the tips in this way, assisted by the cutout tail shape which allows the rear of the ski to sink slightly creating a surfy feeling in 3D snow environments.

With its unique combination of features, the Sakana is one of the most playful directional skis on the market. Its agile nature makes it perfect for sunny spring days, carving around slushy bumps or popping over them, while its stability and edge hold are suited to holding fast, exhilarating carves across groomers and firm snow. When those aspects are combined with a surfy powder performance and a weight low enough to be used as a 50/50 style touring ski, the result is a ski with a huge range of possible uses and an on-snow feel that's just plain fun, and guaranteed to turn heads all over the resort.