Freeskier Trendbook '15 - LINE SKIS

FREESKIER

TREND BOOK

LINE

S // ERIC POLLARD P // ALEXANDRA ERICKSON

SIR FRANCIS BACON Getting a full re-design for 2015-16, the Sir Francis Bacon is part of the elite Eric Pollard collection and features the ultra-light Cloud Core blend of wood and composite materials. The ski is damp and stable but will have you feeling agile as you pop off pillows and nose butter your way down the hill. $880

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LINESKIS.COM

FREESKIER

TREND BOOK

THROUGH THE EYES OF ERIC POLLARD “Every brand needs a visionary,” says Line’s global brand director, Josh Malczyk. At Line, the person who has been filling that role for nearly 15 years is freeskiing pioneer, filmmaker, artist, ski designer and prophet, Eric Pollard. “He lives and breathes this sport and is always looking 10 steps ahead,” says Malczyk. The brains behind revolutionary skis like the Prophet 130, Elizabeth, EP Pro and Opus, Pollard has helped develop nearly all of Line’s most innovative technologies—five-radius sidecut, Thin Tip and Early Taper—during his decade plus of involvement with the brand. “His signature is on almost everything we make,” adds Malczyk. “As he’s gotten older, he’s only gotten better. He completely understands everything that makes a great ski, a ski that’s applicable to the rest of the world.”

When Pollard isn’t attending regular sales meetings, he’s tinkering with cardboard ski models at his home in Hood River, OR, or out testing the latest prototypes. It’s this commitment that has led Line to hand the keys over to him for a brand new 2015-16 collection. Using technologies developed in the 124-millimeterwaisted Magnum Opus—balsa wood and flaxseed Cloud Core and Line’s most refined tip shape and early-rise profile to date—the company will release two totally new models, the Mordecai and completely redesigned Sir Francis Bacon, next season.

“Anyone looking to take the creative line down the hill and incorporate slashes, butters and airs in all conditions will gravitate toward these products,” says Pollard. The Bacon, now at 104 millimeters underfoot, becomes a true all-mountain tool with impressive agility and quickness, while the Mordecai offers similar characteristics in a wider platform for those out West or those who prefer the feel of a bigger ski. In Pollard’s own words, these new skis will “transcend categories” thanks to their ability to both float in deep snow and set a clean arc on hardpack.

model built with a traditional wood core. And after nearly four years of development, Pollard feels the new tip shape and early-rise profile implemented throughout the collection are his most versatile yet, providing buoyancy in pow without creating excess drag.

Of course, both the Sir Francis Bacon and the Mordecai get a fresh and original EP paint job while the Magnum Opus retains its beautiful graphic.

“This is Eric’s vision. He knows what skiers need better than just about anyone,” says Malczyk.

“Eric set out to inspire a specific type of skier, but he’s done so much more with these new models. And after years of working together, we completely trust him.”

The new Eric Pollard collection rounds out a diverse and calculated product offering for 2015-16 that includes the fun and surfy Sick Day Series along with the hard charging Supernatural series.

Cloud Core technology, the most noticeable improvement, allows the skis to be up to 30 percent lighter than a similar

TIGERSNAKE The all-new Tigersnake is a light and lively freestyle ski that devours the mountain without chewing. It features bombproof Fatty Base & Edge, carbon-fiber stringers for extra pop at an accessible price point and also benefits from early rise, early taper and ThinTip Technology, resulting in ultra-low swing weight. $440

SICK DAY TOURIST You’ve gotta get up to get down and the Tourist is made for BC shredders who want a lightweight ski that doesn’t sacrifice performance. Its directional flex and featherweight Cloud Core are perfect for human-powered missions. The ski’s notched tail enables easy skin attachment—perfect for use with Line’s new Snakeskins. $960

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