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  • 96 Line Skiboards

    Ok, I've been waiting a long time to be able to do this review. I purchased a pair of original 96 Line skiboards off of ebay over a year ago, and I finally got a chance to ride them yesterday up at Jay Peak. These boards are the first model that Jason Levinthal and company produced, and I believe they are one of the first full production skiboard models. What's interesting about them is that they look nothing like the other Line skiboards that most people have seen. They are about 87cm long and 16cm wide with very abruptly upturned tips. I'll try to get a picture posted up at some point.

    On to the review...

    As I mentioned, I rode these up at Jay Peak on the second day of the Jay Jam. They performed incredibly well, and handled the abuse I put them through with nary a wimper. The conditions ranged from windswept ice on the groomer to untracked knee to waist deep powder in some of the glades. The short length and wide width meant that they had an almost perfect combination of maneuverability and float to tackle the glades at Jay.

    Groomers:
    There were some groomers that did have decent coverage, and I was able to put the 96's through their paces with both low and high speed carving. At higher speeds, the short length is very noticeable with a skittery feeling and a lack of edge hold compared to longer boards. At slower speeds, they were excellent, and I enjoyed cruising on them. Like other wider skiboards like the KTP's and Condors, they don't like to be run flat. Staying at least a little bit on edge is best.

    Powder:
    Most of the glades we hit had been tracked pretty well by the time we rode them, but there were still plenty of little stashes to hit. The 96's float quite well, but like other short boards, weighting the tails is key. Towards the afternoon, we dove into some really tight woods and found some nice big stashes of untouched powder. The 96's had enough float to easily get my 200lbs down through the trees, and the maneuverability made navigating the tight spots fairly easy.
    Last edited by CrazyBoy-1; 02-14-2010, 06:15 AM. Reason: Corrected length to 87cm
    RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

  • #2
    ...continued

    Moguls: We really didn't hit many moguls, and I suck at riding them anyway, so I don't feel that I can give an accurate rating in that area. However, I will say that they were easier to ride through mogul area than some other boards I've used.

    Park:
    I don't go to Jay Peak to ride park.

    Overall impressions:
    I mentioned to a couple of the other guys that the 96 Lines reminded me of the KTP's a good bit. They are shorter and a smidge wider, but they do have a similar feel to the. Personally, I don't really see how Line went from a excellent wide-bodied design like this to the skinny stuff they produced later on. These boards are 14 years old, and I was keeping up with guys on KTP's, ALP's, and BWP's with no problem. Had they continued to produce this model and maintained a wider design with other models, who knows how Line would have done as a skiboard company.

    Final thought:
    If you ever happen to come across a set of these boards, buy them. You will not regret it.
    RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

    Comment


    • #3
      Fascinating review . Crazyboy-1 . please do post a picture ... I never heard of this skiboard and am really interested in skiboarding history ... I never heard that there was an 89cm board this wide in the early days ... really interesting ....

      seems I remember a while back that Roussell was also able to get a 90 cm super wide skiboard produced overseas in China a while back ... I seem to rememeber it was also 160mm wide like the Condor .. , do you still ride that thing Jason ??

      ps .. sweet signature ... a fellow JEDI , I see !

      "Revel8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always."
      Boards :
      Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
      Boots
      K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
      Bindings:
      Zero Pro Non release Binding
      Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
      Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
      Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
      Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

      Comment


      • #4
        Yeah, nobody at the Jay Jam had ever seen or heard of these boards either. If you search the forums, you should be able to find a thread someone started about Line skiboards that has links to scanned brochures. The first one was from 1996, and it featured just this model. I've also seen another article somewhere about the history of Line skiboards that had a picture of JL sitting in his shop next to a whole rack of the original 96's.

        I forgot to mention why I had to wait so long to ride these boards. They are so old that they don't have the standard 4x4 insert pattern. I had started working on an plate to attach them to regular bindings when I got laid off from my job last year. My new job doesn't allow the use of machines for personal projects, so I thought I was out of luck. It turns out there is a mill and a lathe in the tool room that people occassionally use for "g jobs." I was able to make two plates that bolt into the board in place of the riser for Bomber bindings. I then just attached a set of Bombers, and I was good to go. I'll also take a picture of the risers and post it up.
        RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

        Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

        Comment


        • #5
          I think this is a picture of Jason Levinthal at the first SIA sports show with his first 1996 model which is the one you have





          it is from Line skis " our story " on their web site
          http://lineskis.com/our-story

          Hey CrazyBoy , any twintip newschooler you meet who gives you any kind of lip .. just tell them you own a museum piece , the very first Line twintip ski ever made and it remains in super rideable condition ... just refer them to the line ski web site for more info !
          Boards :
          Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
          Boots
          K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
          Bindings:
          Zero Pro Non release Binding
          Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
          Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
          Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
          Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

          Comment


          • #6
            That is the exact model. I had forgotten that the binding system was so different on those boards. That explains why the insert holes are so much further apart. I'm wondering if the lack of a base plate affected the performance of the boards. I'd think that having the sole blocks mounted directly to the boards would make for a less solid interface with the boots as the boards flexed. With the Bombers, I had no trouble whatsoever.
            RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

            Comment


            • #7
              He totally beasted everything with those boards.

              Though I liked his initial draft for the review better.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yeah he seemed to ride 10x better on those boards than he did on his condors, they were pretty awesome
                Revel8 ALPdors
                Gold Revel8 Receptors
                Kneissl Flexon Pro Boots

                ____
                ____
                Be who you are, it makes you charismatic...
                If life's not beautiful without the pain, well I'd just rather never ever even see beauty again.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I think part of my success on Sunday had to do with getting used to Jay again, but the shorter boards were definitely better suited to the tight glades we were running. The Condors are awesome, but in a way they were too much for the conditions. The Lines are kind of like mini-Condors.
                  RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

                  Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by CrazyBoy-1 View Post
                    ...I had forgotten that the binding system was so different on those boards. That explains why the insert holes are so much further apart...
                    Thanks for the review Tim, that's good stuff and interesting these performed so well. It sounds like you impressed some folks with them. So, these boards have inserts but a different spacing that 4cm x 4cm? Anxious to see pics of your binding adapter set-up.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I found this fascinating old interview by Jason Levinthal about why the first production model was so wide

                      "the first real production model was really, really wide. There weren't many of them, but they were what we thought as being the best of the time. That was at the time, I don't know what you would call it, it was kind of like a 70's design. They ended up being half the length of a ski and half the width of a snowboard. I was basing it more on snowboard width, it was really, really wide. And the tips weren't that high, but somehow we ripped on them. There's stuff still on our website which is really old in the videos still from those boards, Mike (Nick) was pulling misty flips on them, somehow, I don't know. Now I can't ride them, but back then we thought they were the best things in the world."

                      http://skiboarding-lifestyle.8m.com/levint.html

                      For me , the move back toward the super wide bodied skiboards again with the width in the tips and the tails and the waist being almost exactly one half of a snowboard in width again is really one of the most exciting developments in skiboarding . Chop a snowboard in half and cut down the length ... yeah !!!

                      I really think the Condor and the KTP wide bodies like the original Line skiboard really bring something special to the sport . Jason Levinthal apparently felt that his original Line skiboard was too wide and too hard to ride for most riders and went to a narrower design . For me the super wide bodied design really bring something special to the sport , just amazing stability underfoot in variable terrain that belies the short lengths . Yes 1/2 the width of a snowboard on either foot ... super cool !!
                      Boards :
                      Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                      Boots
                      K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                      Bindings:
                      Zero Pro Non release Binding
                      Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                      Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                      Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                      Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        very interesting indeed! I would love to have a piece! The most interesting thing I find about these are the fact that the first "Cheapy's" that I bought off of cl are called "Crazy Blades" by "Crazy Creek"

                        The only info I can find on these are that Crazy Creek was a snowboard company that made Alpine boards. Other than that there is nothing.

                        they are not Twin Tips. They are about 13.5 cm's to 14 cm's wide at the tip.
                        What I find interesting is the binding. It looks to me to be very similar to the Line boards.

                        I have no idea when these boards were made. I cant find any info on Crazy Creek after about '96?

                        who knows.

                        Deff want a pair of those lines tho!!!
                        Attached Files
                        '11 DLP
                        '10 Condor / Black Zero Pro
                        '10 KTP
                        Journey boards and bindings
                        '09 Tansho / FF-CAMS (GF's)
                        Line Five-O (GF's)
                        Groove AF1 / Groove cheapy's
                        and not to forget my beloved first boards... Crazy Blades!!!!
                        A big ass PA system, so lets throw a f*cking party!
                        www.f1rstclasscitizen.com

                        Full Tilt - First Chair

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I forgot to comment more on the bindings. They are 2 pieces. with 8 holes. I would assume they would fit any 8 hole binding set up board out there. such as the line Dark Horse boards. I didn't find them to be that bad (ofcourse they were the first boards I used) but instantly felt a HUGE difference when jumping on my journeys for the first time. But overall the biggest difference was the rubber dampener between the binding and the board. Jumping on these "Crazy Blades" was fairly painful on the landings!

                          Another thing to attest to the age of the boards. the graphics are quite pixelated! but then again I see current products that have the same ailment!
                          '11 DLP
                          '10 Condor / Black Zero Pro
                          '10 KTP
                          Journey boards and bindings
                          '09 Tansho / FF-CAMS (GF's)
                          Line Five-O (GF's)
                          Groove AF1 / Groove cheapy's
                          and not to forget my beloved first boards... Crazy Blades!!!!
                          A big ass PA system, so lets throw a f*cking party!
                          www.f1rstclasscitizen.com

                          Full Tilt - First Chair

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            i got the pic of this skiboard Tim was riding =)

                            it's right next to KTPs so you can compare the width and length easily
                            Attached Files
                            2011 Receptor Gold on 2010 KTP and DLP

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Thanks, Jeaho. I was hoping someone else would have pictures of the boards from Jay.

                              I took some pictures of the boards and the binding setup, but I won't get a chance to post them up til this weekend most likely. Bear with me, I have no computer right now, so I have to wait until I visit someone whose computer I can use to upload stuff.

                              Hey Bill, do you recognize anything else in that picture?
                              RVL8 Condors - The Flex will be with me, always...until I break them

                              Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!"

                              Comment

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