Line Sick Day 94 Review

Are they called Sick Day because they are the skis you should grab on a day you call into work sick, or because you're guaranteed to have a sick day on them at the resort? Either way, Line has made a ski that has the potential to be fun, given the right conditions. We tested the Line Sick Day in a 186cm, and it skied every bit as long as they sound. While they do have a slight early rise in the tip and tail, it is hardly noticeable, and the camber underfoot is more influential on the skis style.

The Sick Day lineup is revamped from its predecessor. The skis are now lighter weight but handle in a relatively similar manner to the Sick Days of old. Fans of the previous versions should be delighted at the upgrade.

Performance Comparison

Stability at Speed

This is one category where Line improved the Line Sick Day 94. Their Carbon Magic Fingers, which are thin strips of carbon fibered laid within the core of the ski, help dampen vibrations as you begin to pick up speed. The Sick Day 94 began to be overshadowed by the other skis regarding stability when snow conditions firmed up. The carbon fiber is only strong to a point, and though the ski is fairly damp, it just doesn't compare to the smooth rides of skis like our tope performers in this category.

Carving Performance

Carving is another strong suit of the Line Sick Day and that is due partially to the reduced amount of tip taper compared to previous versions. That leads a greater effective edge and better edge hold. Like some others with minimal rocker, these skis feel a bit long, and that led to our testers favoring long arcing turns on them

What the Sick Day lacked in this category compared to our top performers was energy. The ski seemed to lack the power and pop felt on other skis while carving, but remained very consistent, which was its saving grace.

Crud

The gem of all of our testing categories…crud. You either hate it, or you tolerate it. The Sick Day hated it. The Thin Tip technology was no match for our crud-loving testers. Although the skis occasionally felt damp, the consensus from our testers was that the Sick Day wasn't up to the challenge they put them through. Like some of the less damp and softer skis we tested, the Sick Day rarely seemed to absorb the vibrations from the chunder, and the tips were easily deflected.

Powder

Although they were not our top choice to take out in powder, were sure to test these skis whenever Mother Nature delivered a sick pow day. The Line Sick Day performed just below average in the soft stuff. This ski just didn't feel lively in fresh snow. It did have a similar amount of float to skis of the same width but lacked that fun surfy feel of those with a more evident rocker profile. Even though they are lighter than last years version, our testers agreed it was a bit hard to maneuver quickly. Once again, the ski felt longer than our testers had imagined and felt a bit unwieldy in the pow.

Playfullness

Playfulness is a characteristic we've come to expect from the Line brand of skis. The Sick Day aren't what we would call “dead”, but similarly to some others we tested, they lack a liveliness that we saw in skis that scored tops in this category.

Landings on the Line Sick Day were generally soft, but they lacked the pop our testers desired when hitting a jump line or boosting a side hit. Also, although they reduced the weight of the Sick Day line, they still seem heavy in the air. Although it scored low, you can still make your own fun on this ski.

Bumps

As you've seen in other categories, the Line Sick Day feels longer than the 185cm we tested it in. Long skis that feel a bit heavy and hard to maneuver don't often make good bump skis, but people used to ski 200cm straight skis and still zipper bump lines, so it's not impossible.

Our testers likened the Sick Day to a slightly slower Rossignol Experience 88 TI without the benefit of full rocker in the bumps. If all you do is ski 1,500ft mogul runs all day, you might want to look elsewhere for your everyday all-mountain ski.

Value

These skis are the cheapest pair we tested, checking in at $500. Not bad for a pair of skis that can manage the majority of the terrain that your mountain has to offer.

Conclusion