About the LINE Honey Badger
Sometimes simplicity is the best way, and in a lot of ways, the Honey Badger is a simple ski - but it's a damn tough one too. Aimed directly at skiers looking to tackle the park and the streets, this member of LINE's 2020 range kicks things off with a sturdy Aspen Veneer core, which is impressively lightweight while being dense and extremely durable. The waist width of 92mm works so well for this type of ski because the slightly wider than traditional platform underfoot is super stable for sliding rails and boxes, while still being narrow enough to feel agile and lightning fast edge to edge.
That core gets a fibreglass wrap to boost its torsional stiffness, and it's all built into LINE's 4D Fibercap Construction. This build uses a topsheet that extends all the way around to the skis edge, cutting out heavy sidewall materials and also improving durability by removing the need for the vulnerable seams between those materials and the topsheet. Universal across LINE's freestyle range for 2019 is the new Tufftop Topsheet, which uses a more durable textured material to minimise the scratches and chipping that are so commonplace with any ski that's going to spend time in the park. Additionally, the extra thick Fatty base and edge make sure that when slams do happen, the Honey Badger can take it like a champ.
One of the best aspects of the Honey Badger is its snappy, responsive feel on snow. The medium-flexing full wood core and a healthy dose of camber through the majority of the ski are key in creating this personality, but LINE's Carbon Ollieband really takes it to the next level. This technology uses pre-stretched stringers of carbon fiber running the full length of the ski, adding masses of pop to the core to help you take your tricks bigger than ever. As it's also a fairly lightweight ski for its class, this also makes it a perfect option for jib skiing. With enough snap to get you up onto higher rails, to clear transfers or get plenty of air with your ollies, and a low weight that makes fast grabs, tweaks and taps smooth and easy to add a little flair to your spins on and off features. There's a touch of rocker in the tip and tail to help keep them catch free and to loosen the ski's carving performance too.
We're huge fans of the Honey Badger's combination of bomb proof durability and flowing park performance, especially since it's such good value. So if that's some of the qualities you're looking for in a ski, they're one of the best choices out.