Line Sick Day 95 Review

Don't expect much from the Sick Day 95 as an all-mountain ski. Our testers agree that it lacks the versatility and all-around performance to want to use this ski on a daily basis or in any sort of variable conditions. Other than the highly powder specialized DPS Wailer 99, every other ski in this review was rated as being more versatile and generally more capable than the Line Sick Day 95.

Performance Comparison

Stability at Speed

The Sick Day 95 is a soft flexing ski that was widely reported to be chattery at speed and buckled in tough conditions. At high speeds and in rough snow it lacked enough stiffness to feel confident that you could keep it under control. We liked this ski in consistent, soft snow conditions at moderate speed. It was easy to turn and made smooth sliding turns as long as you didn't drive it too hard. At higher speeds it was easy to get sideways to scrub speed, but its soft nature left us wanting more to truly shut it down in tricky terrain.

Carving Performance

If you like sliding short radius turns at moderate speeds, this is a very approachable ski. It is quick to turn and doesn't mind making short turns thanks to its small radius turn shape. The more narrow waist and rocker helps with quick edge-to-edge energy transfer. The edgehold of the Sick Day 95 was scored as one of the worst in this review. Those who prefer sliding turns and don't mind missing out on the pleasure of high edge angle carves on corduroy may find this attractive. For a better dedicated wide waisted on-piste ski, consider the sports cars of this review, the Rossignol Experience 100 and the Blizzard Bonafide.

Powder Skiing Performance

Soft snow wasn't an issue for the Line Sick Day 95…as long as it was consistent. Tracked out snow and choppy conditions were tough for them. Again, the soft flexing nature of the ski made it feel weak and uninspiring when things got rough. For those small refreshing storms that offer just the right amount of new snow, a soft flexing, easy skiing set of boards like the Sick Day 95 can be a lot of fun to float around on until things got really skied up. It is true…95mm underfoot doesn't offer too much surface area for the deeper powder days of the year, so considering a slightly wider all mountain ski is a good idea if you tend to hunt down the softest and deepest stuff on the hill most of the time. If you're only out for first tracks or tend to ride storm days more often than not, pick up a dedicated powder ski.

Crud Performance

The Sick Day 95 got bucked around quite a bit in chopped up snow. The saving grace of the Sick Day 95 was thick spring conditions where the ski had a good time smearing through the mank, as long as you didn't mind keeping your speed down a bit. In refrozen spring conditions and other similar less than desirable conditions it felt chattery. We find stiffer skis feel more reliable in tough conditions where the ski can plow through rough snow sections.

Playfulness

The Sick Day 95 was one of the three most playful skis in our review, along with the Armada TST and the Volkl Mantra. The Sick Day and the TST were more similar in their playful nature, while the Mantra stood out as a playful ski for bigger terrain at higher speeds. The Sick Day 95 was even taken into the terrain park by one of our testers, where he said it was one of the better park skis in our all-mountain ski review.

The twin tip shape, rocker profile and narrow waist made the Sick Day 95 quick and loose in the turn. It adapted well to changing terrain shape as well as any ski in this review. As a lightweight ski it handled decently well in varied terrain where we prefer skis that are quick and agile. In soft snow, it is surfy and very fun in shallow powder conditions.

In tight, technical terrain the light weight of the Sick Day was its only high point. It is easy to throw around in little gullies and rocky sections. If jumping off of and slashing around on natural terrain features are your cup of tea, this ski can't really be beat. But, getting to those features can be a chore depending on the conditions elsewhere on the mountain. Pretty much any ski in this review would be a better choice for general off-piste skiing.

Bump Skiing Performance

Easy to ski, lightweight and soft flexing. These characteristics of the Sick Day 95 make it an okay bump ski. Bigger, stiffer skis like the Nordica NRGy 100 struggle in the moguls.

Best Application

Since this model is easy to ski, we would recommend it for intermediate skiers or people who like to ride park but want a ski that has a little more range than a typical park ski.

We all felt as though the Sick Day lacked many of the attributes we seek out in an all-mountain ski. Our more park inspired testers admitted that this would be the first ski they would buy in our group, but not for its all-mountain capabilities. For the sake of this review, we are most interested in and recognize skis that are more versatile than the Sick Day 95. The Top Pick Award winning DPS Wailer 99 is not perceived to be a super versatile ski either, but it is the best ski we tested for skiing in powder conditions. It held its own on firm snow and groomed terrain better than the Sick Day 95 too. The Dynastar Powertrack 89 is another more narrow waisted, turny ski in our review. It is stiffer though, and more reliable in tough conditions.

Value

This is not a versatile ski, therefore it is difficult to say that it qualifies as an all-mountain ski. We would prefer a pair that performs better all-around to get better recommendations for its all-around value.

Conclusion

For those who are light on their feet and seek out the most playful terrain on the mountain, this is a decent ski. More versatile skis were better received by our testing group, but we can't deny a place in the ski world for modified park skis. This ski's shape is fun, and maybe with a stiffer feel we would feel differently about it.