Blends vs Honey badgers

T

theoj901

New member
I'm 5'5, and am in the market for some really playful, buttery skis. I was thinking on either blends or honey badgers, but only to find out that blends don't come in anything smaller than 171. I don't know much about sizing but I assume that would be a bit too big for an intermediate/expert skier like me? I'm also worried about honey badgers strictly containing me to the park, I've had some smaller/skinny skis in the past hold me back in light powder and boy is that not fun. Hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. :)
 
line skis are fun garbage

I like to compare them to a Chinese condom actually. Great for the first five minutes, and then they break. Not to mention no effective warranty comes with either.

This of course, is just based on my personal experience.

ON3Ps are everyones bread and butter around here, but thats just what I've heard.
 
The durability of the new skis are a lot better than they used to be on the blends at least. I know the honey badgers are prone to break

14187987:iced said:
line skis are fun garbage

I like to compare them to a Chinese condom actually. Great for the first five minutes, and then they break. Not to mention no effective warranty comes with either.

This of course, is just based on my personal experience.

ON3Ps are everyones bread and butter around here, but thats just what I've heard.
Click to expand...
 
Demoed a pair of blends once at the mountain I worked at trying to figure out what I wanted to get for my next skis and the playfulness and flexibility of the lines seemed so appealing

Cut to me 30 min later eating shit on a green when I tried to nosebutter

Just my opinion, but I think there's a point where a ski is too flexible and that lack of resistance can make it really difficult to get any pop outta a butter or really lean into it and in my experience, the blends are the biggest culprit of this

Can't speak on the badgers having never tried them, but whatever you do, I reccomend just demoing a pair or two of skis if you've narrowed it down to that already
 
Blends are a hoot, they are buttery, playful and light. If your into those kind of things then I would give them a go.
 
yeah definitely don't get Honey Badgers, they are a purebred park ski and have really bad durability (or atleast they did a few years ago).
 
I think 171 blends would be alright for you. I would say that since the blends are so soft and they have a lot of early rise, they're probably going to feel like a much shorter ski, especially for turning, with less of the edge being in contact with the snow
 
Im only an inch taller than you and I would never think about getting anything less than 171. I prefer upper 170s. I also prefer softer skis but seems like you do too, considering your're comparing blends and honey badgers. As you get better and more used to them (whichever you get) you'll be thankful for the extra length
 
I only ride my honey badgers if I know i’m only skiing park. pretty much only in the spring when it’s the only thing worth skiing. Their top sheet and edge durability is poor like others have said. If youre looking for a 1 ski honey badgers ain’t it.
 
14187987:iced said:
line skis are fun garbage

I like to compare them to a Chinese condom actually. Great for the first five minutes, and then they break. Not to mention no effective warranty comes with either.

This of course, is just based on my personal experience.

ON3Ps are everyones bread and butter around here, but thats just what I've heard.
Click to expand...

ON3P is not the least bit playful or buttery at his size.
 
Also, [tag=249322]@Cade2[/tag] , he's asking an opinion on two Line skis, not Vishnus. Also, if you like your various K2 skis, not to mention your Bacons, I've got some bad news for you...

OP, I've ridden the 2020 Line Blend for a season (strictly park) and they were a lot of fun. You could probably find something slightly used or an older model for cheap than 600$ (a little steep for a soft park ski in my opinion). As long as you take care of them, any ski can last you a long time. Wax regularly, and watch your edges like a hawk for edge cracks from rails.

People rip on Line for having a "good" warranty program. From my experience as a shop employee, they warranty factory defects, not user induced damage. However no company will warranty damage like this (except for Faction, which replace skis that are literally in 2 pieces). I'd personally stay away from the Badger because of the material that they use vs. the Blend. The Badger is geared towards lighter guys/tweener skiers. The Blend is a lot more durable from experience and the price reflects that.

All in all, go with the blend, they're stiffer underfoot (at least the 2020 version was), they're going to be more durable in the long run (provided you take care of them like a baby like all skis deserve) and a better length at 171. They have a bit of rocker and they're (obviously) twin, so they will ski short. Not sure if you're still growing but if you are, you can grow into them quite nicely. Also, don't be afraid of stiffer skis and their buttering capabilities, unless they're as stiff as a 2x4 you should be fine.

**This post was edited on Nov 1st 2020 at 8:04:34pm
 
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