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2013 Line Influence 115 Ski Review vs. 2012 Influence 115 Skis

Skis: 2013 Line Influence 115 Skis

Size: 186cm

Dimensions: 145-115-131

Turn Radius: 22.6m

Stance: -81mm

For 2013 Line Re-Designed the Line Influence 115 to more of a true Big Mountain Ski. The turn radius is now bigger and made for more straightening than the 2012 Influence 115. Another major change besides the shape is the If you want a super quick turning ski for groomers and powder go with the 2012 Influence 115 or the Prophet 115 from 2011, if you want more of a Big mountain ski that will plane through deep snow and not plow and bounce then go with the all new 2013 Line Influence 115. The metal matrix is now flat into the ski and not on top like before and this helps save weight . Line has really found a way to improve a ski that I already used as an everyday ski. The energy you could get out of the ski was amazing and good form them for dropping the 172cm length and adding the 192cm length. These skis because fo the Early Rise in the tip and tail ski very short so you need to go longer to get the correct length for you. Also, you can really feel the active edge when you are on groomers getting back to the lift and that is the big difference I have been finding with many of the Line skis compared to others is that they ski very short but yet you feel like you are using the whole ski. The new tip and tail design also will take a skin clip easier for more backcountry adventures. If you are looking for a big mountain ski with versatility the Line Influence 115 should be in your top 3 for 2013!!

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Comments

17 responses to “2013 Line Influence 115 Ski Review vs. 2012 Influence 115 Skis”

  1. liljedi Avatar
    liljedi

    Do you think the added early rise tip and tail on the 2013 Influence will make the 179cm skiable for me at 5’2″? Would the 2012 at 172cm be too short?

  2. adam Avatar
    adam

    Both have tip rise. I would think if you are under 130lbs you would want the 172cm length in the 2011 (Prophet 115) of the 2012 version. If you are looking for more of a big mountain ski and are over 130lbs and aggressive you should be able to handle the 179cm as they do measure short and the rocker also makes them ski short.

  3. Liljedi Avatar
    Liljedi

    I’ve read that the 2013 is not quite as solid on groomers as the 2012. Would you say that the 2013 influence 115 despite the redesign will still be better performing and more stable at high speed on hard pack than the Opus/Bacon?

    Also, my one complaint about the Bacons is that the thin tips chip really easily. Is that the case with the 115 or is it more durable?

  4. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    How does this ski do through the trees? With the longer turn radius is it a lot of work or can it still handle the quick turns? And since Line completely remade this ski this year do you think that this is the prototype and its going to get all changed again for the better the next year? Thanks for the review!

  5. adam Avatar
    adam

    The 2013 Influence 115 skis are designed more of a big mountain tool rather than a all mountain ski. They still ski very well on groomers but the 2012 Influence 115 and Prophet 115 from 2011 both have more shape than the new ski and do better when skiing on groomed terrain. If you find yourself wanting a big mountain ski for skiing mostly off piste then go with the new 2013 Influence 115 but if you want more of a quiver ski that will ski deep snow very well but can also lay trenches on groomers then the 2012 or the 2011 (Prophet 115) would make a better choice for you.

    As for the chipping because of the design style of the Influence skis they will not chip as easily. The 2013 Bacons I have been skiing in the bumps and they have some suts in the tip but I see nothing that is abnormal for how hard i have been skiing them.

  6. adam Avatar
    adam

    This ski does really well through the trees as it allows you to slide turns easier with the tip not being as wide as before. The 2012 Influence 115 and 2011 Prophet 115 enjoy being on edge and are amazing in the woods and incredible on the groomers as well. The 2013 Influence 115 is made for more big mountain hard charging skiing. They have lightened the ski up by cutting out material to inlay the metal matrix so you can no longer see it on top. In talking to Line they do not plan as of now to change the Influence 115, they may change the 105 so that it has the same look as the 115 with the inlaid metal matrix.

  7. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    Thanks Adam! Thats a huge help. Now all I need to do is demo them!

  8. pete Avatar
    pete

    Has anyone that skied the new 2013 model experimented with different mounting points? Im prob gonna buy these but im not sure if I should mount at recomended line or to go forward from that. -81 mm seems fairly far back. Any thoughts? I will be using these as my almost everyday ski in pow/crud and all mountain but still also using them on east coast hardpack. Im getting the 186cm and I weigh 150 lbs and ski pretty aggressive. I ski a Combination of tight tree skiing but also alot of fast charging in more open areas. Also like moguls but prob might not ski as much bumps after getting this wide of a ski but some days and resorts that’s all that is really fun to do with limited east coast trail/Snow variety. Still will have my 80 underfoot skis for bumps and park or for when it ices up. I wonder why line would move the mount point back after adding tail rocker, wouldn’t it make sense to move mount forward after adding tail roocker bc of less tail support now. Or maybe its moved back bc the tips now have early taper and bigger rocker now. Any suggestions for mounting are greatly appreciated bc I might not be able to demo before buying. Thanks

  9. adam Avatar
    adam

    I have not experimented with the new mounting line. It skied really well where they put the line and you have to remember the 2013 version is a totally different ski than the 2013 version. For 2013 this is much more of a Big Mountain ski instead of a Freeride style ski like in 2012. Big mountain skis are mounted further back and much of that has to do with the amount of tip rocker in the front along with the totally redesigned tip shape of the Influence 115 skis. For big mountain these skis are amazing, if you are still going to be skiing a good amount of groomers then you may want to consider the Prophet 115 or Influence 115 from 2012. If you truly want a big mountain ski then the 2013 Influence 115 is certainly an amazing ski and one that will become a huge hit this season.

  10. Greg Booth Avatar
    Greg Booth

    I currently ride the 2010 K2 Obsethed (105mm. I’m 5’5″ and 170lbs and love this ski in 179… but I’m thinking of getting the new Influence 115. Any idea how the 2 skis would compare?

  11. adam Avatar
    adam

    Totally different skis. What are you looking for in a ski? Are you looking for a freeride ski like the Obsethed that you have or more of a Big Mountain ski like the new Influence 115?

  12. Greg Booth Avatar
    Greg Booth

    I guess I’m looking for a ski that would be great for European conditions, riding powder when available and chopped week old snow the rest of the time, but can still motor on the groomers. Although I am heading to Whistler next Feb so hopefully get plenty of powder. I also ride Salomon 2012’s as my play ski when it’s 100% groomers. They’re no use in ice and chatter when getting up to any decent speeds though.

  13. adam Avatar
    adam

    For what you will be using the ski for I would suggest going with the 2012 version or the Prophet 115 as it will be a more versatile choice for what you are going to be using it for.

  14. Marcel Avatar
    Marcel

    A little bit late in the game for asking questions but here it goes: looking for a pow ski that can also handle tress and variable conditions, me 5’5″ / 150 currently skiing P98 @ 172. Did ski the Opus 178 and loved how easy to handle it is but hated the chatter and flopping on variable conditions. What I like is to ski fast, pow in the trees, bowls and do landings up to about 5′ or so, still working my way on bigger stuff. I love how the P98 ski and wouldn’t want anything shorter. Now would the 13 Influence 115 @ 179 be the ticket or it would be just too short? Also planning to take these to cat skiing trips. So I’m looking for a ski that would do a lot of things… other skis that I would consider Auto 179 and Solly R2 115 178. Any comment will be very helpful!

  15. adam Avatar
    adam

    Salomon Rocker2 115 would certainly be a great choice and so would the Influence 115. I fyou want more of a big mountain ski go with the ’13 if you want somethign that will also carve on groomers then you would want to go with the ‘123 Influence 115 or the ’11 Prophet 115 in the 179cm length. If you wanted short you could go the 172cm but for bigger mountain and snow it is nice having a little more length.

  16. Christophe Avatar
    Christophe

    Hello Adam

    I have just bought a pair of Line Influence 115 in 186cm (2011 version), as I am a big fan of the Prophet 100 and I think it is time to change them as my “everyday day skis”. Your review as well as advices from friends convinced me.

    I will install Rossignol FKS 140XXL bindings.

    May I ask you a question regarding the stance for the bindings, you tested -81mm, would you recommend it or something more forward ? As noted, I intend to use this pair as my everyday ski, but also for powder days, and trees turns.

    Note: I am 182cm tall, and weight 85kg.
    I ski my Prophet 100 with -20mm.

    Thank you

    Christophe

  17. adam Avatar
    adam

    Hi Christophe,
    The Prophet 115 Skis ski totally differently than the Prophet 100. The Prophet 100 has no rocker at all while the 115 has a ton of tip rocker and also has a sidewall construction vs a cap on the Prophet 100. Most of my skis I mount around the -2 to -2.5cm mark however with the Prophet 115 you just don’t need to be that far forward as the skis already turn so quickly that if you mounted to far forward you would be ahead of the center of where the rocker is on the ski and they just would not turn as well. I own 2 pair of these and 2 guys I work with also own them and we will all ski them on the Line Recommended mark. All we use them for is as an all mountain ski.

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