After Line launched a real all-rounder on the market with the Sick Day, this season sees the launch of a "slimmed down" version in the truest sense of the word, the Sick Day Tourist. A lightweight, medium-width touring ski. I was able to see how the ski performs in practice over a longer period of time!
Rider details
Ski tests are usually quite subjective, so it depends not only on the tester's preferences but also on their body measurements. I myself am 185cm tall and weigh approx. 75 kg and ride the Sick Day Tourist in 186cm. I used a Marker Kingpin binding at the suggested mounting point in the rental version. In terms of style, the ski actually suits my taste exactly: I prefer to ski wide touring skis on the mountain.
First impression
When you hold the Tourist in your hands for the first time, you immediately notice its low weight. In 186cm (the tested length), the ski weighs 1670g. A real lightweight.
The design is also impressive: the topsheet is mostly matt white. Not bad for a touring ski, as darker colors tend to pick up powder on warm days. From below, you can see the wood core of the ski through the transparent coating. And while we're on the subject of the underside: The base and edges (2mm) make a very solid impression for a ski in this weight class.
Test report
Forced happiness on the piste
Thanks to the extremely low snowfall at the start of the season, the first 10 test days were spent on the piste. After a short acclimatization period, the ski actually does everything you want it to do on the piste. Whether short or long radii, the Tourist carves smoothly and the edge holds remarkably well even in very icy conditions or artificial snow. Especially at higher speeds and in choppy conditions, I was actually quite surprised by the smoothness of the ski. My K2 Coomback from 2013 seemed quite sluggish the next day.
On the ascent
I cut myself a Black Diamond skin for touring, as the Snakeskins offered by Line seemed a bit too expensive for my student budget at 179.95.
On the ascent, the low weight is of course very beneficial and you can save a lot of energy for the descent. Otherwise, the ski is stable on the edge even on rough cross-country runs.
All-terrain performance
After the winter finally got halfway into swing in mid-January, the first off-piste ski tours were also possible and after a few days I was able to draw my first conclusions: The ski is maneuverable, playful and so easy to use that you could ski right back on after the descent.
The ski delivers the kind of float in powder that you're not really used to for a 100mm waist width. You can playfully turn around in the forest and pick up a pillow or two. And since the Tourist runs so well in powder, I've already taken it to the ski resort a few times for a lift, leaving the really wide slats in the cellar without a guilty conscience.
All in all, despite its playfulness, the ski also offers plenty of stability for further turns on open slopes and even small to medium-sized cliffs can be mastered without any problems. Even in wind-pressed and rutted snow, the ski can handle a lot. A real all-rounder!
Conclusion
Great boards! With this ski, you can have fun in pretty much all conditions, whether it's an icy steep gully or a freshly groomed piste. The Tourist is the perfect choice for touring skiers who are downhill-oriented, but still aim for a higher peak from time to time!
Advantages & disadvantages
+Relatively light
+Smooth-running
+Good float
+Maneuverable
+A ski for every day
- I can't really think of anything else...
Details
RP: €649.95
Shape: 135-102-120
Lengths 179, 186
Sintered base
Cloud Core
Early Rise at tip and tail
Early Taper
1670g/ski
Here is the line website with further information, here you can purchase the Sick Day Tourist from our partner store Bergzeit.de.
