Line Sir Francis Bacon Review: A Playful 107mm Freeride Ski for Soft Snow

Introduction

The Line Sir Francis Bacon is a wide freeride ski built around soft snow. With 107 millimeters underfoot, a 143 millimeter tip, and a 139 millimeter tail, it is nearly symmetrical in shape, and that symmetry shapes almost everything about how it behaves. It is round, surfy, and equally happy to be ridden forward or switch.

The design leans into maneuverability rather than charging stiffness. The shape, the flex, and the tip and tail treatment all point toward the same goal: making soft snow, tight terrain, and freestyle-oriented riding feel easy and playful.

Who the Line Sir Francis Bacon Is For

This ski suits riders who spend most of their time in softer snow and want a playful, freestyle-leaning freeride platform. The near-symmetrical shape and the twin-tip-style tail make it a natural fit for anyone who likes to land and ride away switch, spin off natural features, or simply smear turns instead of carving them.

It also makes sense for riders who value quickness in tight terrain. The cap-heavy construction and the low swing weight keep it easy to pivot, and that matters more in trees and narrow lines than it does on wide open groomers.

Main Strengths on Soft Snow

The defining trait here is maneuverability. For a ski that measures 107 millimeters underfoot, it moves around and changes turn shape remarkably easily.

Line uses convex tips and tails, which effectively bubble out the very ends of the ski. The concept is similar to a boat hull: added surface area at the tip helps the ski plane up and over soft snow, which produces a smooth release and a smooth entry. Because the surface area is increased through shaping rather than width, the ski stays manageable while still floating well. The same treatment appears in the tail, giving the ski a water-ski-like feel in soft conditions.

The flex is symmetrical from tip to tail, which keeps the feel consistent whether you are riding forward or switch. It also lets you access the full sidecut, and the result is a short average turn radius of roughly 16 meters. That combination is what produces the round, saucer-like smear that defines the ski in soft snow.

In trees, that personality is especially useful. The ski is surfy and round enough to snake and wiggle through tight woods while still offering the flotation and big mountain feel of a wide freeride ski, with more of a twin-tip freestyle character than that description usually implies.

Shape, Flex, and Construction Details

The profile is worth understanding before you buy. There is camber underfoot, with the highest point of that camber sitting close to the center mount point. From there, as the sidewall transitions into a cap construction, the rocker profile begins. The rocker is long and gradual rather than dramatically splayed, and the tail mirrors the tip fairly closely, which supports the same feel in both directions.

Construction is what Line calls cap wall: mostly a cap ski, with a partial cap underfoot and a full sidewall directly under the binding zone. That sidewall section adds grip and energy where the binding sits, while the cap construction in the tips and tails improves durability and lowers swing weight. The net effect is a ski that stays quick and maneuverable without feeling fragile at the ends.

There is no metal in the build. The 184 centimeter length comes in at roughly 1,850 grams, comfortably under 2,000 grams, while still carrying enough heft to feel stable.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Sir Francis Bacon is deliberately specialized. Its strengths are tied to soft snow, and riders who spend most of their days on hardpack or icy groomers should think carefully about whether that matches the conditions they actually ski.

The short turn radius and round shape favor smearing and pivoting over long, locked-in carved arcs. Skiers who want a stiff, damp, charge-first feel from a wide ski will find this one softer and more playful than that, which is a preference question rather than a flaw.

Length and Mounting Considerations

The 184 centimeter version sits at roughly 1,850 grams, which is a useful reference point when comparing lengths: the ski is light enough to stay quick but still substantial enough to feel settled underfoot.

Mounting position deserves some thought on a ski with camber centered this close to the center mount point and a shape that is nearly symmetrical. Because the tail is close to the tip in both depth and shape, the ski behaves consistently in both directions, and riders who plan to spend time switch will want to keep that in mind when deciding where to mount.

Buying Advice

Buy the Line Sir Francis Bacon if your priority is a playful, maneuverable freeride ski for soft snow, trees, and freestyle-oriented riding. The near-symmetrical 107 millimeter shape, the convex tips and tails, the symmetrical flex, and the cap wall construction all work toward the same goal, and they do it without adding excessive weight.

If your days are mostly hardpack, or if you want a wide ski that charges through variable snow with a stiff, damp character, this is probably not the right match. The ski is honest about what it is, and it rewards riders whose conditions line up with its strengths.

Matching a ski to the snow you actually ride is the most reliable way to be happy with a purchase. On that measure, the Sir Francis Bacon is an easy recommendation for soft snow riders who want a wide ski that stays fun rather than demanding.

Conclusion

The Line Sir Francis Bacon is a focused soft-snow freeride ski with a genuinely round, surfy personality. It floats, it pivots, and it stays consistent in both directions, which makes it a strong option for riders who want a wide ski that is playful first and everything else second.