Hello NS,
I am looking to buy the Line Blade to expand my quiver and I'm not sure which size to get since all the reviews suggest to size down. I'm used to skiing 180cm+ dead center park skis with dull edges, never really skied anything other than that.
I am 5'10, 150 pounds and I'm an aggressive skier that likes to charge hard but also likes fun slow runs with butters and stuff like that. I really like tree runs and tight terrain also. I mostly ski park and only have twin tips, I never owned any carving ski before.
My priority for this ski is to be able to have fun in all kinds of conditions, but mostly hard snow/ice since I live on the east coast
I'd like to have fun when skiing fast and slow, carve hard, do tree runs and moguls, do 180's and 360's, ride switch, do jumps/drop cliffs sometimes and have a little playfulness to the ski and just have fun all over the mountain.
I'm not sure if I should go with the 181 or 176 since everyone is suggesting to size down. I'm scared if I go with the 181, it will lose it's playfulness and maneuverability and fun factor but would be more stable at high speeds and big sends. On the other hand, 176 is shorter than anything I have skied and don't want it to feel too short/unstable but it might be the right size. Line also make it in a 169 but I think that's way too short?
Any advice will be very appreciated.
Thank you for all your help!