Review: Line Chronic 101 Skis · 2024

Published on 07/18/2023 · 3 min readCurated Ski Expert Jake Renner shares his experience with using the 2024 Line Chronic 101 Skis. Note that experts are not sponsored by any brands; these are their honest opinions.

By Ski Expert Jake Renner

5 photos

The Curated Take

3.9/5

The Chronic 101 skis are versatile and playful, suitable for freestyle and all-mountain skiers. Their 101mm underfoot and full tip/tail rocker offer flotation in powder, and a lively ride with a firm flex rating provides stability at high speeds. A camber underfoot ensures edge hold and carving, making them excellent for diverse terrains and conditions. However, the thin tip/tail tech may compromise their durability. These skis are ideal for those seeking a blend of fun and performance, despite potential longevity issues.

Ideal for

Light swing weight allows for ease of spinning and turn initiation
Full tip and tail rocker plus a 101mm underfoot provides decent float in ungroomed terrain and ease of pivoting motion
Playful flex rating with a touch of camber underfoot provides pop and edge hold

Not ideal for

Thin tip and tail tech may cause durability issues with regard to delamination
Softer flex rating creates a bit of movement in the nose at high speeds and on hardpacked snow

Flotation

When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker...Read more

High Speed Stability

The Chronic 101 offers a lively ride with plenty of float for those fresh days, but how do they hold up at higher speeds? In variable terrain and conditions off-piste,...Read more

Carving

When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker...Read more

Playfulness

The symmetrical twin-tip design of the Chronic 101 makes it well-suited for freestyle and park skiing, allowing skiers to effortlessly ski switch and perform tricks in both directions. The ski's...Read more

Durability

Unfortunately, the Chronic 101's have an average to below average rating with regard to durability, credited to the 'improved' thin tip/tail tech. Thin tip/tail tech cuts back on weight by...Read more

Turn Ease

At 101mm underfoot, the Chronic 101 offers a bit more float and a slightly longer turn radius than its little brother, the Chronic 94. That being said, a full tip/tail...Read more

Versatility

The Line Chronic 101 skis are known for their versatility and playfulness, making them a popular choice among freestyle and all-mountain skiers. They are designed to excel in park and...Read more

Expert Reviews of the Line Chronic 101 Skis

Jake Renner The symmetrical twin-tip design of the Chronic 101 makes it well-suited for freestyle and park skiing, allowing skiers to effortlessly ski switch and perform tricks in both directions. The ski's moderate flex pattern strikes a balance between stability at higher speeds and playfulness for tricks and jumps. When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and precise carving on firm snow, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances maneuverability, floatation in powder, and forgiveness in variable conditions. Whether you're hitting jumps in the terrain park, exploring groomed runs, or venturing off-piste, the Chronic 101 skis excel at adapting to various terrain and conditions. They offer a good blend of versatility, agility, and all-mountain performance.

Review Ratings

Flotation

4/5

Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances maneuverability, flotation in powder, and forgiveness in variable conditions. 101mm underfoot offers a touch more float than their little brother, the Chronic 94.

High Speed Stability

4/5

Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. The Chronic 101 offers a lively ride with plenty of float for those fresh days, but how do they hold up at higher speeds? In variable terrain and conditions off-piste, the Chronic 101 feels like a solid blend of stability and maneuverability. Lighter tips and tails may experience a touch of chatter but not quite as much as a softer ski without any camber underfoot, and really only when bombing hardpacked snow or groomers when the ski is flat.

Carving

3/5

Jake Renner gave 3 of 5 stars. When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances maneuverability, floatation in powder, and forgiveness in variable conditions. It has a 16.6m turn radius at 178cm length.

Playfulness

5/5

Jake Renner gave 5 of 5 stars. The symmetrical twin-tip design of the Chronic 101 makes it well-suited for freestyle and park skiing, allowing skiers to effortlessly ski switch and perform tricks in both directions. The ski's moderate flex pattern strikes a balance between stability at higher speeds and playfulness for tricks and jumps. When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold, pop when jumping, and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances maneuverability, floatation in powder, and forgiveness in variable conditions, giving the chronic 101 a solid blend of playful stability.

Durability

3/5

Jake Renner gave 3 of 5 stars. Unfortunately, the Chronic 101's have an average to below average rating with regard to durability, credited to the 'improved' thin tip/tail tech. Thin tip/tail tech cuts back on weight by using less material in the tip and tail to offer a lighter swing weight, but kind of backfired as our 2024 demo fleet was already delaminating when we got our hands on them.

Turn Ease

4/5

Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. At 101mm underfoot, the Chronic 101 offers a bit more float and a slightly longer turn radius than its little brother, the Chronic 94. That being said, a full tip/tail rocker creates a shorter turn radius than a ski with a flat tail and more surface area in contact with the snow. Relatively speaking, for a ski this wide, it feels above average with regard to initiating turns.

Versatility

4/5

Jake Renner gave 4 of 5 stars. The Line Chronic 101 skis are known for their versatility and playfulness, making them a popular choice among freestyle and all-mountain skiers. They are designed to excel in park and freestyle environments while still offering solid performance across a range of conditions on the mountain. In terms of performance, the Chronic 101 skis typically offer a good blend of stability, maneuverability, and edge control. Their waist width of 101mm strikes a balance between medium quick edge-to-edge transitions on groomed runs and sufficient floatation in moderate powder.

FAQs

What was your favorite moment with this gear?

Jake Renner I had a blast on the Line Chronic 101 the day we got to demo them out. We had a bit of fresh snow and took these babies off-piste and through the trees and soft bumps. At 101mm underfoot, the Chronic 101 offered enough float to keep us on top of the powder without feeling too wide when they got onto groomers or when hitting the terrain park. Awesome late spring powder day at Aspen Snowmass kept a smile on my face with the Chronic 101.

Why did you choose this product?

Jake Renner The symmetrical twin-tip design of the Chronic 101 makes it well-suited for freestyle and park skiing, allowing skiers to effortlessly ski switch and perform tricks in both directions. The ski's moderate flex pattern strikes a balance between stability at higher speeds and playfulness for tricks and jumps. When it comes to performance, the Chronic 101 offers a dynamic and lively ride. The camber underfoot provides reliable edge hold and decent carving on firm snow, while the rocker in the tip and tail enhances maneuverability, floatation in powder, and forgiveness in variable conditions. Whether you're hitting jumps in the terrain park, exploring groomed runs, or venturing off-piste, the Chronic 101 skis excel at adapting to various terrain and conditions. They offer a good blend of versatility, agility, and all-mountain performance.

What is the value for the money versus other options?

Jake Renner The construction of the Chronic 101 skis includes quality materials and technologies aimed at enhancing their performance. They typically feature a lightweight core that provides a responsive and lively feel, while additional materials and construction methods contribute to their durability and longevity. While there may be other skis available at similar or slightly lower price points, the Chronic 101's reputation for versatility, freestyle capabilities, and all-mountain performance can make them a worthwhile investment for skiers seeking that specific combination of features. All this being said, Line's new thin tip/tail tech has definitely jeopardized the longterm durability of the Chronic, Bacon, and other skis that include this feature. Our 2024 demo quiver was already delaminating by the time we got our hands on them. If you can get a good deal on the Chronic 101, go for it... otherwise, you may want to consider an alternative option if you're an aggressive freestyle skier.

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4.98

Jake Renner

Ski Expert

I've skied my whole life, starting in New Hampshire at age 3. As a teenager I started to compete in rail jams, slopestyle, and big air events and continued as a young adult. I attended Season 3 Salomon Jib Academy at Loon Mountain(2009), USASA Slopestyle, and Skiercross National competitions two years in a row representing Team NY (2011) and Team MA (2010). Nationals was the first time I had been able to ski in Colorado- I have returned several years later to Colorado, this time, I'm here as a coach. It is now my 6th year coaching freestyle skiing, I have found my way to Aspen, CO. Along the way, I've also coached freestyle skiing in the Berkshires, MA and at Carinthia, Mount Snow, VT. Many athletes through our program go on to compete in the X-Games and Winter Olympics. It's a great honor to be able to share my passion and skill set with the future of skiing! Coming out of the North East/Ice Coast we don't get as much snow as other places and its drawn me into creative ways of skiing. For example, I've hiked and skied Tuckerman's Ravine on Mount Washington, NH several times in May and April. This is the true back country on the East Coast- gnarly ice falls, avalanches, ripping snow melt rivers, and unpredictable weather at any moment combined with the physical exertion of boot packing! Such a rewarding journey, it puts the phrase, 'earn your turns' into perspective. Although Tuckerman's is a true back country experience, avalanche conditions were almost never on my mind when it came to skiing in the East. On the contrary, my brother and I were constantly building jumps, rails, and other jibs, as well as seshing urban handrails at schools, townhalls, libraries, etc.... our internal dialogue was more like, 'Oh shit, the cops are coming! Get one more rail hit!' I've made it to Colorado and the doors swung wide open! I skied more powder this last season than I've probably skied in 5 years of my life! Now its time to take my bag of tricks from the Terrain Park to Big Mountain! Want to come Shred?

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