Back at the beginning, the original iteration of the ladies’ Pandora ski from Line launched in 2009 — with a 110mm width that was the widest women’s ski on the market at the time. For the next few years, the brand bumped that waist up to 115 before slimming back down to the O.G. width in 2014.
A decade after the debut, famed skier Hadley Hammer provided input for a revamp that landed the design where it stands today — a silhouette that has quickly become an award-winning, top-selling choice among women for slashing pow and tougher, chalkier conditions. Today, the collection includes four widths: 84 mm, 94 mm, 104 mm, and 110 mm.
With the same overall construction and shape carried over, and vibrant 23/24 graphics from artist Alycia Rainaud, which are inspired by color therapy, I was eager to see what all the hype is about with this ski.
While it’s tough to find a one-ski quiver, the Line Pandora 104 ($650) is a highly ranked contender. As a serious, dedicated skier, I had a blast on these skis from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. under all types of conditions.
In short: The women’s Line Pandora is a solid choice for all-mountain adventure thanks to its lightweight yet solid construction, capability across variable terrain, and stability under foot.
172 Line Pandora 104: Review
I was excited to click into these women’s-specific skis at the 2023 GearJunkie Ski and Ride week in February, which other testers also had a chance to take through rounds. I continued to test the ski for the remainder of the season across 16 full days at three ski resorts across Colorado.
These skis continue to be built with Line’s exclusive Carbon Magic Finger Filaments, a collection of carbon stretching from tip to tail for stability yet keeping the weight in check. Alongside the carbon, the THC (which stands for Triple Hybrid Construction) also consists of aramid and fiberglass, which likewise keeps this ski light yet beefy and resilient when taking the pressure.
Let’s talk size choice. We found that all three of the available lengths work well across various types and heights of skiers from intermediate to advanced. As a 5’3” aggressive skier, the 172 length is at the top of my threshold but still provided that strong, stable feel I seek.
The waist width at 104 is nearly perfect for most Colorado resort conditions across the season: not too wide to explore off-piste and charge groomers yet wide enough for elusive pow dates. For skiers out west with drier, fluffier snow, you can’t go wrong with this ski.
For the East Coaster met with icier conditions, this ski might be a bit more challenging, given the edge power is not as aggressive as other narrower options, but I would still consider it a solid driver there as well.
As a lover of all types of terrain (yes, I even appreciate those hard-packed days), when it comes to an all-mountain ski, I seek out versatility and a very responsive feel, which was evident throughout each day on these skis. I was able to test them while slicing chalk, on packed snow, and through deep powder in blizzards. I took the skis on various terrain from groomers and moguls to steeps.
Given that the weather in Colorado can change by the hour, it felt good to be on a ski that could handle whatever popped up throughout the day. Looking down, the rainbow, psychedelic pattern is also super fun and spans the entire face of the topsheet.
Overall, the women’s Line Pandora proved to perform best for me floating in powder, but also held strong in stiffer moguls and chalky steeps.
Weight and Construction
My first impression of the Line Pandora skis was the weight compared to other all-mountain skis. These skis are very lightweight compared to other sticks I’ve used inbounds yet felt extremely solid in every turn.
The swing weight — which is the amount of weight distributed to the tip and tail — can affect your ability to turn efficiently and effectively. I always take this into consideration when choosing the most appropriate length of ski specific to my ability.
As a 5’3” athlete, the 172 is at my upper boundary in terms of ski length in this category. But because of its weight, I did not feel the ski affected my ability to remain in control. The light, strong carbon and fiberglass set the design apart from other skis in the all-mountain category, in a way that I appreciate as a skier.
Playful and Nimble
The Line Pandora is playful and responsive, with quick edge-to-edge turns when you really need that fluidity. As I mentioned, I always felt comfortable and in control.
Responsiveness ranked high in my books for this ski. As an avid “turner” (as opposed to a “sender”) on long downhills, this ski does the job. I was also able to make quick, fast turns in moguls and on steeper terrain. I like and seek out a ski that responds to my commands!
Backcountry Contender
Because of the light weight, this ski could easily take a tech binding to be used in the backcountry and would be a great tool for those dual in-bounds days when the sidecountry calls. These planks are wide enough to float on pow and solid enough to break through variable terrain.
Cons
When I sought icier faces with these skis, that was the only time I did not feel super comfortable on the design. At higher speeds, I felt a bit of chatter, which was challenging to control. Although they did not perform well under these circumstances, I still felt that the overall versatility of this ski made up for those weaknesses.
For the more intermediate or beginner skier, the 104 width might prove to be more demanding, as well.
172 Line Pandora: Conclusion
The Line Pandora ski has the potential to help the beginner or intermediate skier become more advanced, and it also supports the advanced skier in excelling in more expert and steep terrain.
In my opinion, women’s-specific skis can be unilateral in their performance, oftentimes only excelling as a solid, hard-packed groomer ski or only as a great powder ski. I feel that this forces the skier to accommodate the ski rather than the ski accommodating the skier.
Line has truly crossed this boundary by creating a versatile design that builds confidence, encourages improvement, and builds a foundation for a solid relationship between the female skier and her winter BFF.
Based on my test days, this ski builds confidence with every turn, and it’s agile and forgiving. It handles well in most conditions that can be thrown at you from bell to bell — and throughout an entire season. While I’ve charged countless skis on my feet over the decades, my first Line ski experience will certainly not be my last.
