In the past, Head has done a great job with its awesome race skis, as well as the Supershape, Monster, and Instinct collections. All have received critical and consumer praise, and no one can question Head's race results. The hole was Head's big-mountain skis; while they skied well, they never really got the following of the aforementioned collections. I'm not sure if it was the unusual five tip shape, but the Flight collection never took off. Head has addressed that with its all-new Kore collection.
There are three skis in the Kore collection: 93, 105, and 117. The Kore 93, which is in our test fleet, doesn't feel like any ski Head has produced before. In one word, it feels young. The Monster 88 and 98 feel old -- wait, sorry, "old" isn't the image I am looking to convey; they feel mature, purposeful. But the Kore 93 is so different from a Monster 88 that they could coexist in the same quiver (expect a Cage Match between these two this fall).
The Kore 93 is lighter than most skis in the segment; to achieve this, Head eliminated a cosmetic topsheet. What you are seeing is the actual core of the ski. The graphic that says "Head" is embossed into the construction. "Understated" is a word that we sometimes use when discussing graphics: the matte black finish, textured logo, and slight bit of yellow on the sidewall and bases make them head-turners. The Kores almost look like preproduction or test skis -- dare I say that Head picked up and ran with the ball that another manufacturer dropped with its prototype skis that we all clamored for?
What does this all mean when you get the ski onto the snow? Well, you would think a light ski might get pushed around or manhandled in heavy snow, but that's not the case here. I skied the 93 in some heavy Sierra cement at Mt. Rose, and the stability was amazing. The Kore held its own and didn't let the spring mank throw it around. It reacted very solidly with no kickback, which are characteristics you expect from a Head ski, but with a more youthful personality. The ski knows it was bred for greatness. When I tested the 93 earlier this year at the industry demos, the conditions were firmer and the Kores also did what I expected. When the 93 is put on edge on hard snow, it will not embarrass itself. No, it is no Monster 88 -- and it doesn't claim to be, either. For lighter finesse skiers, it will do most everything expected of a 93mm ski. Read our testers' reviews here.
There are three skis in the Kore collection: 93, 105, and 117. The Kore 93, which is in our test fleet, doesn't feel like any ski Head has produced before. In one word, it feels young. The Monster 88 and 98 feel old -- wait, sorry, "old" isn't the image I am looking to convey; they feel mature, purposeful. But the Kore 93 is so different from a Monster 88 that they could coexist in the same quiver (expect a Cage Match between these two this fall).
The Kore 93 is lighter than most skis in the segment; to achieve this, Head eliminated a cosmetic topsheet. What you are seeing is the actual core of the ski. The graphic that says "Head" is embossed into the construction. "Understated" is a word that we sometimes use when discussing graphics: the matte black finish, textured logo, and slight bit of yellow on the sidewall and bases make them head-turners. The Kores almost look like preproduction or test skis -- dare I say that Head picked up and ran with the ball that another manufacturer dropped with its prototype skis that we all clamored for?
What does this all mean when you get the ski onto the snow? Well, you would think a light ski might get pushed around or manhandled in heavy snow, but that's not the case here. I skied the 93 in some heavy Sierra cement at Mt. Rose, and the stability was amazing. The Kore held its own and didn't let the spring mank throw it around. It reacted very solidly with no kickback, which are characteristics you expect from a Head ski, but with a more youthful personality. The ski knows it was bred for greatness. When I tested the 93 earlier this year at the industry demos, the conditions were firmer and the Kores also did what I expected. When the 93 is put on edge on hard snow, it will not embarrass itself. No, it is no Monster 88 -- and it doesn't claim to be, either. For lighter finesse skiers, it will do most everything expected of a 93mm ski. Read our testers' reviews here.
- Who is it for? Skiers who thought Head's skis were too stoic, or not playful. These will change your mind about skis coming out of Austria.
- Who is it not for? You would think 11/10th skiers could overpower it, but even our bigger testers liked it. Since this is a long-term test, I will get back to this after more days on the ski.
- Insider tip: Head is offering the Kore 93 in lengths down to a 153, a great option for smaller skiers, women, or tweenagers looking for their first adult ski. The sizes are also scaled, so smaller skiers will get the same on-snow experience as skiers on the reference sizes.
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