Also, I think REI might have bought up most of this year's production run of Kore 93s.
If you're a member, it's a great way to get 10% off a HOT ski.
REI may have bought many, as many as Head might sell them, but Head has a big a demanding dealer network that they HAVE to feed. It gets spread around. Ski companies have been very smart to spread it around.
There are some legendary mistakes of the past. When Rossignol developed their first generation shaped skis during the heyday of ASC, ASC decided to use the skis in their rental fleet. However, they did not mount as many as planned as people did not all want to rent these funny looking "parabolic" skis.
They also demanded a huge percentage of skis to fill their shops. The plan....rent them, love them, buy them. Well....not so much. They sold a lot of new skis. But it was not the mother lode.
My understanding was at the end of the season, ASC DEMANDED that Rossi take them all back, and credit the return against their order for the upcoming season, which they at the same time cut way back. The net was that I think Rossi returned cash.
When Rossi then hit the pavement to circle back with dealers to try to sell both new and the leftover product, evidently a lot of big dealers who had adopted to life with no Rossi basically told them to pound sand.
The other problem....the skis were not very good. It really hurt Rossi for some time. And taught pretty much every company a lesson about managing the 800 lb gorillas.
I heard all of this from two guys who did all of the buying for other 800 lb. gorillas at the time. Pretty sure the basics and general story is accurate.
So I doubt if REI has a lock on the Kore 93. What I DO believe is that they have sold less of their stock that others. Not sure how alive the ski biz is at most REI's on Sept 18th.