RRP: £595 including bindings

Lengths: 163, 170, 177, 184

Turn radius: 14m @ 170

Dimensions: 139-85-121

Weight per pair: 3480g

More info: Head Skis

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If any brand likes chucking it up in the air and starting from scratch, it’s Head (though for the exception see the freestyle winner – Head’s Caddy has been around since upside down was invented…).

Head’s new pistey All Mountain V range replaces the Instinct – a perfectly good ski which we’ve just damned with faint praise. The V-series, or at least the upper end of the range, is the last of the main categories from Head to get Graphene, the perfect wonder material for anyone who loves tech.

We tend to put these exotic add-ons into the ‘hmmmm’ category, but the rest of the components are focussed around reducing weight – a Karuba wood core and carbon layers in the sandwich construction are also carry-throughs from the excellent Joy women’s skis and the Kore freeride range.

With a shortish turn radius (14m for a 170cm ski) these should be pretty whippy for an 85mm waist, yet they engage very calmly and still rack up high marks for smoothness AND liveliness; not always traits which go together. What all our testers found was just how forgiving the V10s were, on whichever segment of the hill we found ourselves. So, even though Head class these as Advanced level skis, we’d happily recommend them for anyone wanting to major effectively on piste but start their off-piste explorations.

Ian tried them after a morning on piste skis and took advantage of the width, reporting:

“The V-Shape 10’s 85mm underfoot is welcome off piste, and I found it a good confidence-building ski wherever I took it, with great all-mountain appeal for those wanting to be a little more adventurous.”

 

Andy, who’s a coach and is always on the look out for suggestions for clients, was impressed, saying:

“The V10 is a good intro to all-mountain, perfect for a piste-skier wanting to explore a bit more off the sides.”

 

It’s marvellous to find a ski we can recommend to folk looking to take their sliding up a notch, and the V10 is a valid winner in this important segment.

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