Head Supershape E-Magnum

Suitable for: MALE

Categories:: Piste | Skis
Season:: 2020/2021

Editors’ Choice

Oh, how Head love to put new stuff into their headline kit, inevitably slicing along the sharpest edge of tech.

We’ve had piezo-electric damping, nano-tech in the invisible shape of Graphene, and now another piezo-driven damping technology called EMC – Energy Management Circuit.

Vibration twangs the electrically responsive material, which creates electrical energy that then feeds back and dampens said vibes. There’s also supposed to be additional spring as the turn is eased, rather like the special button in Formula One, which gives the hard-pressed presenters something to talk about that doesn’t involve the race entirely hinging on messing around in the garage. Oops, F1 tedium! Nearly dozed off, and that would be a bad thing since the E-Magnums do have a turn of speed verging on the alarming.

Fortunately, it’s all under control unless Dickie forgets how bumpy it is off the Cairnwell T-bar in Glenshee… “There’s more power in the tail of this than the previous model”, he spluttered, having nearly wheelied off the hill.

Playing a significant part in delivering this power, and also controlling the ski when used by someone competent, is the deeper wood core than the previous model. This translates to increased thickness throughout the ski and sets the Supershape series as railing against the current trend of removing mess from the ends in favour of maintaining the same flex pattern throughout the ski. And yes, it translates to an edge-loving ski that hung onto those chattery Scottish pistes with a calmness reflected in the team’s speed scores.

That powerful tail also delivers a proper, controlled grunt on the way oot, as they say in Scotland. Amy dismantled the pistes in vigorous style – “Springing and pinging around – the best rollercoaster ride and super stable at high speed”.

General consensus? The Supershape series feels more powerful, remains a piste-freak’s fave and crucially hasn’t lost accessibility for the improving piste-charger.