ISPO 2017: Head Skis introduce new range of super light Kore freeride skis
With the goal ‘light done right’ and liberal use of graphene and other exotic materials to achieve it, Head unveiled some exciting new skis for 2017/18 at ISPO in Munich!
For 2017/2018 Head Skis are banishing the old Cyclic series and introducing their brand new ‘Kore’ freeride skis.
Available in 93mm (133/93/115 and 16.4, radius in the 180cm length), 105mm and 117mm waist widths and built with a super light construction of carbon, graphene and koroyd wrapped around a karuba-wood core, they should be on the radar of anyone looking for a playful but capable and hiking-friendly freeride skis.
Word coming from the athletes like James Heim and Jochen Mesle (and even our publisher who managed to wangle a sneaky demo) who’ve already got them out on snow is that they rip!
UPDATE 6th November 2017: read our review of the Head Kore 105 HERE.
The medium flex combined with the light weight should flatter skiers, rather than demand every last increment of thigh muscle strength like some of Head’s older metal-laced freeride models, while remaining stable and competent when the going gets rough.
The black ‘topsheet-less’ design also looks great in the flesh (as well as saving yet more weight), and we can see these being very popular next season. Stats are:
Kore 93
- 153 cm – 124/87/108
- 162 cm – 124/87/108
- 171 cm – 130/91/113
- 180 cm – 133/93/115 (radius 16.4m)
- 189 cm – 136/95/117
Kore 105
- 171 cm – 132/103/123
- 180 cm – 135/105/125 (radius 17.8)
- 189 cm – 138/107/127
Kore 117
- 180 cm – 143/115/12
- 189 cm – 145/117/129 (radius 24.6)
Looking at the rest of the line, the hard-charging Monster series has been slightly tamed and ‘de-Monster-fied’ to in order to be more accessible for more people, however they still sport plenty of metal and are aimed firmly at those who really like to drive their skis and carry a bit of speed through variable snow. Slightly more rocker in the tip and tail and a softer flex across the line makes them more user friendly than Monsters of yore, while the use of graphene in the construction improves the stiffness to weight ratio.
The 17/18 Head Monster skis may be brighter and friendlier than ever, but they’re still ready to smash through any mogul or death cookie in sight!The Women’s Joy range come back for 2017/18 without too many changes other than a graphics refresh, and the addition of two new models: the all mountain Wild Joy and the Epic Joy, a 64mm waisted piste carving machine that continues the ‘light done right’ mantra with a total weight of 2kg including binding and plate.
The best skier is the one with the biggest smile right? Head hope their updated Joy line will have you grinning from piste to powAt the more piste-biased end of the spectrum again there aren’t too many changes – which will be a great relief to some! Solid favourites among ski instructors across the Alps, the Supershape series comes back a little prettier and a lot brighter – once more using graphene to save weight (it also means Head can spread material more evenly throughout the ski rather than concentrating mass underfoot, for a more balanced feel on snow).
Like last season there are four models in the range, the i.SPEED, i.MAGNUM, i.RALLY, and i.TITAN. The Speed does what it says on the tin: high speed piste charging. The Magnum is little easier going and more versatile for day to day groomer-zooming. The Rally is a little chubbier in the waist to better handle the rough stuff, and once again the Titan returns as possibly the best piste-biased all mountain ski on the market.
If there’s one thing Head know, it’s how to build a mean hard snow carver, and the 17/18 race and Supershape skis are no exception