2022 Head Kore 111

My first run on the new Head Kore 111 was the most fun I had all test season. There were still a few clean lines to be had when we began our assault on Mt. Rose that morning, and plenty of places to string together pockets of powder. The Kore 111 felt so agile out of the chute, I practically danced down the fall line, pouncing back and forth as if the surface was firm and my skis were narrow, neither of which was the case. As I put the 111’s through their paces, it passed every exam with flying colors. Short isn’t the natural turn shape for a ski of the 111’s girth, but it’s so simple to foot-swivel and smear that it could change direction in a closet. Assisting its superior smudge factor is a new Kore feature, chamfered top edges that slice sideways like a sushi knife. Because there isn’t a situation in which it can’t be turned by some means, the Kore 111 is a treat in the trees, where powder can still be found past 10:00. The biggest problem with skis as wide as the Kore 111 is that their shortcomings start to show up as the powder “day” fizzles out around mid-morning. The Kore 111 could care less that the powder is kaput. Perhaps because Head replaced the Koroyd used in previous Kore cores with Karuba and poplar, the Kore 111 provides the feedback of a classic, wood and fiberglass chassis despite belonging in the same weight class as an anorexic Alpine Touring model.