The Head Kore 91 W is either the best women’s ski for off-trail skiing, or the best off-trail ski for women, take your pick. Don’t detect a difference? Neither do we. The properties that make the Kore 91 W a great women’s ski and those that make it ideally suited for off-piste conditions are the same.
No matter which side of this equation you’re on, the Kore 91 W got a shot in the arm last year when Head incorporated several new elements into the Kore design. First, it redecorated the interior, tearing out artificial Koroyd honeycomb and replacing it with its blended Karuba/poplar wood core. The switch to all-wood makes a difference in the feedback the skier receives from the snow, so the ski feels supportive but not fussy about how it’s handled.
Within the Kore family, the design of the Kore 91 W is shifted, however slightly, in favor of edge grip on hard snow, versus smudge-ability on the soft stuff. The overall impression is of a ski without biases, unlike Mark Rafferty from Peter Glenn, who writes, “I’m admitting here that when I clicked in to the Kore 91, I had some bias. I’m already a Kore fan and own a pair. So, my thinking was, what did they do to mess with success? So I rode this 91 hard. The short radius turns in the steeps were quick and energetic. In the lower angle hard carves? Velvety and ego-building. It’s a ski that you feel the best of its lightness and its powerful construction at every turn. It’s quick yet damp. The only conclusion to have was that Head managed to make this year’s Kore even better. And that’s huge.”
His compatriot, Clare Martin, sang in the same choir. “This was the best all-mtn. ski I have skied so far – ever. Held edges very well on a multitude of varied snow conditions. A good, stiff ski, without trying to take over.”
Whether you’re taking your first strides into the sidecountry – or perhaps the backcountry? – or you earned your off-trail stripes long ago, the Kore 91 W is a gas to have along for the ride. You’ll be amazed by the amount of energy you can save by skiing the right ski off-trail. The Kore 91 W reigns supreme in this department. For its many energy-saving attributes, we award the Kore 91 W a Silver Skier Selection.
