by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
The Kore 93 has been shattering preconceptions about what a lightweight, off-trail ski can do since its inception, and it’s only gotten better. In the most recent re-design, Head cut out the honeycomb Koroyd component in its core’s center section, replacing it with an all-wood mix of poplar and Karuba. Graphene remains the difference-maker, as Head can move it around the ski to change flex with virtually no effect on mass. Head tweaked its Graphene distribution across the Kore line in 2022, so that narrower models like the Kore 93 would have more bite on the firm snow they’ll be on half their lives, while fatties like the Kore 111 got an extra dose of drift and deflection.
Three seasons ago, I was blessed to hop on a 2022 Kore 93 just moments after dismounting a Kore 111. The conditions were hacked-up, wind-affected powder, nearly ideal conditions for measuring any ski’s off-trail chops. I was prepared for it to be very good; I didn’t expect it to knock my socks off.
Of course, the Kore 93 couldn’t match the flotation of the Kore 111, but it was otherwise so quick and stable I didn’t mind being a bit more in the snow than on it. Unlike the fatter ski, the Kore 93 was tight-radius friendly at all times, a real bonus in the trees where sudden cornering is critical. Back on the open trail, the Kore 93 was simplicity itself to guide from pillow to pillow in the track-riven slope.
I’d say the transition to the groom was seamless, as if there were no transition at all. At some point, you stop noticing how light the Kore 93 is and just enjoy the ride. There’s nothing to adapt to; you just ski. It’s the epitome of forgiveness and ease, the qualities for which it earned its highest marks.
The Kore 93 is able to serve skiers of all stripes because of its extensive size selection. Head is aware that the skier buying a 156cmm has a different bundle of needs and expectations from the guy who belongs on a 191cm, so the Kore 93 is calibrated by size to reflect this reality.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
The 2024 Nordica Enforcer 94 was not in need of a makeover. It was already one of the most versatile skis of its generation, so easy to steer from any stance and ever ready to switch between a drift or a carve on a whim. What do you fix on a ski that doesn’t require fixing?
The fundamental components of the Enforcer 94’s success are its traditional materials: a vertically laminated wood core and two sheets of Titanal have always been part of the formula, but how the pieces fit together is new. All the 2025 Enforcers have been rebuilt from the inside out, adding a layer of elastomer (dubbed Pulse Core) between two wood laminates and top and bottom sheets of Titanal. This sandwich construction, called Double Core, had humble origins in the Wilde Belle women’s model, but the concept has matured in the hands of the Race Department, where it has already been applied to the Dobermann and Spitfire collections.
Any change to a ski’s core is significant, but Nordica went further, subtly altering the baseline to lengthen the camber pocket and shorten the tip rocker. The shovel also was reshaped into a deeper curvature. The combined effect puts more edge in the snow on groomers and provides a better bumper in the front, where the ski takes the brunt of the impact in choppy conditions.
The net effect of all these alterations is that an already compliant ski has become even simpler to steer. Distilled to their essence, the changes equate to smoothness. It may sound like an esoteric concept, but the magical Enforcer 94 seems to disappear in the flow. The Enforcer 94 acts like a guidance system wired into the skier’s optic nerve: where you look, it goes, without ever calling attention to itself. All the new Enforcers are very, very good skis. The Enforcer 94 is one for the ages. It’s a brilliant achievement in ski design.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
The Anomaly 94 represents a complete break with the past: it isn’t just a softer Bonafide or some carver/all-mountain hybrid, it’s a new flavor all its own. Its interesting sidecut – note the high delta between the width at tip and tail – encourages a fall-line orientation. It will make short-radius arcs as long as they don’t stray far from said fall-line, but it would rather mix up a medley of medium to long arcs with the throttle open.
The construction of the Anomaly 94 is an adaptation of the Fluxform design introduced in the Rustler collection last year. Fluxform breaks up the .6mm top sheet of Titanal into a central platform in the binding area and two outer strips running over the edges. The flex is more supple without surrendering an iota of edge grip. Trying to find the perfect balance between fierce edge hold and supple flex was the Bonafide’s ever-elusive Holy Grail; with the Anomaly 94, the quest has found what it has sought for lo, these many product cycles.
Although the Anomaly 94 is a bit softer-flexing than the Bonafide, it’s still a Power stick that rewards a skilled skier. It’s even better than the Bonnie in that it’s easier to bend and finds the edge sooner when drifting into it. It doesn’t pop off the edge like an Old School slalom, but creates a platform you know right away you can trust. It has great edge grip on hard snow for what is at heart an off-trail ski. It’s even temperament in the face of chunky, chewed-up terrain imparts the confidence to attack whatever lies ahead.
The one trait the Anomaly 94 shares with its forebear is it’s a true terrain agnostic; whatever you want to ski, it can handle without breaking a sweat. Old School experts will find it behaves on groomed slopes like a soft GS, displaying a race-caliber stability on edge that also comes in handy in the hot mess of snow conditions that prevail off-trail.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
As befits a flagship model, The Curv 85 GT is a showcase for Fischer’s best technology. In addition to two .8mm Titanal laminates, a full sheet of Diagofiber, Fischer’s signature synthetic shock dampener, quiets the ride from tip to tail. The Curv’s distinctive triple radius sidecut (short-long-short) is facilitated by thickening the core underfoot so the addition of edge angle tightens the turn shape automatically. Topping it all off, literally, is a wear-resistant topsheet of Fischer’s own creation.
What all this technology delivers is a ski that reserves its best performances for relatively soft groomers. While it has a waist width (85mm) normally associated with all-terrain aptitude, The Curv 85 GT would rather be carving corduroy than deflecting crud bumps. (Whenever there’s a nearly 50mm drop between tip width and waist, there’s a decided disposition in favor of groomers.) With a softer flex than the recently retired RC One 86 GT (and other notable denizens of the carving clique), it’s easier to bow in a lower speed range, so skiers who lack the power to drive a true race ski can still feel the exhilaration of a cleanly carved arc.
In a switch from the industry norm – and Fischer’s own previous practice – the narrower members of The Curv clan have a lower performance range than the 85mm flagship. Hence The Curv GT 80 with its thinner (.5mm) Ti sheets feels less substantial and less accurate on edge despite its more slender footprint. The Curv 85 GT is likely to cost $150 more than The Curv 80 GT at retail; in light of all the lucre one must lay out to be a skier these days, $150 is a pittance. The daily performance benefits of stepping up far outweigh the costs, which will soon be forgotten. If you don’t spend the additional dough, however, you’ll be reminded every time you go skiing that you should have.
