One of the major market trends over the past few seasons has been a “Lighter is Better” movement, a competition among manufacturers to see who can make the lightest ski that still retains high performance properties. No other brand is as well positioned as Fischer to capitalize on the LIB frenzy, as it has spent decades astride the cross-country ski market where lightweight has always been a fetish. At 1,750g in a 175cm length, the Pro Mountain 86 Ti is by far the lightest ski among our Power picks in the AME genre.
The tapered forebody and mildly rockered baseline are ready to party off-piste, but with two Titanal laminates on board, the Orb is so strong on edge it doesn’t really care where you send it. Its tip design obliges the Orb to be loose at the top of a laid-over turn, but once it settles into the arc it’s as solid as the Mont Blanc massif. The once rebellious boys of the Chamonix backcountry now are making perfectly balanced skis that any member of the ski culture can climb on and relate to immediately.
In the golden age of incremental change that we’re currently experiencing, it’s rare to see a major manufacturer commit to an all-new ski construction. When that manufacturer is Head and the new lay-up includes no metal laminates – a cornerstone of Head design for decades – the implementation of a unique use of materials is particularly noteworthy. While the Kore 93 reminded a lot of our testers of the Enforcer 93, the Kore isn’t out to imitate anyone, but to set a new standard in lightweight performance.
The guiding principle of Head’s Joy collection can be succinctly stated: make light right. In the case of the latest addition to the Joy family, Wild Joy, this means applying the same ultralight carbon/Koroyd/Graphene construction used in the 85mm Total Joy to a 90mm footprint. Not lost in this translation is the typically deep sidecut favored by Head engineers, imparting a predilection for precise, carved turns on freshly tilled slopes.
