Worldcup Rebels i.SL RD
When it comes to building a better slalom ski, Head never takes a day off. Every year it tirelessly tinkers with the perfect formula, trying to solve a riddle that continues to vex them: why is it Head makes the best speed-event skis in the world but can’t come close to producing similar results in slalom? And every year I face a parallel-world conundrum: why does a ski that comes up short on the FIS level continue to thoroughly bedazzle our crew? Every tester who tries it steps off it in a trance, hypnotized by its across-the-board excellence.
Supershape i.Magnum
There’s a misconception about short-radius skis like the i.Magnum (13.1m @ 170cm) that they won’t do a long turn without getting wobbly and will lose all composure off-piste. Poppycock. Of course it’s not a Powder ski, but the i.Magnum is no more perturbed by common off-trail conditions than it is by blue-tinted boilerplate. It will eat whatever you feed it. If you want a little more stability at speed and a slightly longer radius arc, don’t be shy about stepping up the 177cm.
Supershape i.Speed
To the short list of life’s certainties – death and taxes – you can add the security on edge of the Supershape i.Speed. Although it’s shaped for short turns, it can bolt down the fall line in a heartbeat and never break a sweat. The Sport Loft tester who goes by colorful sobriquet Rico Suave anointed the Supershape i.Speed “the funnest Super Shape of all! Sweet, playful and butter smooth.”
Kore 105
The central concept behind the new Kore series is that fat skis built along traditional lines, like the Monster 108, weigh a ton, thanks to all the extra material they lug around. The trick to pulling off a crash diet is to strip away ounces without paring away all power and personality. The Kore 105’s Graphene, Koroyd and Karuba construction kicks butt yet weighs as much as an egg carton filled with butterflies.