The Monster 88 possesses an unusual amalgam of attributes. In a genre where front rockers are standard and rear rocker nearly so, the Monster 88 has a sliver of early rise and a flat, square tail. Although the Monster 88 is the little brother in a small family of off-trail skis, its sidecut is all about continuous carving, with the same multiple radius as Head’s iconic Supershape models. While most other brands are trying to cut down on weight, Head took advantage of Graphene (carbon in a one-atom thick mesh) to increase the amount of metal in the make-up of its Monsters.

The combination of Graphene, a double dose of Titanal, fiberglass and fleece gives the Monster 88 all the ammunition it needs to mow down chunky, off-trail snow. The only change for 2018 is a softening of the flex resistance underfoot, so the new Monster 88 will bow under less pressure. The softer ski conforms to changing terrain better, making the 2018 Monster 88 a superior mogul ski to its predecessor.