Head did an amazing job of positioning its Kore series as “light done right,” catching the “Lighter is Better” wave with the right message at the right time. The brand’s focus on the light part of the story was so effective it overshadowed the real point of the slogan, the “done right” bit. What makes the Kore 117 a star performer isn’t that it’s ultralight – it’s not close to being the lightest in the Powder genre – but that it’s freakishly powerful.

The deeply tapered tip acts more like a bumper than an avid turn initiator and the rounded tail is intended to release the turn as if it were a wounded sparrow.  Right underfoot the sidecut is fairly straight, so the center section can be foot-steered more easily. What keeps the Kore 117 on track in choppy chunder is its overall stiffness. Thanks to Graphene’s absurd strength to weight ratio, the Kore 117 can be as resistant to twisting and bending as Head’s engineers want it to be.

To keep its story focused on the main message, Head has downplayed the complexity of the Kore construction. Yes it uses Graphene, Karuba wood and carbon to minimize mass, but it also has poplar over the edge, top and bottom sheets of prepreg fiberglass for strength and snap and even its fleece topskin provides an extra dash of damping. It adds up to a fat ski that thinks it’s a carver when rolled on edge yet won’t get knocked around when skimming over set-up crud. You may be lured into buying the Kore 117 based on its lighter weight, but it will end up being your favorite pow ski ever based on its ripping performance.