When Head introduced the Kore series last year to instant critical acclaim and commercial success, the Kore 99 became inevitable. The over-the-top reception for the Kore series was by no means assured. The models that preceded it labored in near total obscurity, so Head can be forgiven if it didn’t meet demand in season one. To cement the new series’ reputation as a more than just curiously lightweight, but kick-ass, Head needed a Kore to go head-to-head against the All-Mountain West heavyweights, the Bonafide and Enforcer. All the Kores’ street cred depended to some degree on filling in the missing branch on the family tree.

Consider the problem solved. The Kore 99 holds its own against models with two Titanal laminates in their make-up, proving that just because it’s light doesn’t mean it’s wimpy. Graphene, carbon in its most elemental form, allows Head to tinker with flex distribution with practically no effect on weight distribution, an enviable design advantage. In conjunction with ultralight Karuba (a natural wood) and Koroyd (a synthetic honeycomb), Graphene provides the structure that gives the Kore 99 accurate edge grip on hard snow and magnificent maneuverability in cut-up crud.

Given its tapered tip and tail, the Kore 99 probably doesn’t care much about rocketing around on hardpack, but it has the good manners not to show it. Proof that it can handle the rigors of hard snow comes with the application of speed in increasingly heavy doses. (Note the nearly 9.0 average score for stability.) But the Kore 99’s proficiency on crispy corduroy is hardly the point; this ski was built for powder and its evil twin, crud.

Not only is the Kore 99 palpably lighter than the norm, which reduces the power drain on the pilot, but its fairly straight midsection allows it to pivot more or less at will. This allows for the minor course corrections that are the difference between finding the freshies between the tracks and missing them. In a genre already well stocked with fall-line chargers, the Kore 99 provides an alternative snow feel. The power vs. lightness ratio works entirely in the skier’s favor. It has the quicks to fit through trees and bumps and won’t get kicked around by heavy snow. (We tested it in the Sierras, so we know whereof we speak.)

Tester encomiums were effusive. “Commercial Kill Zone for an all-mountain versatile ski, observes Boot Doctors Kelli Gleason. “Not a power driver, it’s more forgiving than the Enforcer 100,” she advises. Other endorsements include, “Great western everyday ski.” “Solid in short turns but really shines in big turns with a cross-hill finish.” “Smooth, stable, solid; likes big turns on hard pack yet still is responsive in bumps.” “Does a lot without having to kill yourself.”

The Kore 99’s off-trail skill set makes it a big improvement over the Monster 98 it replaces in Head’s product line. The superb on-trail/off-trail and Power/Finesse balance of the Kore 99 assures that Head’s entry in the All-Mountain West category won’t fly under the radar anymore.