by Jackson Hogen | Sep 1, 2023
Head ran its entire Kore collection through the re-design wringer just two seasons ago, so it was a bit of a surprise when only a year later all the Kores were given another collection-wide enhancement, in the form of a urethane topsheet. Chosen primarily for its protective qualities, the urethane layer also added a noticeable dose of smoothness to what was already a fabulous ski.
A close examination of the cumulative scores for the 2023 Kore 93 compared to its immediate predecessor’s strongly suggests that the addition of a tip-to-tail shock silencer improved every trait we track. In light of the evidence, we anointed the 2023 Kore series as “new,” even though everything else about the 2022 and 2023 versions were identical.
We are fortunate to have as a regular contributor to Realskiers test program, Jim McGee of Peter Glenn’s, who was so impressed with the 2022 iteration that he bought a pair. So, McGee knows of what he speaks when he notes, “Head took an almost perfect ski and improved it. Even more grip and better dampening. I sold a bunch of my other skis because of the Kore 93.”
Fellow Peter Glenn stalwart Mark Rafferty was singing from the same hymnal when he mused, “Every now and then a perfect ski comes along. The Head Kore 93 was already almost there. This upcoming season’s model of the ski has nailed it. Strong, quick, comfortable, fast, grippy. All the things you hope for when you head down the hill. The latest Kore 93 comes though better than anything. And an intermediate skier would feel great on it but as that same skier improves, this ski would be right there to bring you to that higher level.”
If the Kore 93’s personality profile could be condensed to a single word it would be, “intuitive.” All the skier has to do is aim. The ski is so light, it feels effortless to steer, yet you can rev it up to the red line and it stays the course. “Great ski for the 85 to 95mm group,” crowed Jim Schaffner from Start Haus. “Did everything well with style and expertise! These skis will work well for a wide range of performance and snow conditions.”
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 1, 2023
The Salomon QST 92 has risen from humble origins to its new position among the elite of the genre. Originally conceived to meet a lower price point ($500) and therefore underserved in the technology department, Salomon has been steadily enhancing its construction to match the latest innovations already added to pricier models, like the flagship QST 106. Just last year, the QST 92 adopted two features introduced two years ago in the QST 98, Double Sidewalls and full-length C/FX, Salomon’s signature carbon/flax combo.
While the latest improvements no doubt contributed to the QST 92’s stellar performance, the bones they’re built on were pretty stout to begin with: an all-wood (poplar) core, full sidewalls (i.e., no cap), cork inserts to muffle shocks and a central Titanal plate that makes the entire ski feel more substantial. Beginning in 2023, the QST 92 has also mimicked the slightly lower rocker profile launched two years ago in the QST Blank and QST 98, so it feels more connected on all snow surfaces.
Once you put it all in motion, you wouldn’t guess you’re piloting a price-point ski intended to retail at $550. The security on edge is fantastic on anything softer than boilerplate, it feels energetic crossing the fall line and it can switch between a carve and a drift on command. A lower-skill skier can’t find a more tolerant ski with such a high-performance ceiling. For a ski whose DNA is all about off-trail conditions, the QST 92 feels right at home on groomers. It feels light and quick off the edge in bumps and placid as a glacier in long, spooling GS turns.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 1, 2023
Depending on where and how you ski, the Maverick 88 Ti may be the best of the top 3 models in the current all-mountain series from Atomic, despite residing on the lowest rung of the pricing ladder. It arcs the best short-radius turns of the bunch despite a mid-radius sidecut that’s equally comfortable when allowed to run for the barn. Its tail is supportive without being flashy, gradually releasing its grip as it crosses the turn transition.
As the narrowest of the Maverick Ti trio, the 88 Ti is the best fit for today’s arrhythmic bumps, and its ability to access a short arc in a jiffy is a huge asset in the trees. When I let it run on a long, gradual ballroom on the sunny side of Mt. Rose, it remained predictable and trustworthy as I raked up the edge angle, banking off a receptive layer of solar-softened cream. Its baseline is more cambered than its siblings (15/75/10), so there’s a longer platform under the pilot in all conditions, without sacrificing its ability to swivel a turn in a pinch.
I’m not sure I would have been so confident on a surface much steeper and harder; after all, the Maverick 88 Ti is, in concept and execution, an off-trail ski. It’s ready and willing to smear at all times, although its secure edge is always there for the summoning should circumstances change on the fly. Its tips would prefer that the snow find it, rather than the other way around. This makes it a hero in spring snow, where its rockered forebody can buffer the blows delivered by ever-softening conditions.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 1, 2023
Last year, after several seasons of toil behind the R&D curtain, Fischer rolled out a completely overhauled Ranger line of off-trail models. The new clan consisted of hybrids that blended the two branches of the previous Ranger clan, the surfy FR series and the more connected Ti models. All the new Rangers received a dose of .5mm-thick Titanal underfoot married to a fairly loose tip and tail. As befits the family name, they all possess a decidedly off-trail bias.
Fans of earlier Rangers will find the new series are more closely related behaviorally to the easy-to-smear FR models of yore than to the metal-laden Ti fraternity. The lighter weight (all poplar) core of the Ranger 90 suggests it might be a good option for living a double life as an in-resort/backcountry, all-purpose partner-in-climb. Its Aeroshape exterior further enables foot steering by reducing resistance when rotating a flat ski.
The Ranger 90 encourages its navigator to assume a centered stance and take advantage of a double-rockered baseline that makes it easier to drift to an edge than ride a continuous rail. There are skiers who swoon over this facility at swiveling, but Realskiers’ scoring criteria puts more emphasis on carving accuracy in every phase of the turn, while the Ranger 90 concentrates its gripping power underfoot. If carving is more your thing, Fischer’s RC One 86 GT is one of the most powerful and accurate trench-diggers in the All-Mountain East genre. The Ranger 90 derives from the opposite side of the carve/drift schism.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 1, 2023
To understand where the updated Salomon Stance 90 fits in the All-Mountain East pantheon of Recommended models, it’s helpful to first understand its role within Salomon’s line, where it is cagily categorized as All-Mountain Frontside, a mash-up of two adjacent Realskiers categories. The blended genre succinctly captures the intent of the Stance series, to create what are essentially Frontside skis with wanderlust, always interested in what lies off-trail yet easily persuaded to lay down a neatly carved turn on corduroy. It’s the Frontside orientation that differentiates the three Stance models from Salomon’s other all-terrain series, QST, with its decidedly off-trail bias.
Within the cross-brand context of the All-Mountain East genre, the Stance 90 stands apart from the crowd in several respects. While its twin Titanal laminates put it toe-to-toe with the eminent Power players in the genre (think: Blizzard Brahma 88, Völkl Kendo 88), it responds to a light rein, emphasizing ease over brute force. While it’s positioned as having a Frontside bias, unlike other carving-centric AME skis – such as the Fischer RC One 86 GT, for example – it isn’t built on a Frontside chassis, but an all-mountain, double-rockered foundation.
Salomon made a few alterations to the Stance construction this year, to further differentiate it from the crowded field. Already a comparatively light design, the Stances shed a few more grams by mixing ultralight Karuba with the earlier Stance’s all popular makeup. More importantly, the top layer of Titanal has been modified to minimize full-length metal laminates’ tendency to lock onto the turn. The goal of the new TwinFrame 2 design is a little looser connection to the snow that feels more playful and maneuverable in off-trail conditions.
Testers detected a definite improvement in the Stance 90’s ease of operation. “Surprisingly improved ski,” said one tester who pinpointed the upgrades’ impact. “The modification of the core makes this ski extremely versatile, easy to ski while maintaining high performance ski feel and characteristics.”
