Head was the first major manufacturer to embrace carving skis when they were still in their infancy, and the brand has never lost its commitment to perfecting the genre. The Supershape series is an unmatched collection of carving machines, and the i.Magnum is the shapeliest of them all, with a 59mm drop between its tip and waist dimensions, creating a turn radius (13.1m @ 170cm) tighter than that of a World Cup slalom.

The slight early rise in its shovel is shallower than the same feature on the i.Rally or i.Titan, so the i.Magnum behaves more like a fully cambered ski than a rockered one. It doesn’t just like to carve; it insists on it. If you want to moderate its mongoose-quick reflexes, consider getting it in a longer length; if you’d prefer to accentuate its short-turn expertise, stick with the shorter length you’d normally use for a Technical ski.

Note that you don’t need length for stability as the i.Magnum is built to be as quiet as a Bentley in a Mini Cooper length. “A strong carver,” confirms California Ski Company’s Paul Jacobs. “Prefers short turns rather than long radius turns. Grippy, with excellent rebound.” Rebound is a concept some Technical skis struggle with, as the ethos of the carving community is to never break contact with the snow. Some designs try to actively suppress rebound lest it interrupt the flow from turn to turn. On the other end of the spectrum the Stöckli SX sends the skier into low-altitude orbit.

The i.Magnum follows a third path, using piezos to stiffen the tail when stimulated by high frequency vibration.   This gives the skier a stronger platform to leverage at the end of the turn, so energy isn’t dribbled away by chatter.   Citizen tester John Barker praises the i.Magnum for its “great edge hold on hardpack. Excellent anti-vibration,” he confirms.

Ladies take note: the i.Magnum is sold in lengths as short as 149cm, empowering the petite.