Performance and ease of use are the two qualities that best describe the all-new Head V-Shape V10 skis. Sitting somewhere in between the Super Shape series and the Kore, the V-Shape category is Head’s new foray into the world of all-mountain skis. With a number of different widths and builds in the series, the V10 is the highest performing member. At 85 mm underfoot and with a 13.6 meter turn radius, the numbers say that it’s a front-side ski, but ask anyone who’s skied it, and they’ll tell you that this thing has a really high ceiling. All of our testers referenced in some way, shape, or form, that the skis punch up a level or two, and that they came away from the test somewhat surprised at just how accomplished the skis felt.
Steve Sulin skied the 177 and found it to be true to size. His highest score was for overall impression, and he also scored 4’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, and torsional stiffness. Head has incorporated its race pedigree into the V-Shape series, and the V10 gets the brunt of that influence. Steve calls it “powerful. The more you push it, the better it got. It’s a great combination of two other models, Kore and i.Rally. At 85 mm, it has a great waist width for all kinds of snow.” For east coast skiers like us, we certainly have that diversity of snow.
Also skiing the 177, Michael Rooney scored all 5’s except playfulness and flotation which got 4’s. Not a lot of skis get 5 out of 5 for overall impression, and on the V10, we’re already at 2 for 2. Michael has some nice feedback for the V10’s: “The V10 lets you relax and still turn. If you angulate and are on your edges, it steps up several notches. With its short turning radius it is quick to come around. The V10 is a good ski for someone who is an upper intermediate and getting better. It is forgiving enough and still performs as you advance.” Michael’s comments reiterate the notion that these skis are capable of a lot more performance than advertised. They do exactly what they claim to do, and they also do a lot more.
Mike Thomas skied the 177 and loved the quickness, maneuverability, and playful nature of the V10’s. “Quick and lively with the smoothness Head is known for, without the ‘planky’ feel. It was great transitioning from the frozen corduroy to soft granular snow. The waist width helped here a lot. It still had that ‘performance carver’ feel but the width and light feel made it way more versatile than the Super Shapes of old.” Mike makes a great point about the ability of the skis to bust through different terrain and snow conditions without skipping a beat. That is a performance characteristic of a much “higher end” ski that is now filtering down into the all-mountain category, in a really good way.
Dave Marryat found the 170 cm ski to perform true to size, and gave 5’s out of 5 for quickness, maneuverability, and torsional stiffness. He calls it “perfect for the guy working on perfecting carves. It likes to be stood on and put the power down. It works as a daily driver.” Dave is backing up the assertion that the V10 is a highly capable ski with big potential. As a Head comparison, Dave notes that “if the Super Shape feels too powerful, this is a great choice.”
Good stuff is coming at us from Head this year with the V-Shape Series. As the flagship model for that series, the V10 most certainly is carrying its own weight.
