2021 Head Kore 87

The Kore series from Head is now one of the most comprehensive and complete model lines in the ski industry. With widths ranging from 87 to 117, the Kore skis do a great job at keeping the constructions and the personalities the same while altering the shapes and profiles. This has become a trend in the industry over the past decade or so, with companies creating brands within brands. The Kore line is now its own thing, basically, and the skiers are the big winners. All you have to do is find something that speaks to you, and you can have your pick of on-trail, off-trail, something in the middle, or in the case of Kore, 5 different shapes of the same basic ski. It's also interesting to see what type of skier gravitates to what line, and within that line, that they even have favorites. Personally, I love the Kore 99 while I'm not a huge fan of the other widths. Does that mean they're bad? Of course not, but the 99 spoke to me, just as the 87 will speak to a wide and broad audience of its own.

Built like the other Kore skis, the 87 starts with a light weight Karuba wood core. They then add Graphene, Koroyd, and Carbon laminates to the ski to achieve stiffness without adding crazy weight. Graphene is one of the lightest and stiffest materials on the planet, so it has some good applications in the ski construction industry. It's super-thin, so it doesn't take up much room, but has a pretty big impact. The combination of these materials creates an incredibly stiff ski. So much so that when you hand-flex it, it's almost impossible that something so light can be so stiff. As a result, we've seen greater success with lighter weight skiers, as heavier skiers, like myself, tend to overpower the ski, or at least it feels a bit twitchy. That said, the stiffness is great for edge grip, rebound, and agility, since each and every movement that you put into the ski gets instantly transmitted to the edge.

As the skis get narrower in the line, they get less-tapered and rockered. The 117 looks quite a bit different in shape and profile versus the 87, and that's certainly by design. With a dearth of taper, the skis hook up quickly and instantly, lending that personality to the on-trail and carving character of the 87. While they're falling in line with some of the other ~88 underfoot skis, they certainly have a different feel them than some of the more traditional skis. Minimal rocker in both tips and tails is another nod to this front side and carving persona. It all works quite well with the shape, and allows skiers to really fine-tune and customize their ski choice based on more than just width and price.

Skiers looking to take their front side and all-mountain skiing to the next level will love the light weight, quickness, and energy of the Head Kore 87. These all-mountain thrillers will light up the trail in the early morning, help you through the narrow woods, and rip through tight bump lines and love every minute of it.