2021 Head Kore 99

With the addition of the Kore 87 to the lineup, the Kore 99 now sits squarely in the middle, offering undoubtedly the most versatility and the strongest claim to one-ski-quiver out of all the Kore skis. This ski lives in the Goldilocks zone, where it's not too wide for on-trail performance and not too narrow for soft snow flotation, it's right in the middle, as most ~99 mm underfoot skis should be. Please note that it's only 99 in the 180, so if you go shorter, it's going to narrow up a bit. They do this to make sure the ski feels the same across different lengths, allowing skiers to have the best possible ski for the conditions and terrain relative to length. It works, and that makes each length of ski a bit different, enabling skiers to more accurately customize the ski for their needs. Built with a Karuba wood core, Head adds Graphene, Koroyd, and carbon to gain muscle. Rather than a metal laminate (or two), Head relies on this more modern and space-age type of material to gain the same type of performance, but at a fraction of the weight. It works, and there are a lot of skiers out there who are really going to like the blend of light weight and performance, allowing skiers who are lighter or less aggressive to experience the same high-end feel of some of the beefier competitors. It's always interesting to see how our testers react to light, stiff, and high-performance skis, as they tend to create a bit more dissention in the ranks versus more traditionally built expert skis. Let the fun begin!

Bob St.Pierre skied the 180, and while it worked well for testing purposes, he'd be a 189 skier all day. Regardless, he notes that the "99 is my favorite ski in the Kore line. I don't really know what it is, but I think it carves better than the 93 and I'd rather use it in soft snow (less than 6 inches) over the 105, especially here in Stowe where you need a bit more maneuverability. I thought it had so much more energy than I was expecting, and I was grateful for that." Bob's high scores of 5 out of 5 were given for stability, maneuverability, edge grip, and versatility. These are pretty cool to see, especially for a 99. Bob continues, stating that the 99 "feels a lot more natural, I think the width allows the materials to jive nicely with each other, while in the narrower or wider versions, something gets a little lost, but in the 99, it all adds up properly. I love this ski, but would really like to try the 189." It's pretty funny seeing some of our taller testers on shorter skis.

Jeff Neagle had a similar experience on his turn on the 180. "The Kore 99 provides a different option among the sea of powerful around 100 mm skis. It's different because it has a unique blend of having a shape focused on maneuverability with a construction that results in quite a stiff flex. Basically, if you've skied a Kore 93 or a Kore 105, you might think the 99 is similar, but it's actually quite a bit stiffer and more stable at speed. You can charge on it and it responds well. I do feel like that power and the flex pattern takes away a little bit of playfulness and forgiveness when you take it off-piste, but definitely not too much. Just don't buy it thinking you're getting a soft-flexing, playful, lightweight ski. It is relatively light, but it's quite a bit of ski. I do think a lot of people will appreciate its performance and find value in the combination of stiffness and shape, but it's not for everyone, and not for an intermediate, in my opinion."

It's always fun seeing how different skis, even in the same model line, behave differently and have something else to offer. For some, the build matches the shape, and for others, the weight matches the skier. At the end of the day, there's always something for everyone out there, you just have to keep open eyes and an open mind, and be willing to try out a ton of different skis. Sounds fun, right?