2022 Head Kore 105

With a bit of a re-fresh for 2022, the Head Kore 105 returns nonetheless ready and willing to tackle big mountain lines, fun-loving powder fields, and firm groomers. This fantastic all-arounder loves to be put to the test, allowing advanced and expert skiers the ability to have a fun, maneuverable ski that is stable, quick, and pretty darn intuitive. While the overall shape is very similar to the previous model, there are a few upgrades that make the ski a little livelier and more energetic, and we’re all about it. Gone is the koroyd laminate that was just a little too stiff, and enter the carbon laminate that extends all the way over the edges of the skis. This new carbon laminate offers more of a 3-dimensional character to the ski, and rather than just a flat sheet of carbon, this new shaping of the carbon adds a lot of pop to the ski. At 105, we’re more on the soft-snow side of the spectrum, but these skis still have quite a bit of versatility to them, especially due to the lighter weight. A lot of other ~105’s might not feel as well-rounded, especially at this level of performance, because of the increased maneuverability. The end result is a fantastic ski that loves to be used in a variety of conditions and terrain, and for a high-performance and light weight ski, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

David Wolfgang had a lot of nice things to say and high scores to record about his 184 cm test length Kore 105. He started by noting that the sizing was good for him, and that’s another highlight of these new Kore skis. They’ve tightened the gap between sizes, from 9 cm to 7, and are offering in different lengths. This 184 is a new size for the Kore 105, and it’s going to hit more skiers in the proper zone. David is one of those skiers, who previously would have been caught between the 180 and the 189. His top scores of 4’s out of 5 were given for flotation, stability, playfulness, quickness, maneuverability, versatility, and overall impression. A low score of 3 was given for torsional stiffness and edge grip, but overall, these are some consistently high scores for a 105. He could tell that the ski wanted to float as a result, noting that the Kore is a “Playful ski that loves the spring. Of course, this ski was yearning for powder. Easy to initiate. Dives in and jumps out of the turn.” That energy out of the turn is worth noting, as this is one of the key differences in the changes between previous Kores and this one.

Also on the 184, Mike Anglin echoed David with high scores and praise. Noting that the ski was a good length for him, Mike scored 5’s out of 5 for flotation, stability, playfulness, and overall impression, with the rest of the scores in the 4-range. Very nice to see these top-end scores in a variety of categories, bringing the well-roundedness of the ski to the forefront. Mike waxes nostalgic when discussing the new 105: “I remember skiing the KORE 98 from Head our first ski test what feels like many years ago....I was super psyched to get another go at them this year, and the big KORE 105 did not disappoint. This beast was stable yet very playful, and had some forgiveness that the bigger waisted skis tend not to have. Turn radius of 17 at this waist width really yields the playfulness that other skis in this 100+ realm lack. This is a new construction for the KORE series and to keep it short and simple.......they just got even better. No terrain is off limits to these boards with the exception of the freeze side of the dreaded thaw/freeze cycle. You know the loud, teeth rattling frozen 730 groomers..... Advanced intermediate to the aspiring FWT podium dreamer can enjoy what the KORE 105 has to offer.” The range of the ski’s performance seems to stand out to Mike, and we couldn’t agree more.

New build, new lengths, and new levels of fun all combine to describe the Head Kore 105 for 2022. We see this being used as either an eastern powder ski or a western one-ski quiver, but really there are a lot more uses, we hate to reduce the number of opportunities that this ski possesses. The stiffness makes it great on the firmer snow while the width, shape, and weight of the 105 makes it a great soft-snow ski to be sure. There’s a whole lot to like here for sure.