2022 Head Kore 111

What’s the best width of Kore? Is it the narrower 87’s or the wider 117’s, or somewhere in the middle? With new Kore skis on the list for the 2022 season, the all-new 111 seems to be fitting the bill for a wide variety of advanced and expert skiers who spend a lot of time either in soft snow or searching for it. Built with a karuba and poplar wood core, these skis have a great blend of snappiness, light weight, and power just from the core. Head is not satisfied with that, however, as they add two layers of carbon fiber and two sheets of fiberglass to get the power of the ski up and running. Graphene also assists in the tips and tails to ensure proper entry and exit energy out of the turn, but this ski is really all about the carbon application. With a more spoony shape than a lot of other ~110’s out there, the Kore 111 is a great floater, especially due to the light weight. As was the case in previous seasons, the Kore skis have a fantastic strength to weight ratio, and the 111’s are no different—they are quite stiff for their weight, much to the delight of skiers who are looking for top-end performance without the ski being too demanding.

On the 184, Reuben Jalbert thought the length was right on and gave his top score of 5 out of 5 for flotation. 4’s were given for stability, quickness, maneuverability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. For a 111 mm underfoot ski without metal, these 4’s really stand out as being on the high end for us, and we’re all about it. He did have a low score of 2 out of 5 for versatility, showing the 111’s preference for soft snow, and that goes well with his 5 for flotation. Reuben calls the 111 a “Big, light, fatty. It feels a bit too stiff in the tips and tails for the type of snow it's meant for. But I enjoyed how agile it was, which would definitely come in handy trying to piece down a big, technical line on an epic type of day. This ski is meant for expert big-mountain skiers who spend a lot of time in deep powder.” Agility is a big plus of this ski, and that combination of construction materials definitely makes a lot of sense for this ski. Also on the 184, Harrison Gorham noted it was a good length for him, and gave a similarly high score of 5 out of 5 for flotation. 4’s for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold also mirror Reuben’s experience, showing a consistent performance for the Kore 111. Harrison states that it’s a “Good pow stick. Not good on crust. A little catchy when there wasn't soft snow.” Sometimes that stiffness grabs the firmer stuff, and if the ski is on the wide side, it’s not quite as welcoming as either softer snow, or if the shape were thinner (which we certainly do get in the Kore line).

Marcus Shakun would normally be on a longer ski of this width, but did note that his 184 cm test length would be “good for most days.” He also gave the ski a top score of 5 out of 5 for flotation, so that’s a clean-sweep for our testers in that category. Marcus also gave scores of 4 for stability, torsional stiffness, edge hold, and overall impression, so that’s a good number of high scores, especially for a ski at 111 mm wide. “Light Hard Charger, ideal for an Expert aggressive skier seeking deep turns or a plow on other days. For such a big ski I found its lightness makes it a bit more maneuverable. Stable at speed and blasts through soft and variable snow with ease. This is a long turn ski and really likes to stick to that and shines at speed too. That being said not very versatile as not a short turn ski and not a fan of hard snow.” A place and time for everything, I suppose, and Marcus feels that this ski deserves to be used in its intended application.

As a new ski in the Kore line, the 111 is a fantastic new freeride weapon that’s built and shaped to tackle some of the toughest terrain and snow conditions that you can find. The combination of light weight and stiff flex is a good one, and for advanced and expert skiers who don’t want to be lugging a big and heavy ski all over the place, the karuba, poplar, and carbon all add up to a winning formula.