2027 Head Discovery 86 Pro

The Head Discovery line is all new for 2027 and the 86 Pro is the premium model in that lineup. These skis are built and shaped to blur the line between front side and all-mountain. Over our time on these skis, we did feel that for advanced and expert skiers, they did fall more to the front side, but for intermediates and progressing skiers, the all-mountain versatility was totally achievable. We’ve been touting Head for years about their ability to make high-end intermediate and advanced skis, and Discovery is the next step in that journey.

The construction allows these skis to feel like very high-end products, mainly through the use of Auxetic technology. We do start with a wood core though, and it’s shaped in more of an elliptical manner rather than just a rectangle. This puts a bit more stability and emphasis on the sides of the ski while the center is able to flex more naturally. The 86 Pro uses fiberglass, two damping layers, a graphene strip, and Head’s Auxetic Tec. These geometrically shaped units interlock and become stiffer as more pressure is applied so there’s a progressive increase in stiffness as the level of speed and aggressiveness increases. Tester Grant Wieler notes that the skis felt “Light, quick, responsive. At first, I was a little nervous there wasn’t enough ski there for me, however, the more I pushed into it, the more confidence it inspired… Must have something to do with that fancy metal weave in the construction! Ended up having a great time, jumping around on short turns and felt confidence to really push it hard into long radius carves. I had a blast on this ski very comfortable.

At 86 mm underfoot we’re in an interesting zone here. With minimal rocker and taper, the ski’s overall footprint leans more to the frontside, but if you’re quick footed and can ski in an unweighted format, it’s a good option for bumps, packed trees, and degrading snow conditions. Tester Christian Strong states: “I really enjoyed this ski especially with the firm conditions today. It held its edge in all radius turns. This ski would excel on both groomed and un groomed terrain. While not wide enough to be a true powder ski, it seemed to be great for trails!” The 86 Pro uses a sidecut breakdown of 130/86/113 in the 170 cm length to generate a 15.2-meter turn radius. Thad does feel more like an on-trail ski in terms of turn shape, and we’ve found that it likes that arc and is comfortable there.

This ski will appeal to a broad range of progressing skiers looking to make the most out of their day. Head does a great job at implementing that high end feel in a mid-level ski. We are always careful to point out that the mid-level is a great place to be and that those skiers should not be marginalized when it comes to ski quality and performance—it should be appropriate to the skill level and Head does a great job of recognizing that in the Discovery 86 Pro.