2026 Head Kore Collection Introduction and Overview

The 2026 Head Kore lineup represents a full change and total 180 from the Kore skis of yesteryears, and it’ll be interesting to see how that affects certain skiers. Since 2018, Head’s Kore lineup has been one of the very few that used two full sheets of carbon to deliver energy, power, and precision to the snow. Now, for 2026, we totally reverse that, taking out all the carbon and adding two titanal layers. What was once a unique construction, focusing on light weight and stiff flex, is now more mainstream, allowing the shape and profile to do more of the lifting when it comes to these skis’ personality and character. From what we’ve gathered, it’s a challenge for Head to make the carbon act consistently across the skis in terms of flex, resulting in a good deal of wasted product. The metal is a lot easier to control from a construction standpoint, so even if it takes something away from the ski’s core philosophy, it seems like it had to be so from an engineering and business perspective. The good news is that given Head’s success in the racing and front side world, they already have a strong foundation and that is clearly seen in the new Kore lineup. While they do have full lineups for both unisex and women, this article will focus on the unisex models consisting of an 88, 94, 100, 106, and 112. There is a wider 118, but we have not seen it nor skied it as of publication.

The construction of the new unisex lineup features a blend of karuba and beech in the wood core. This is an interesting mix, combining a light and peppy karuba with a denser and more stable beech. They’re definitely going for the “mixing of attributes here” with a firmer race feel in the beech and a shiftier and surfier note in the karuba. As far as the metal, two titanal sheets stretch almost the whole ski. There’s a visual indicator in the sidewalls of the ski as it transitions to non-metal at the tips and in the tails. The titanal laminates end up doing the lion's share of the powering, while the graphene laminate brings back some of that outgoing Kore quickness and precision. Either way, the skis that we were able to measure are not particularly heavy, as light weight is still a big part of Kore’s identity. They’re certainly more flexible than before, as skis with metal don’t have to be so longitudinally stiff to create performance—they rely more on the damp and powerful feel to satisfy the needs of more advanced and aggressive skiers. Just below the top sheets of the new skis is a layer of Flax, increasing durability as well as adding another layer of damping material. This construction is similar along all the unisex Kore skis, but the shape and profile changes for each.

We’ve given the following skis a pretty thorough run-through this season. So far, it’s been difficult to evaluate the new skis without the lens of the outgoing Kore, as they were such innovative and unique products on the marketplace. The new skis, overall, will hit more skiers and represent more of a mainstream feel and demographic.

2026 Head Kore 88 Ti Skis

As the narrowest of the new Kore skis, the 88 Ti is likely the most front side oriented of the group. It’s quick, easy to turn, but has a strong and capable and connected feel to it. Because it’s the narrowest, it also features the most camber and least rocker and taper. This makes it a crisp and peppy performer, ideal for mixing on and off-trail conditions and terrain. For this ski, the skier should be pretty skilled, but due to the lighter weight, progressing intermediates and early advanced skiers will still find a home here. For those looking for bumps, groomers, and firmer snow, the 88 is the place to be. We’ve found that the new metal brings a more traditional and somewhat mainstream feel to the ski, and in the 88, it brings about a solid touch and a smooth character. Lightning quick, still, the new 88 brings a lot of Atomic Maverick 88 Ti vibes to the conversation.

2026 Head Kore 94 Ti Skis

Moving up in width to the Kore 94, we also see a movement to more taper and longer rocker. This aligns with the 94’s intention of being arguably the most well-rounded and purely all-mountain oriented of the group. I’m sure the 88 and the 100 would fight for that title, but we’ve always felt like the mid-90's is a great place to be for true versatility. This 94 is best suited for skiers who dabble in bumps, trees, powder, groomers, and beyond as this adventurous ski is meant for strong and sturdy skiers looking to expand their boundaries. this is likely the most intuitive of the Kore skis as it responds instantly to input from skiers regardless of conditions or terrain. For most skiers, most of the time, the new Kore 94 Ti will be able to handle the bulk of the workload. This is a very industrious ski. Although lighter duty than some other heavy hitters like Enforcer 94 and Anomaly 94, the new Kore 94 provides a friendlier alternative to those skis.

2026 Head Kore 100 Ti Skis

It’s interesting to see that at the 100 level, we gain a meter in turn radius and basically not much of tip width. This is a nod to the softer snow preference of the 100. If we look at the sidecut numbers, the increase of 2 mm in the tip stands out against the 6 mm boost in waist and tail. To us, this indicates a move to cutting through softer snow, crud, and chop as opposed to hooking into groomed or firmer snow. With a wider waist and tail, this ski is designed to be more playful and drifty in deeper snow and more creative when it comes to using different terrain in more maneuverable manners. The shape here allows the ski to be more mobile in trees and tighter spaces as it’s easier to point the tip in the direction of travel with less resistance. When you pop back on trail, the 100 still rips, leaving deep and clean trenches in its wake. It’s a bit more directional than a ski like the Rustler 10 from Blizzard, for example, but has a lot of the same notes to it.

2026 Head Kore 106 Ti Skis

Still continuing the trend of getting wider overall, but not as much, relatively, in the shovel, the Kore 106 is a soft-snow hunter and big line killer. This ski brings metallic power to a wider-bodied format, and it works quite well. We had it out on some deeper days so far this year in Vermont and it is up to the task. It’s maneuverable, mobile, and strong—there's no excess flexion in this ski. While it’s still softer than the outgoing 105, the flexier 106 pairs better with softer and deeper snow, especially from a playfulness standpoint. While carving back on trail is fine, it’s not exceptional, as that’s what the narrower skis in this line are for. It feels like with the increase of flotation and taper, there’s an equal loss in energy and kick out of the ski in a turn. There’s no issue with smoothness and power here, though, as the dual-metal laminate certainly does its job. It feels like a slightly lighter and easier ski than a QST 106, although there are a lot of similarities here. Atomic Maverick 105 CTi also comes to mind as a good comp.

2026 Head Kore 112 Ti Skis

We always felt like the outgoing Kore 111 was the unsung hero of the line, and we’ll be interested to see if the new 112 picks up the torch. From what we’ve experienced, the new 112 is a very capable floater, with increased rocker and taper, as well as being a stout and solid ski for when the conditions degrade and the ski encounters adversity. Fortunately for us, we skied it on a bunch of pretty deep days here at Stowe and felt that it drifted effortlessly through our tighter trees and more technical lines. While we didn’t get a chance to open it up in wider and steeper zones, the going theory is that it’ll work great. Any ski of this width with two sheets of metal is going to have some sort of burliness to it, and this 112 is certainly that ski. While it doesn’t quite have the energy or pep to it as the lighter Kore 111, it definitely brings more power and smoothness to the table in softer and deeper snow. For this ski, comparable options include Salomon QST Blank, Black Crows Anima, and Dynastar M-Free 112.

2026 Head Kore 118 Ti Skis

As the big ski of the group, the Kore 118 Ti is certainly the most one-dimensional. That said, it does that dimension quite well. With massive tips and tails to go along with a 118 mm waist, this ski excels in the fresh. Due to that longer turn radius and slashier style, the 118 is the best ski in its class for doing the modern straight/sideways/straight/sideways style of skiing that’s super-popular these days. There really aren’t many skis out there at this width with any metal in them, let alone two sheets, so that construction characteristic alone puts this ski in rare air. If you find yourself in sketchy situations or more technical terrain, the metal will give you confidence and allow you to handle whatever life may dish out. There’s a lot of rocker and early taper here, making this Kore 118 a sublime floater and an incredible powder and chunky snow ski. The K2 Mindbender 116 and Fischer Ranger 116 come to mind as comparable skis, although none will have the same amount of metal here.