2027 Head Discovery 82 Sport, 82 Pro, & 86 Pro: Introduction & First Impressions

For 2027, Head will unveil its new Discovery line of all-mountain skis. This is a huge lineup with models ranging from 70 and 74 mm underfoot beginner and package skis all the way to the 82 and 86 Pro offerings which deliver high performance, excellent engineering, and surprising versatility. This series takes the place of the Shape series which did mostly the same things, but with a bit more of a front side or carving-specific focus. With Discovery, we’re seeing a boost in turn shape and style variation along with an increased off-trail character that allows for more creativity and excitement for more skiers. While there are 9 models overall in the new Discovery line, we’ve focused on the 82 Sport, 82 Pro, and 86 Pro for this initial review.

Starting with the 82 Sport, do not sleep on this active carver. While it shares the same footprint as the 82 Pro, it does have a slightly different construction. The Discovery 82 Sport starts with a blend of wood and composite in the core, using their Superframe construction. While the Shape series of skis featured a central raised spine for damping vibrations, the Discovery skis, and the 82 Sport in this case, use more of a frame or rail design, with increased material over the edges and a flatter portion through the middle. We still see a strip of graphene through the middle, as that’s become a stable in all of Head’s skis that we’ve been on, and it does a good job of stiffening the skis without making them heavy. The other new portion of the build for 2027 is Auxetic Technology that allows these skis to punch above their level. This unique structure that sits below the core expands when flexed, causing more of a linear stiffness and response the more the ski is bent. As such, you can push these skis with Auxetic Tech pretty darn hard, and they don’t feel like they get overpowered all that much.

At a Glance:

2027 HEAD Discovery 82 Sport Skis

With measurements of 129/82/112 in the 170, the skis generate a 14.4-meter arc. This ski likes to find each centimeter of that radius, it’s an incredibly fun and engaging carver. There’s not a whole lot of rocker or taper to speak of in these skis, but it is fair to note that it is a more rockered and tapered shape than the Shape series, and that’s where a lot of the turn versatility materializes. This footprint allows for a good deal of all-mountain versatility as they’re not locked into the turn, although the 82 Sport does feel like it’s more planted in the snow than the other versions. Perhaps a bit heftier of a feel due to the composite material in the core brings that to the forefront of the snow feel and experience.

At a Glance:

2027 HEAD Discovery 82 Pro Skis

The move to the 82 Pro isn’t a big one, especially from a shaping perspective. For the construction, the main move is from a composite blend to a full wood core and we get an upgrade in binding from a PR 11 in the 82 Sport to a Protector EVO 11 in the 82 Pro. By adding more weight in the heel with the lateral releasing Protector, the Pro feels heftier and more powerful at higher speeds. We also get an extra length, with a Pro 184 as the top size as opposed to the Sport’s 177. On snow, you do feel an extra bit of oomph as the ski can handle higher speeds with a bit more smoothness and stability than the Sport version. These skis are quite quick from edge to edge and grip firm to hard pack snow. If you spend most of your time on groomed slopes and like the edge engagement of a narrower ski, this Discovery Pro 82 is a very well-rounded ski with great confidence.

At a Glance:

2027 HEAD Discovery 86 Pro Skis

Now to the Discovery 86 Pro, which is arguably the flagship model of this new series. While I found a bit more to like on a groomer in the 82 Pro, it’s definitely worth noting that the added mass and width of the 86 Pro leads to increased stability and power. That said, the increased width, moving from 82 to 86 mm underfoot, and the extra meter of turn radius (15.2-m in the 170) make this feel like it wants to be used at higher speeds and in a more aggressive format. The construction of the 86 Pro mirrors that of the 82 Pro, so there are no changes here. It’s just the shape that leans more to versatility and adventure, but it does so at the cost of torsional stiffness and edge grip. The 82 Pro is a bit more engaging and eager to start and finish a carved turn while the 86 is slightly slower but also smoother. We think that most skiers who identify as an “all-mountain” skier who puts a bit less emphasis on a purely carved turn will gravitate here to the 86 Pro while those who are more carving focused and want adventure to be a bit of a back story will appreciate the shapely 82 and its more predictable on-piste turning capacity.

We also had the Supershape Titan on hand during these days, and while we’ll reserve our full takes for another day, it was interesting to see and feel the difference between a high-power and high-octane ski like the Titan and how it stacked up against the Discovery models, specifically the 82 Pro and 86. While we were impressed with how far and hard you can push the Discovery, the Titan is a whole different animal, and it was helpful to gain some perspective as to who the Discovery series is aimed at and who it will better serve. Skiers who are in the intermediate and advanced range will be quite a bit more comfortable on Discovery, and a level of carving desire should steer those skiers into an accurate model. If you’re an expert skier who’s looking for as few compromises as possible when it comes to stability, edge grip, and power, the Titan (or another Supershape ski) is a far better option. But that’s the minority. There are considerably more skiers who are in the Discovery zone—skiers who are looking for fun, energy, and carving confidence in an all-mountain format.