Expert Review: 2023 Head Kore 105 Skis [with Video]
Curated Ski Experts Daryl Morrison and Theo G. are back to review the Head Kore 105 at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed, but remember that every skier is different. What may work for one, may not work for all. Any questions you have on the Head Kore 105 or any other ski can be answered by reaching out to a Ski Expert here on Curated. And just so you know, we’re not sponsored by any brands, so all these reviews are completely unbiased.
Brand Claims
What does Head claim about the ski? [Daryl] So the brand claims that this is a pretty solid, all-around option at 105 under foot, pretty good daily driver for higher snow areas or powder ski even for the east or places that get less snow. I think that this is the kind of ski that is good for particular skiers but not good for everyone. I like something a little bit more energetic from turn to turn and perhaps I would get that in a narrower waist width ski from the head or in a shorter length. But these felt pretty just mellow and long, kind of shallow turns. Yeah, that was my impression.
[Theo] Head markets the Kore 105 as their freestyle option, they're all mountain-free ride options. It is a mid-fat powder ski. It's not going to be on the higher end of the range. It's not sub 100 millimeters, which means that if you're skiing the Kore 105, you're not going to entirely be taking on the groom train. You should be mixing in some off-trail action. Head also says, As well as many reviewers, this is an exceptionally stiff and light ski. I got a chance to take it out here at Powder Mountain to test those claims.
Overall Impressions
What is your overall impression of the ski? [Daryl] So my first impression of this ski was that it's pretty damp, definitely very damp, I would say. It likes to be on edge, but it likes to go straight on edge. It doesn't have that same kind of curving action of a turn that you get in other, more playful or engaging, and energetic skis. This is an interesting ski because it does not necessarily need to be skied hard, but you can ski it hard.
[Theo] I had an interesting experience on the Kore 105. It's very precise. It almost felt like laying a knife into a sheet of melting ice, or maybe very hard butter on the snow that we have here today. By that, I mean you put it on edge, it goes on that edge, but it doesn't snap you into the turn. Its side cut isn't quite aggressive enough and the ski isn't flexible enough to allow you to arc short radius turns easily.
Carving
How are they to turn? How is their edge hold? [Daryl] These skis are pretty fine going slow, but I would say that they like to be on edge but not in a large, hard turn necessarily. I had to work them hard to get them to pop from turn to turn and lay over easier. That being said, they were not adverse to just coming out of a turn once I put them in a carve. If I started my turn, decided I wanted to shorten it or get out of it, or scrub speed, it was no problem to just change that up, the ski responded right away.
[Theo] While this could be different for the narrower waist widths within the Kore family, this 105 I felt to be fairly predictable in terms of the turns, you weren't getting those really nice tight slalom turns if you put on that edge and you had to work to vary your turn size and shape. I didn't think it was an energetic carver.
I will say that it’s an exceptionally predictable ski. It's very stable, despite its light weight. It feels light, agile edge to edge. You don't need to work hard to ski it. And despite being so light, it was fairly damp.
How are they at speed?
[Daryl] So the snow conditions here at Powder Mountain changed throughout the days here and when I ski them, things had started to get a little bit sticky. So these skis were kind of slow. I think if they had better wax they'd accelerate well given that they are a fairly long length for me. Yeah, they have a pretty long effective edge for a ski of this class, so they'll accelerate into turns well. Didn't feel unstable at any point at speed or anything like that. They're a highly dampened ski.
[Theo] I didn't have a ton of fun when I put it on edge and laid it into the mountain. It's not something that an X racer necessarily would want to ski all the time just because of that lack of energy.
Freestyle / Freeride
How are these skis for freestyle and freeride? [Daryl] I would not characterize these skis as freestyle or freeride. They do have a generous amount of rocker in the tail for what they are, so they can be skied switch, but they're not necessarily intended to do that. They're not park skis, they're not going to treat you well in the park, but they can go off jumps and land just fine. So for more big mountain style skiing or backcountry where you're trying to hit a couple of cliffs, these would be a fair option for that.
How are they on uneven terrain? [Theo] Off the trail, I had no issues with chatter. It's not a ski that's going to vibrate a lot, but it is very agile, which is a tough combination for a manufacturer to pull off. And I think that's why the Kore has been a successful and well-reviewed ski in the past. I would say though, that the lack of snappy, carving action that I prefer on skis in chop would make the Kore 105 not necessarily the most exciting option if I were to ski it more or add it to my quiver, but I can see its appeal as an all-mountain predictable, stable carver.
Recommendations
What terrain would you recommend for these skis?
[Daryl] The ski is suitable for being mainly an inbound ski, but it can tour pretty well. I know a lot of people who tour on the waist width below this, which is a 99. It is a fairly light ski for what it is. And it's kind of surprising given how damp the ski is, how light it is. Definitely could be a 50-50 ski for out west. It's going to do best on, or reasonably well really on everything. It's totally fine on ice, totally fine in soft snow. I'd say it's going to excel more on hard pack and ice and more in variable snow conditions, and less in spring slush and things like that.
[Theo] 105 would do you well for the vast majority of powder days, both on the east coast and here in the west. Speaking of the Northeast, I wouldn't choose the Kore 105 as an everyday ski skiing in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. I think it's a bit too wide. I'd go for something like the Kore 99.
Who would you recommend this ski to? [Daryl] I’d recommend these to someone who wants to have something that they can do a little bit of everything with, excluding park skiing, and that wants a strong ski that they don't have to ski hard all the time to control, but that they can if they want to. The ski is mellow, if you just kind of take it a little bit easier, it's totally fine with doing that, but you can charge on it and it won't feel unstable at any point.
[Theo] This is a great ski for someone who likes going fast, but loves a predictable ride on groomed terrain and is going to spend 50% or more of their time on ungroomed terrain and in the woods. This is a great ski for someone on the west coast, whether it be in Jackson, Wyoming, up in Idaho, or somewhere in California. If you get a lot of heavy wet snow, the light weight of the Kore might not be preferable. You might want something with metal through the ski, which this does not have, that will allow you to push around spring snow or coastal heavy wet precipitation.
Different skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you'd like help finding the right pair of skis for you, reach out to Daryl, Theo or another Ski Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations. Note that the 2024 version of the Head Kore 105 is linked below - same tech, just different graphic:
Head Kore 105 Skis · 2024
- We price match
- Returnable