About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the skis, which I purchased with my own money in October of 2022.

My take

I love my “go anywhere, do anything, conquer the whole mountain” Head Kore 99 Skis. From freeskiing to coaching the ski racing team, going off-piste in the powder and trees, cliff jumping, and hiking, I feel like I’ve done it all on the skis, and they’ve taken every ounce of abuse I’ve dished out. Head redesigned the topsheet in the 2023 model to make it more durable/scratch resistant, but left all else unchanged (if it is not broken, don't fix it). The Head 99s are a great ski option for advanced intermediate/expert skiers looking for a daily driver ski they can take anywhere and rip.

About the gear I own

• Model: 2022 Head Kore 99
• Size: 177cm

About me

• Height: 6ft
• Weight: 180lbs
• Experience 25 years skiing. Former U.S. Ski Team member. Ski racing coach.

Test conditions

• When I bought these: October 2022
• Days tested: 60
• Mount position: Standard
• Boots: 2020 Lange RS 130
• Boot Size: 27.5
• Bindings: 2021 Marker Griffon
• Where I’ve used it: Mt. Hood, Mt. Bachelor, Snoqualmie, Hoodoo, Whistler, and Arizona Snowbowl
• Terrain: Groomers, off-piste, glades, knee-waist deep powder, ice, hardpack, race courses, and hiking/touring

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for one ski that could rule them all. A durable daily driver ski that I didn’t have to question whether I grabbed the right ski; it just worked wherever I would go, from coaching ski racing to killing the back bowls. I wanted it all.

Why I chose this gear

I considered the Nordica Enforcer 100s and the Volkl Mantras when I settled on the Head Kore 99s. I chose the Kore 99s because they were significantly lighter than the Enforcer and the Mantra, which was a very important aspect to me for all-day skiing comfort and during hikes/climbs/accents. I also wanted a lighter ski that wouldn’t feel like I was buying a lighter ski that could still perform right alongside their heavy counterparts. Due to the multiple layers of lightweight carbon fiber construction, the Head Kore 99s delivered.

What I love about it

I love that I can take the Head Kore 99s anywhere, and they’ll consistently and reliably perform exceptionally well. While no “jack of all trades” ski will be a master of any one category, the Head Kore 99s come close. They’re stable at speeds (which is unique for a lightweight ski), have excellent grip in the hardpack, and float like a dream in the pow.

• Speed: Due to the carbon fiber topsheet and core construction, the Head Kore 99s are incredibly lightweight while remaining exceptionally torsionally stiff. This translates into a ski that’s perfect to strap on my backpack for accents and is built to conquer everything the big mountain resorts throw at me. The dampening qualities of carbon fiber reduce the chatter coming in handy, especially in the hardpack snow and ice, while the higher tip and tail rocker help in both easy turn initiation and in charging through the deep powder or skied out end-of-day crud.
• Edge hold: The torsional stiffness translates power, energy, and movements directly into performance, meaning when I ask the Head Kore 99s to perform, especially in the hardpack snow or ice, they’re there for me. I have no complaints in the edge hold category at all.
• Turns: As an advanced intermediate or expert ski, the Head Kore 99s require skill and technique to perform best. At slower speeds on harder snow, they demand a lot of energy, pressure, and proper technique to carve turns. However, in softer snow, the tip and tail rocker comes alive, and the skis become very intuitive for me. Wherever I think about going, they take me there.
• Groomers: On most groomed terrain, the skis perform beautifully with zero issues for me. The edge grip is fantastic when the groomers turn to hardpack or ice, but they demand my best technique to initiate turns.
• Powder: Powder is where the Head Kore 99s come alive. They are very playful. They have great float and are snappy, nimble, and energetic enough to play in even the tightest, most sketchy terrain I can find.
• Trees: The Head Kore 99’s snappy and playful nature really excels in the trees. They love short turns in the powder, and the float inspires loads of confidence even in the steepest, deepest, and tightest glade runs.
• Park: As super lightweight partial twin tips, the Head Kore 99 is an awesome choice in the big mountain parks. Low swingweight means easier spins. Great float means more speed in the soft snow. They’re a ton of fun for a skier that spends most of their time riding all mountain but doesn’t want to give up anything in the park.
• Backcountry: The Head Kore 99s shine in the backcountry. Their lightweight construction means tons of weight savings for the accents. It’s an ideal ski to strap onto my backpack and climb. My buddies rave about them as their touring setup. Their versatility means they performed exceptionally well even when I skied in the backcountry in varied conditions. I never had to worry whether I brought the right ski for the day.
• Durability: The base and edges of the Head Kore 99s are exceptionally durable. The topsheets are made of uncoated carbon fiber that scratches very easily. Cosmetically, they have not held up very well and show every scratch very quickly. However, after 60+ (not particularly gentle) days on the snow with them, there are zero blemishes, chips, delaminations, or anything that would affect the performance or integrity of the skis.
• Weight: Exceptionally lightweight for an all-mountain versatile ski—the lightest weight ski in the category.
• Switch riding: The Head Kore 99s have a good amount of upturn in the tails of the partial twin tips, meaning when I ski switch, I don’t have to worry about catching an edge and can confidently perform a tail butter.
• Stability: The carbon fiber construction really dampens the vibrations, especially in hardpacked snow and ice. This really comes to light when one’s night skiing in crunchy, re-freezing, skied-out conditions.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Moguls: The Head Kore 99s have softer tips and tails, which really aid in absorbing the moguls. However, they are very torsionally stiff and rigid underfoot. In soft moguls, this is no problem. If the bumps get packed down and stiff, the Head Kore 99s become unforgiving and rough. If skiing the moguls of the lower East Coast is someone’s natural habitat, the Head Kore 99 is not for them.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite moment on my Head Kore 99s was during an epic storm on Mt. Hood. I was coaching our ski racing team when we canceled all coaching activities and took the kids out freeskiing. I was matched with the expert skiers, and we toured the whole mountain. I found a new shoot and a line down the cliffs, and through the trees we had never explored. I was in awe as the Kores handled the super steep and harder snow of the shoot, handled the chest-deep snow down the cliffs, absorbed the impacts of some 50ft drops, and bounced around in the super-fast tree lines. It was a moment when I realized the Head Kore 99s really could go anywhere.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Head Kore 99s are cheaper than the massively popular Nordica Enforcers in their same category, but pack all of the same punch in versatility, edge grip, float in powder, and turn initiation for hundreds of dollars less and significantly lighter due to their carbon fiber construction. They’re also much lighter, nimble, and absorb more vibrations/chatter than their competition, the K2 Mindbenders, which come in around the same MSRP.

Final verdict

The Head Kore 99s really unlock the whole mountain for me. They are lightweight, great on accents, stable at high speeds (especially in choppy snow conditions), and have an awesome edge grip for a mid-fat ski. While I used to spend my ski mornings fretting over which ski to grab out of my quiver and lamenting all day when I chose the wrong ones, I gave up that stress when I bought the Kores. The Head Kore 99s take my mind off worrying about my gear and unlock the joy of living my best days, making turns all over the mountains.