2023 Head Kore 99 Ski Review with SkiEssentials com

[@cowboy8727]

Really appreciate the thoughtfulness and depth of these reviews. I’m a bigger, advanced (not expert) skier. I own an older Kore 93, a Rustler 10 and Atomic Maverick 100. While I’m sure the updates are beneficial from this year and last…. I’d encourage those looking for both a light and stiff ski to check out the Maverick. In my experience while it might not be as flicky…. as the Kore it’s much more responsive, consistent across multiple terrain and snow condition variations, and less chattery. Thank you again. Love your channel. Have interacted with your customer service / sales people on your site too and they’re great!

[@SkiEssentials]

Thanks! They're interesting skis, and as a bigger skier, I really like the grip and energy. Have a great spring.

[@garygech]

I skied the Head Core 99 and the 105, and the 93. I liked the 99 for what it could do, it can be used as an expert ski, or an advanced ski at the 99. The ski pivots extremely really well, and for West Coast skiing at Palisades, it is fantastic. I put the ski through the rounds, low ski weight, allowed my swing the ski in mid to tall moguls well. Does it carve as well as a Mantra, no. And does it handle trees as well as the Black Crows Justis 99, no. But, for technical ski, it is so much fun because you can ski on one foot, and then practice Javelins. I thought it skied Chute 75 well, and I thought it skied Hidden Bowl and Granite Chief at Palisades really well. I skied Alternates and Mosley's at Palisades in spring conditions, it was a blast, and performed extremely well. And for hiking, I skied the slot at Palisades, and carrying the skis were easy. I skied on a Lange XT3 120 Flex boot, and that was fantastic, so light, very good stiffness, felt about 110. At 177, the Head Cores, I thought it skied slightly short. Overall, a great and light ski, and I am combining them with a Marker Squire Binding, for the lightness, so I can have the lightest possible setup for reasonable power. Personally, I do not carve quickly, so I did not experience any chatter in Palisades. What I like, the low swing weight, and the perfect pivot under the boot. The Black Crows Justis is great for sharp turns, but pressures the front release of the binding. The Mantras at 102, skied fantastic edge to edge. As a 'one ski quicker' the Head Core 99 is a good daily ski, and then if you are at the resort, just take at $50 for the day and pick a different ski off the wall, and try it. That's what I do. I must have tried 11 different skis this year including my friends Enforcer 105's, and his Gotamas, any my Katanas. And as per boots, go to a good demo shop where they have a few extremely high quality boots, and try the boots on slope for the day. Most gear, if it is a good fit, you know in about an hour if it is for you. The differences are often subtle. It actually pays to try the wall. Of boots, I liked the Nordica Speed Machine 3 as a resort boot, heavier than the Lange XT3 by far, but that heavier weight translates into more power on turns over pivoting or kicking. I thought Nordica Speed Machine, plus Black Crow Justis 99, great setup, powerful on all slopes except, carving, you have to increase the DIN to prevent pop, ski is a bit heavy, but fun, more fun than my old Katanas with Marker Jester Bindings. Like Biking, you benefit if you have more than one bike, and in Skiing, you learn from different setups.

[@saxonski6146]

Im 14 and I have bought the bent 110 with Atomic shift for powder and touring but im looking for a second ski to kinda do all mountain and freeride but in harder or spring snow conditions. Im curious on if you think the Black Crows justis would be better for me or the Kore 99. The justis seems more for freeriding but is also heavier and im a pretty playful skier so i thought about going for the Kore 99 but at the same time the Kore 99 seems less freeride and has a further back mounting point. What would u recommend? Thanks!

[@garygech]

@@saxonski6146 I think the Kore 99 are less powered compared to the Black Crows, and I use Squire Demo Bindings on the 99s so you can change the boot position to your preference depending on the day. I think the Justis is a better and stronger ski overall, but I have adapted to the Head Cores. The Cores are about the lightest decent ski you can ski almost anything with. I dropped through Rock Garden at Squaw, from the back to the front position, narrow shoot, wish I had a Mantra, but overall, a great ski. I think the the Justis are different, more athletic, more free ride, both are good. Overall, Core are great, I would buy them used from Powder 13, plenty to choose from end of the seasons probably.

[@saxonski6146]

@@garygech Thanks!

[@garygech]

@@saxonski6146 I would demo them first, that is what I did. My son just turned 14, and I have Mantras for him, 92 at the waist. Useful for tight positions and powering down. The Head Core 99 max out, but the Black Crows do not, but the Core 99 are lighter, less hard on your body. The Black Crows are really an high expert ski, and the Head Cores are a lower expert ski. I have pushed both to their limit, and the Core 99, you simply have to watch positions, more technique, skiing on one ski, fantastic transitions, whereas the Black Crows, just awesome, you can give it full power on a big mogul field. The Core 99 carve a bit better, the Black Crows, I personally think make tighter turns overall, not much, but they do, and that can give you an advantage in a difficult situation.

[@wallstreetoneil]

In many sports, there are certain unique pieces of equipment, that fit certain people for the specific things they like to do and the style they do them in - this is one of those things. Head is a unique company in some ways, so it's not surprising this is their thing. I'm just recently back from the U14 NorAms at Sunday River, and 70 percent of the top kids in North America were racing with Head white ski boots, white SL, GS, and SG skis. The things Head do, they seem to do very well - even if it's not something most would personally use.

[@criskm64]

Very thoughtful review. I wouldn't mind the asymmetric graphics; that way I can tell which edge I'm on if I switch inside edges.

[@SkiEssentials]

In no way do we think this is a bad thing, it's just a little strange is all.

[@chrisgravel7157]

Hard to expess how great it is to have Ski Essentials do these amazing reviews! My local shop is pushing me in the Kore direction 99 or 105. Love to know what size Jeff and Bob skied? Maybe just to help us navigate and infer our own expectations you could put ski length tested in the description? i had flexed the 105 and 99 in a 184 length and their stiff but at 6'1" 190 I certainly didnt get the feeling I would not be able to bend either at mid to high speeds but love your thoughts? Cheers guys!

[@SkiEssentials]

Thanks! I (bob) skied the 99 in the 177 and the 105 in the 184. Amazingly, I was surprised at how much I liked the 177 in the 99. I wouldn't go shorter in the 105, but I'd at least give it a second thought on the 99's sizing. I own the Kore 93 in the 184 and love it, so I'd likely end up going with the same size in the 99, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a very positive experience on the shorter length.

[@chrisgravel7157]

@@SkiEssentials Thanks Bob! I pulled the trigger on a 99 in 184. Several of the staff at Vancouvers top ski shop own one or more Kore models and dont recommend sizing up, down yes. Coming off an Kastle MX99 I was looking for lighter, quicker in tree, tight spaces and more off piste oriented ski without too much loss in frontside performance. I got that in spades with the Kore. Man can you stand on these skis, they will take as much energy and power as you can give them!

[@choski76]

For uninitiated, trying to tell who is Bob or Jeff on the hill, look at where the bindings are mounted. Jeff's at midpoint, Bob's are back 5 to 6 cm from midpoint

[@choski76]

and Jeff rides switch alot

[@markhughes1252]

Great job you pair love watching you ski make it look so easy lol I got my kore 99 2019 not being the best skier being bigger to fat lol but I love them got better and better on them I'm 5ft 11 had the 171s now I've got the 2023 177s what's your thoughts please can't wait to try them in Feb in France thanks mark👍👍

[@SkiEssentials]

Hi Mark! 177 feels like a better size for you than 171. More supportive for your size, more stable at higher speeds, more float for deeper days, but because the Kore is so lightweight, I don't expect it to be any more fatiguing or significantly harder to ski. It should just be a benefit having the longer ski.

[@markhughes1252]

@@SkiEssentials Great thanks for your time and reply 👍👍

[@joemama8762]

I rode the ‘20/‘21 Head Kore 99, and it definitely wasn’t for me. It was really fun at slower speeds, but if I pushed it at all at speed it vibrated under my foot. Strange experience. Thanks for the review guys! Love your channel.

[@SkiEssentials]

You may like the newer versions better, but I totally get that it's not the best ski for everyone.

[@rr.1288]

Hello, at what speed u started to feel the vibrations?

[@martialgerolami2192]

I just bought last years Kore 99 am I going to regret that ? I bought on your test results and thought it was a good choice , never ever thought Head would tweak it again.

[@SkiEssentials]

The differences are rather minute from a performance standpoint--perhaps a bit quieter, but still the same energy and kick.

[@proHannuTorrekens]

why don't you ever have review Faction skis?

[@SkiEssentials]

We haven't been a dealer up until this/next year. Faction will enter into our content schedule starting this summer.

[@johnnyp98]

Hi , I’m really looking at the Kore 99 vs 105. I live and ski in the East (Quebec, ON, Vermont, Whiteface) and go out west or big mountain once a year. I ski all over, fast groomers and love trees and going back country when I can. Im 37 , aggressive skier, 6ft , 180lbs. So thinking 177 is perfect maybe 184 too big? Leaning towards the 105s but thinking 99s may be a better fit? Any help on opinion?

[@SkiEssentials]

There's a distinct difference between the shaping of the 99 vs. the 105 in terms of taper and rocker. Once you get to the 105, the skis get a lot more dramatic in these regards. This boosts the soft snow performance but does limit the on-trail behaviors. I think for Eastern US and QC, the 99 makes a lot more sense, and then when you get out west, it's still going to hold up, but since that's likely the less amount of time, that puts the emphasis on the narrower ski, which still floats really well. For sizing, I think it's okay to size shorter on these skis because they're pretty darn stiff. I'd lean to the 99 in the 177. Have fun!

[@Nightlight7]

I demoed the kore 93 and I was wondering how the lightness, and the carving and moguls on ice, of that compares to the 99?

[@SkiEssentials]

It's a bit better than the 99 in terms of quickness and agility. I really enjoy the 99 for overall skiing, but the 93 just holds that much better on ice and is just a bit more precise in the bumps. For me, as a larger skier at 6'2 225, I actually prefer the wider Kore since there's more material to stand on. The 93 is fantastic and I own a pair, but would have gotten the 99 if I already didn't have other skis in that width range.

[@kevin43joseph]

You guys ski on flat terrain. Where is that resort?

[@SkiEssentials]

This was all filmed at Stowe in Vermont. Pitch doesn't normally come through on camera--a lot of that stuff is steeper than it looks. When it comes to the very steep terrain, that just makes filming considerably more difficult and inefficient for us.

[@ichputzhiernur2829]

hey @Skiessentials team. i'm standing directly infront of my ski store but i have one problem. i cant decide between the kore 93 and the kore 99. my weight is 96kilograms and i'm 1.86m tall. i'm skiing for more than 15 years now. i'm thinking about to get a kore for december, my next holiday. atm i'm skiing an old völkl kink 89mm twintip. I would say i go 70/30-60/40 on and off piste. what would you recomand more? the 93 or the 99?

[@SkiEssentials]

Are you looking for the 184 cm? It matters because at that length, versus the 177, the 93 becomes a 95 underfoot and the 99 to a 101. If you're truly looking for more on-piste performance, I'd look to the 93. Perhaps if you are looking at 177 cm, the 99 comes closer to making sense, but I'd still lean to the 93. Have fun! SE

[@michelini2009]

Hello, im thinking about buying bent 90 or kore 99 can I get your opinion what should I buy

[@SkiEssentials]

If you're on the trails more often than not, the Kore provides better edge grip and carving power. The Bent has more of a playful nature to it, and even though it's narrower, it's a bit more versatile when it comes to freeride and freestyle performance.

[@choski76]

How do you keep the ski light with which binding. I bought a pair and the shop put on the heaviest bindings.

[@SkiEssentials]

We've enjoyed the new Atomic/Salomon/Armada Strive 16 bindings this year, although we'll likely pair these with a Tyrolia Attack 14 when we get them.

[@88500990]

First!

[@deeppurplefan]

I ski the OG Kore 99 189cm with Pivot 18's as my light all around soft snow ski. I like its combination of stiffness, light weight and rubber doormat tier dampness which I assume comes from the koroyd core insert. It has a very wide performance envelope but a weird way of getting there. I had to go to a flatter binding ramp angle to counter a bit of forward feeling to the mount (rearmost) and do a slight tapered increase in base bevel in the forebody of the ski to smooth out a choppy turn initiation.

[@christophermagnuson1270]

Oh boy is this great !! Thursday reviews are the best. Thank you ski essentials

[@SkiEssentials]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@markfriedman8892]

Great Review as always. I Watch every review religiously, BUT Sticking with my 2022 Elan Ripstick 96 Black Edition, best skis ever.

[@SkiEssentials]

You're not going to get a whole lot of argument on this side--that 96 Black is simply wonderful.

[@rojyrose2636]

I don’t understand the thought behind a really stiff lightwieght 100 underfoot ski? I’d like to demo this ski before drawing a conclusion but what I love about rustlers and enforcers is the playfulness that comes with a softer flex and the ability to cut through crud with thier extra weight.

[@conorlinehan4434]

I can understand what you are saying. I think for someone like myself - 6'4 250 lbs living on the front range of CO, stiffness is a MUST for me - and I really enjoy the light weight the skis are accompanied with. It would be really weird, I would imagine, if your body type didnt conform to accommodate the stiffness the head kore series are known for. I can really push into these and they go in up to a solid 6-8 inches of fersh snow inches of fresh snow. I also think for free ride side of all mountain skiing - which I prefer bigger bowl type skiing - having the extra stiffness and direction can be useful. Moguls and trees are definitely a little more difficult, but still doable on softer snow when theyre filled in a little lol.

[@SkiEssentials]

Totally valid. Sometimes we kind of joke and curse the ski industry for making so many different skis, but then applaud them for making unique ones. This Kore 99 certainly falls into the unique side of the spectrum. Some people like chocolate, and others like strawberry!

[@andrewsteavpack9079]

I’d say for like backcountry skiing it would be advantageous to having a light directional ski, but at the same time the stiffness is still weird when dealing with variable spring conditions and crust that would be harsh, I’d rather have softer flex at similar weight or more damp and heavy with metal. In perfect soft fresh or soft spring conditions it would work but sometimes you expect better conditions than you get. I guess it could be great for morning groomers while the bowls soften up, but I’d be skeptical. Would be a good ski for Shift bindings at a mountain with good hike to terrain or backcountry gates.

[@VB-3]

I’m 5’11” and 210lbs. Add boots, clothing and polls and that ski now has to support quite a bit of weight. At the same time I want a ski I can throw around. I think this design is a blessing for skiers on the heavier side. If I were under 200lbs it wouldn’t be my first choice.

[@choski76]

​@VB3 I'm 5.7. 190 on a good day. I think it's enuf weight for OG kore 99 170s. Appreciates Jeff's comment on the weight of skier needed to drive these at times cuz it reaffirms my heaviness. It's least fun inbthe chunder

[@johnwilkinson125]

Hi Great review thank you for the information , I currently ski the Head Titan at 170cm with my height 173cm and weight 80kg at 59 years old I have been skiing for 40 years and ski advanced to expert and like to make good progress!!!!!. Looking to add the Kore 99 or 93 as an additional ski to the Titan ski . Skiing in the Alps I spend most time on piste 70% but do venture off piste when conditions are average and above ( really enjoy my Titans on the powder days , just think I may be missing more fun , if I had a fatter ski ?), Which ski and length would you recommend , with the Kore becoming my main ski , another part of my consideration is I do not want the ski to over power me as I get older . Any advice would be very welcolme

[@SkiEssentials]

The nice thing about the Kore is that even though it's stiff and has a high performance ceiling, it's still light, and that makes it manageable. I'd look to the 99 first, as you're probably will be on the 170 in that ski as well, although I wouldn't rule out the 163 if you're looking to favor shorter turns and more moderate speeds. When you get into these shorter, lengths, the waist width also decreases, so the 99 turns into a 95 in the 170. If you went with the 93, then you'd be getting a 91 at the 170, kind of eliminating the need for the fatter ski. Have fun! SE

[@simonorr594]

Gotta agree with Jeff - I just got mine and I was at Hunter this weekend in soft snow. Also, they are tough in choppy conditions - tough to bend the ski

[@SkiEssentials]

This is one of the more polarizing skis when it comes to user style for sure!

[@RJD0921]

Please compare the Kore 99 to the Blizzard Ranger 9. I am 6 ft tall and weigh 177lbs. Ski advanced to expert terrain. Have been skiing a Kore 93 and love it, but it is a little long in the trees.

[@SkiEssentials]

HI Cynthia I'm assuming Rustler 9, not Ranger. Kore 99 will feel pretty darn similar to the 93, but I've found that the 99 is kind of the sweet spot for the Kore skis in terms of having the right amount of material for the flex and build. On the extremes, the Kore 87 feels too light and quick while the wider 105 and 111 don't seem to have the versatility for all-mountain skiing. The 99 is right in the zone--I really like it as a larger skier because I can bend it and it provides excellent responsiveness. Rustler does a whole lot of things well, including having excellent edge grip underfoot while being more playful and freeridey in the tips and tails. Overall, I'd say the Rustler is more versatile, while the Kore does have more of a unique feel and personality. I'd think the 177 in the Kore or the 180 in the Rustler would be good lengths. Have fun! SE

[@rr.1288]

Hi guys my hight is 171 73kg how would I feel on 163cm lengh due to the rocker? Would it be good for carving?

[@SkiEssentials]

I think that's the size for you! Great carving ski, not really enough rocker to fully alter the sizing.

[@ericaminoff]

Sounds really nice, but a dealbreaker for me is that Head didn’t design a symmetrical graphic. With the red on both outsides or insides. It really bothers me. I get that it’s a extra cost for the company and stuff but I do believe that there are more people like me that would appreciate that.

[@jsmit9484]

I would be so irritated every time I'd look down at those skis. Actually a deal-breaker.

[@src248]

I think it looks fantastic! It's everything else about the ski that's the deal breaker for me :P

[@jankaskyevitchjellbet7293]

I don't have OCD, great graphics is a steal!

[@SkiEssentials]

At least the red is always on the same side.