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The Scores (out of 10)
- Overall Score: 8.21/10
- Rank: #2
- Versatility: 8.6
- Crud Performance: 8
- Playfulness: 8.4
- Responsiveness: 8.2
- Hard-Snow Integrity: 8.2
- Quickness: 8.4
- Stability at Speed: 8
- Carving: 8.6
- Flotation: 7
- Forgiveness: 7.8
The Specs
- Price: $800
- Lengths: 149, 156, 163, 170
- Dimensions: 130-91-113
- Radius: 14.7m (170cm)
- Level: Intermediate to Expert
In a Nutshell
- Pros: Versatility (#3), Playfulness (#3)
- Cons: Flotation (#4), Crud Performance (#5)
If we had to choose just one ski to universally recommend to women鈥攏o matter their ability or where they ski鈥攖he Kore 91 W might be it. Thanks to a lightweight caruba-poplar core, moderate tip and tail rocker, and slimmer waist, this ski is incredibly agile, energetic, and just so easy to swing around.
Testers found that this makes the Kore 91 W a particularly great playmate in moguls and glades, where you need a ski that鈥檚 willing to turn on a dime and doesn鈥檛 make you muscle your way through turns. Every tester described this ski as nimble and energetic, not just in bumps or tight terrain, but everywhere else, too, and awarded it high marks in Playfulness accordingly. But for a ski with no Titanal, the Kore 91 W holds its own under expert pressure, and testers say it won鈥檛 let you down even when conditions get sketchy.
鈥淪urprised at how dependable this was for a ski with no metal,鈥 said tester Avery Pese, an expert skier from the East. 鈥淚 quickly trusted this thing to handle whatever terrain I pushed it on. Another one-ski quiver for an all mountain skier. Light and responsive in the trees with excellent float.鈥
搁别濒补迟别诲:听See How the Head Kore 91 W Compares to Its Competition
The ski鈥檚 one little shortcoming: It does have a speed limit, and because it doesn鈥檛 have metal in it, it鈥檚 not the most natural carver on hard snow. You can get it up on edge, but you have to work a little harder to get there. 鈥淣ot as easy to get on edge as some of the others in this category,鈥 noted tester Ariella Gintzler, a 5鈥4鈥 advanced skier. 鈥淣ot a fast and furious race car ready to giv鈥檈r,鈥 added Erika Northrop, who gravitates towards beefier skis that can stand up to her home hill of Taos, N.M.
But as a playful, user-friendly, and versatile all-mountain tool, this ski is hard to top, especially for those still working on their skills and gaining confidence off-piste. 鈥淭his is a great ski for intermediate skiers who want to try a slightly heavier ski,鈥 said Gintzler.
Other testers weren鈥檛 so quick to dismiss the Kore 91 W as an intermediate ski, claiming advanced and expert skiers could appreciate its easygoing nature while still getting a whole lot of performance out of it. 鈥淎dvanced lady skiers will find it easy to lay into, but it also lets beginners take it easy,鈥 noted tester Michelle Nicholson, a Jackson Hole ski patroller. 鈥淪uper approachable and turn-friendly for an advanced intermediate, but powerful and stable enough for a hard-charging advanced skier looking for a ski they can whip around,鈥 Pesce summarized.
Like the Blizzard Sheeva 9, the all-mountain category winner, this ski didn鈥檛 win the highest marks in any one skill department. But it came by its No. 2 ranking honestly after demonstrating its supreme versatility, arguably the most important trait in an all-mountain ski.
Jenny Wiegand is SKI鈥檚 managing editor. Born and raised in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Jenny grew up exploring聽 on skis, bikes, and her own two feet. She has since traded in the Alps for the Rockies to seek new trails, new adventures, and write about her favorite sport鈥攕kiing鈥攊n her new home of Boulder, Colo. Since joining the SKI Magazine editorial team in 2018, Jenny has written and edited stories for SKI鈥檚 print and digital outlets.聽A lifelong skier and former club racer, Jenny is also a self-proclaimed gearhead and puts that knowledge to good use as one of SKI Magazine鈥檚 official聽.