Head skis

Thankyou, Pavelski. I'll give up my futile search!

A good point about about taking note of the skis you hire. I actually took some photos of the Magnum ones I hired in January, which I also rather liked. It would also be useful to do this with skis you don't like to remember what not to go for.

I'm tempted to just order some Head WC SL after your's and Trencher's comments. I keep seeing them on ebay and they seem very reasonably priced, especially if they are that good. They look rather smart too ~ I'm in the crowd that would look silly with blood and skulls and nudes.... but these skis I think would go nicely with my pink jakcet!

Incidently, in France this year, the ski shop said they didn't use the Head skis. I couldn't quite understand his explanation as to why, something to do with the durch sprung technology.

Thankyou again for all the information, Pavelski.

Olla

OLLA,

Why some shops or some ski resorts do not have a specific ski often has to do with "marketing politics" !

In one ski resort I visit regularly, Salomon is given to all ski school directors and supervisors ! In return instructors MUST have only Salomon to teach and only this brand is sold !

Guess what happened last year ?

I was testing about 10 pair of Fischers and one of the supervisor asked me to try the SC pro model. At end of day he offered me a beer and at bar ( in a low voice) asked to buy that model! I did get him a pro deal! On his free days , he takes off his instructor jacket, puts on those Fischers and skis while his fellow instructors "jeer" him !!!!

Hope you find the Heads you want !

Pavel

I also like the Fischer pro SC. Quite a versatile ski, though I wish they hadn't increased the radius as much from the previous model.

Olla, Although I had the most fun on the Head SL skis, they are not a versatile ski. Hard tight turns, and although they have a lot of energy, they require a lot of energy too.

Front side skis can vary a lot. Not just the radius (those numbers Pav mentioned), but how that radius is designed. Two skis with the same radius sidcut can have very different characteristics.

A great explanation of how this works is given in these videos by Sean Martin of Donek Snowboards. The same principles apply to skis. Unfortunately, unlike the custom snowboard makers, ski companies don't give these kind of details.

I think I get it a bit more now! The thing is, understanding how it works is great, but I don't know what I need!

I hired some very pretty lightweight skis this year, which I felt very unstable on, especially at speed (at intermediate level speed, shall we say). I changed them for Head Magnums, and once I got used to them I was much more confident and had much more fun.

Trencher, you say the Head WC SL is not versatile and does hard tight turns, that sounds quite versatile to me. It must be capable of doing anything between a hard tight turn and going straight?

Olla wrote:I think I get it a bit more now! The thing is, understanding how it works is great, but I don't know what I need!

Trencher, you say the Head WC SL is not versatile and does hard tight turns, that sounds quite versatile to me. It must be capable of doing anything between a hard tight turn and going straight?

This ski is built to turn hard, tight turns, nothing else really. If you want a ski that will go in a straight line, pick something else.

Re Head WC SL skis.

I have these skis for the past three years. The only limitations I noted is in +10 cm. of soft powder snow!

I can use them for tight SL turns with a great spring feeling at end of turn!

I use them also for wide fast GS turns ( 81-23 meters) on steep runs.

In Spring skiing conditions with great deal of moguls they zip over tops!

The video I sent Dave Mac with me cruising with fast GS easy turns is on those SL skis!

Yes of course you can go straight down with them,,but what is the point!

I do have a pair of GS 181 cm. Head Supershapes for real fast GS type skiing and the difference between the two ,,,is that the GS is so much more stable at high high speeds ( most skiers will never go so fast) ! If you do go at speeds which allows those Supershapes to "hum",,the your ticket will be taken away!

Sorry Bandit,,but my Heads do more than tight turns. They cruise with turns in the =21 meters with ease.
Then that is just my experience with them.

If the OP is asking the questions, then these are not the right skis.
Any ski can do anything, it's a user who has the skills.

Bandit,
You are so right !

If you do not know what is a WC SL cut ski,,,,then it is not for you !

We have a saying here. It ain't the gun,,but the gunner" that makes the difference !

I once skied with a middle age man who kept complaining about how his skis could not do this or that ! After two days of listening to this "complaining" without a comment, I asked him to exchange skis!

We went down the same run,,in the same speed with the same turns! One run did it !

We exchanged, in silence skis again at bottom of the run ! Nothing was said!

The rest of the week went very well !

Now as far as "any ski can do anything ",,,,I have a pair of 185 cm. ,,,,130 mm. waist powder skis that can do nothing on hard groomed slopes, but in powder,,,,they come alive !

Try taking a 220 cm. downhill ski in narrow chutes ! There a limit on what you can ask a ski to do!

In conclusion Bandit, as always you are right in target. If a skier has to ask what these skis do,,,"then these are not the right skis" for him ! Can he at least dream of skiing on the very best ????

Have a great season Bandit !