2014 Head Skis Mini Reviews

[h.harb]

The "Rally" is a no where ski, not as good as a Magnum and if you go a little wider, not as good as a Rev 80 for much less money. It's under-whelming for the price.

[Skiasaurus Rex]

Sorry to hear that about the Rally, sounded like a good ski. The Rev 80 is better, though, huh? Good to know. Looks like your mind has been made up CO Steve.

Sorry Max, in 6 pages of posting I missed one guy who said he 'didn't care for it', though most of the thread has been about the durability over time of the IconTT and whether or not seeking one out is worthwhile., right? I thought the consensus was that it was a fine ski, until it broke down prematurely. No?

The Phoenix is not all that stiff, so I'm not sure why you think it would be remarkably stiffer than the IconTT? Well, here's the bigger question then, what is the current 2014 replacement for the IconTT? From any brand?

[HeluvaSkier]

The Phoenix is not all that stiff, so I'm not sure why you think it would be remarkably stiffer than the IconTT?

HH has skied the Blossom branded version of the Phoenix (Great Shape I believe) and he did not like the ski at all. Here is what Harald had to say about it...

Last spring at Hintertux I skied a ski I absolutely hated, the Blossom. It was stiff, no sweet spot and too much rebound, an absolutely diabolical ski. I could never tell how it would throw me after I loaded it up, I could not find the sweat spot. I skied it with will power, determination, intensity, and the idea that I'd never been defeated by a ski before, but with no confidence. I had to constantly make adjustments and my legs were fried because they were working extra hard to stay in balance. I'll never do that again. Lots of Negranos and Zillerbrau helped me make it through the week.

Now... this is coming from a guy who LOVES Blossom/Hart skis [me]. Do not buy this ski as a "learning" ski for PMTS. Unless you're truly an expert level racer-like skier, these skis are going to kick your ass. These are the kinds of skis that would rather ski you than have you ski them... A skier who does not actually bend their skis into an arc would not likely share this opinion, but that is a sign they aren't using the skis properly. Best to stick with skis that make skiing properly easy to do instead of difficult.

The only Blossom/Hart I regularly recommend is the Pulse/Snoras because they have no metal in them (and they are still PLENTY of ski for any skier I have ever met... and too much ski for most). Sadly that ski is out of production.

[Max_501]

The Phoenix is not all that stiff, so I'm not sure why you think it would be remarkably stiffer than the IconTT?

Come on man, why are you debating gear with PMTS experts? It makes no sense. Stop typing and read what we are trying to tell you about skis that are good for developing PMTS movements. If you don't have an interest in those skis then please don't post in the PMTS Gear forum. There are other places on the internet for pontificating about all types of skis. Do the drills (or better yet attend a camp) so you can learn to turn with PMTS movements and you'll begin to understand why we recommend specific skis and not others.

Well, here's the bigger question then, what is the current 2014 replacement for the IconTT? From any brand?

This question has been asked and answered. Please search the forum.

[rwd]

Light skis suck, most skiers only notice the weight when they have to carry them, she needs to find a gentleman to carry her skis. Seriously, light skis are made of junk and they bounce around on anything but packed power. They become uncontrollable on ice, hard snow or anything that is not perfect grooming. Which really narrows down the days and number of runs in a day they are worth skiing on, unless you are skiing at Yellowstone club. You can find many light skis for women, K2 are specialists at women's light skis. They last about two weeks and then they go dead. Just be prepared and know that you were warned.

If new ski technology (eg. carbon fiber) could produce a light ski without the flex and durability limitations, would there be any significant performance advantages for recreational skiing or racing? You have indicated that "light and stiff" is advantageous for ski boots (Dodge). Thanks

[theorist]

It seems nearly all of the current PMTS-recommended Heads come with PR bindings with 5 - 5.5 mm deltas. For someone with a small boot, that effectively adds nearly a degree to both the boot's ramp angle and forward lean vs. a 1.5 mm set-up (which is where I feel balanced). What does HSS, which is sensitive to issues of fore-aft balance, do for those for whom this is too much? Can the toes on these be shimmed? Or does one simply have to pull the binding+rail and replace it with a shim-able model? The alternative is gas-pedaling the boot, but that's a bit radical, and leaves you with a negative delta when on flatter bindings.

[Just ordered a pair of 170 cm Mya 7's from a shop in Germany. They ship to the US for 69 Euros. I'd post the link but that was the last one -- all they have left now is a 156]

[jbotti]

No wonder I like those bindings. It's not to hard to put a shim under the plate by the toe reducing the ramp if needed.

[theorist]

No wonder I like those bindings. It's not to hard to put a shim under the plate by the toe reducing the ramp if needed.

Yeah, tall guys like you with long femurs tend to need more ramp than shorter guys like me .

Nice to know they're shim-able; the three local shops I checked here at Mammoth had concerns about shimming because the heel and toe are connected by that plastic bridge. Now the only question is whether Head will allow it w/o voiding the indemnification (another concern of my shop).

[Mac]

To be fair, I said that I didn't like the Icon 80 in a 170. May be "did not like" is not the best choice of words, I think underwhelmed would be more accurate. But I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I liked the original SS in a 170. With most skis I tend to go longer. I thought the Icon would be similar to the SS, but IMO I would have been happier with the Icon in the longer length. Live and learn.

[Max_501]

IMO, students are happier when they get back to basics and focus on the drills and stop worrying about finding the perfect ski. "It's the Indian not the arrow" applies to many of the gear forum posts.

Either the TT80 or the SS should work just fine for developing PMTS movements. BTW, going longer before solid PMTS fundamentals are in place is detrimental to your development.

[theorist]

[Just ordered a pair of 170 cm Mya 7's from a shop in Germany. They ship to the US for 69 Euros....]

Ugh -- just got an email from the shop saying sorry, they changed shippers and no longer send to the US, and are thus canceling my order. So back to square one.

[Max_501]

It seems nearly all of the current PMTS-recommended Heads come with PR bindings with 5 - 5.5 mm deltas. For someone with a small boot, that effectively adds nearly a degree to both the boot's ramp angle and forward lean vs. a 1.5 mm set-up (which is where I feel balanced).

You should really confirm this feeling with video.

[theorist]

The Mya 7 is my favorite ski right now...with the Maya 7 earlier this season, when the bumps were harder and bigger; it skied great, (west wall and Slalom Hill, at A-Basin) also Ram Rod, but those are easy bumps. The Mya 7 holds really well, and is so smooth, yet has rebound. I ski it in a 170cm. It feels like a Stockli, however for $500 less, and with a better side cut, it carves, holds and it bumps. Better than the TT800 by far. It's beefier than the TT80, but based on it....Head is discontinuing it, from it present state, but you never know, it might pop up again with a different name.

Sorry to bother you with this question, but what would you recommend as the best currently-available (no more 170 Mya 7's) PMTS "all-mountain" (moguls/hard snow/soft snow) carving ski for a man your size, in the vein of the Mya 7, TT80, and X-Shape STX (waist <70 mm, R <= 14 m @ 170)? I gather the iSS Speed, which comes out of the same mold as the Mya 7, is too stiff to have the latter's all-mountain versatility. And there doesn't appear to be anything in Head's preliminary 2015 catalog (men's line essentially the same as this year's, women's line has nothing narrower than 73 mm). I've no idea how the current Stockli Laser CX skis, but its profile is nearly identical to the Mya 7's, except it's 2 mm wider throughout (122-68-100 vs. 119-66-98).

[theorist]

No wonder I like those bindings. It's not to hard to put a shim under the plate by the toe reducing the ramp if needed.

My shop contacted Head about this -- they won't do it b/c Head says it voids the indemnification .

[ToddW]

Theorist,

Here's the HSS summary of the SS Speed. I've highlighted a few portions for you. Key phrase: "shines all over the mountain"

Head iSupershape Speed

119/66/98, R14.3m (170)
163, 170, 177 cm

With the end of the "regular" iSupershape, the iSS Speed will become one of our bread-and-butter skis. Learning to carve, carving, making nimble turns in hard, tight moguls, slicing and dicing on the ice -- the iSS Speed shines all over the mountain and for a variety of skiers. The slight rocker at the tip is accompanied by a flaring sidecut -- Head's version of rocker is done right. It prefers a slightly more relaxed turn rhythm than the Mya No. 7, its stablemate.

World Cup sandwich construction.