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There’s a select few skis that have developed a cult following over the last years, due to performance and design characteristics that truly set them apart. Amongst hard-charging freeride skiers, Head’s Kore line has stood the test of time, becoming a fan-favorite among many for its uniquely powerful but lightweight carbon and graphene construction that catered to those looking to ski fast through choppy snow. Some might remember some durability issues with the older Kore skis, and in part to remedy this (but also to improve hard-snow performance), Head switched to dual Titanal metal sheets to build the new Kore line.
On paper, I was impressed with the new Head Kore 106Ti and hoped it would improve on what we loved about the previous version, something most of our other POWDER testers echoed–but when it came to taking the ski on snow, we were left scratching our heads. For a mid-fat freeride ski that should make ripping around at high speeds easy and near-automatic, myself and several testers had an exceptionally hard time feeling comfortable, with the ski locking firmly into carves unexpectedly and not tracking in a straight line on firm snow. This was the case with three different pairs of the skis. Thinking that it was related to the factory tune, we had a shop professionally re-tune the base pattern and edge bevel, which helped alleviate the hooky nature somewhat, but still left more to be desired.
The 2025-26 Head Kore 106Ti falls smack in the middle of Head’s revamped Kore lineup (made up of six skis ranging from 88 to 118mm). At 106mm underfoot, it’s meant to be the most versatile of the bunch, with an overall shape and construction to back that up. Depending on where you mostly ski, this waist width might either be reserved for deeper days or serve as a daily driver, but the directional freeride shape is equally suited for on and off-piste riding.
From a flex standpoint, the overall ski is quite stiff, much like the older Kore 105. However, the tips are in fact quite soft, but that quickly changes as you move underfoot and towards the tail. There’s a definite “peak” in the flex pattern about halfway between the toepiece and the tip, where the ski suddenly gets much softer towards the front.
Inside, the Kore 106Ti is built with a karuba and beech wood core layered with two sheets of titanal metal, a graphene layer, and a flax & fiberglass laminate. That results in a significantly heavier ski than in years past, increased damping and a more aggressive “heavy-metal” feel.
Where to mount the ski was another point of contention among testers. Personally, I found the recommended mount point (nearly 10cm back from true center) to be absurdly far back. Most testers, especially those who came from a freestyle background, agreed. I ended up bumping the bindings forward 5cm from the recommended line, which made the ski come alive a bit more, giving the ski a more balanced and playful character.
As mentioned before, we ran into some issues testing these skis at various points throughout the winter. I received a pair of the 186cm 106Ti mounted with a pair of the new Tyrolia Attack Hybrid bindings, and spent a few days skiing inbounds and out the gates at Jackson Hole. To say the least, I was bummed at how they performed, even after sending them to the shop to get completely re-tuned. In soft snow, the ski felt great, but as soon as I encountered anything even remotely firm, the ski exhibited a bizarre combination of feeling really hooky when initiating a turn and an inability to slip sideways smoothly. The shop tech who initially re-tuned them pointed out that the factory tune was very edge-high, which would explain the locked-in “hooky” feeling myself and other testers noticed.
However, even with a tuning reset, they still felt off. As mentioned, I moved the mount point up significantly, but still couldn't shake the feeling of the ski feeling really unpredictable in anything but deep pow. The stiffness and directional shape makes the Kore 106Ti feel like a ski that wants to be driven hard through the tip, but once you lean in and load the tips, they fold, becoming quite unpredictable and scary at high speeds.
Later in the season, I hopped on two more pairs of these at our Sunshine Village test, knowing the ordeal I went through with my earlier demo pair. Bam! It happened again. Another trip to a different shop confirmed the same tune issue, which had to be remedied all over again. The second pair was much more skiable after the re-tune, but still had that feeling of having too much edge grip.
In their tester notes, one person said: “Fast! The tenacious edge grip of this ski is unparalleled. A great ski for railing large radius turns. They float well in soft snow for a ski of this width. Someone who wants an all mountain ski for fast large-radius turns will appreciate this ski.”
However, another lamented: “Skiing is better than not skiing. And being scared can be fun, but I normally prefer being scared by the terrain rather than the ski. If you only want to be locked into a carve and never do anything else, this could be the ski for you. It was stiff and damp, but lacked the other characteristics required to enjoy those aspects. It felt overly locked into turns–really planted in a longer turn shape. It just wouldn’t release from a turn or willingly transition into a shorter turn, making it really hard to make any turn shape than the one it was locked in to. The thought of making quick pivots or suddenly scrubbing some speed on it was a scary prospect, which isn’t how an all mountain ski should feel.”
I like to talk about skis having a “sweet spot,” e.g. that secret sauce in a ski where you feel fully in control and rewarded by your every input–instead of punished for your mistakes. Simply put, the Kore 106Ti’s sweet spot is too small. The precision required to maneuver these at speed will make them punishing to ski for most everyone but extremely talented skiers.
As a ski meant to be a narrower freeride ski (perhaps even a firm-conditions comp ski), the updated Head Kore 106ti begs comparison to other directional all-mountain/freeride skis like the Salomon QST 106, and the Blizzard Rustler 10.
Side-by-side with the Salomon QST 106, the skis share an extremely similar shape and rocker profile, but the QST is much softer-flexing and forgiving and will cater to a much wider range of skiers and ability levels. The Kore 106 Ti might be better suited for expert skiers looking for a ski that can handle high-speed charging, but the QST 106 takes the cake for versatility and everyday usability.
Similarly, the Blizzard Rustler 10 will also cater to a wider range of skiers. While similarly damp, it’s quite a bit softer and more forgiving (and easier to ski) than the Kore 106 Ti.
Compared to the outgoing Kore 105, the new Kore 106Ti feels like an entirely different beast. Gone is the speed-hungry but easy-to-control nature of the ski, replaced with one that feels like you’re locked in for a scary ride against your will.
Looking past the tuning and mount point issues, I do think that certain skiers would love the Head Kore 106Ti, it’s just not eminently skiable right out of the box. Move the mount point up, re-do the edge tune, and spend some time dialing it in, and an aggressive freeride skier could find this to be a good choice as a daily driver at a resort with steep, gnarly terrain in the Mountain West like Jackson, Crested Butte, or Arapahoe Basin. Alternatively, it could make a good East Coast powder ski for skiers with a race background who know how to reign in a beast with this much edge grip.
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