Author Topic: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!  (Read 772 times)

jbotti

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New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« on: March 22, 2010, 08:18:56 am »
Skied these in Montana last week. This ski has been changed for next season. It is a beefier, stiffer, and has less sidecut in the tail. The results are beyond outstanding and this may the best ski I have ever been on!! I had grown to rarely ski my old SS's mainly becuase of the tail that hooked up and did not want to release. The ski was alos always a little floppy at speed in anything other than tight slalom turns. They have addressed all this with the new model. They really should have called it the SuperShape RD, as it skis like the ISL RD but with a little less kick. For me it really is the perfect ski. I love my ISL RD's but they can wear you out and if you aren't on your game and if you get back on them they will buck you right off them. The SS's are the perfect ski in the middle between the old SS's and the ISL RD. Great ski!! And the tail is not hooky and you can release it whenever you want. Try these, you will love them. BTW, not for everyone. These require more skill and more ability than the old ones. But for those with the skill, wow, what an amazing ski!!

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LivingProof

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2010, 10:41:53 am »
JB, nice write up. Demo'ing the new SS is an item in the bucket to get done next ski season. Demo'ing anything at Big Sky would also be in that same bucket. We'll see.

I've never considered the basic SS a demanding ski and the PMTS forum feedback is that of a versatile ski which can be enjoyed by less skilled skiers. Could you comment more about the more demanding skills needed to fully use the new SS. Is is closer to a SL or GS ski?

I find Head's front side carver ski marketing is so confusing and they compete with themselves in what seems to be a declining market share. I see just so few skiers doing the PMTS short radius, high angle turns that the SS supports. Does anyone really need to demo 4 skis (SS, magnum, speed and Icon) from the same company to find the "ideal" ski? I may not be the best reviewer of skis, and, am sure not the skier that you are, but, I would be pretty happy on any of them. My basic old SS is versatile in the range of speeds I use it at here in the east. At my limited level of bump skiing, getting a better mogule ski is not of great importance. It appears to be fine tuning of differences rather than a unique ski.  I've demo'd the Magnum and the Icon 80 and perhaps there would be a slight favorite in the Icon.

For sure, Head needs to change from the traditional SS design if for nothing else than to generate interest in a new ski as they can't  just sell the same old ski. Still, I'd find it difficult to say goodbye to my SS's just to go to another pair of Head narrow waisted carvers. Not saying the "WOW" factor could not be there, but, until I experience it, I remain my skeptical self.

Ron

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2010, 11:54:19 am »
Here's a really cool ski coming out soon!

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183794

jbotti

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2010, 12:36:22 pm »
LP. the new SS is just stiffer and the tail has a lot more kick. The tip is stiffer but the change is not huge. Underfoot it is a quite a bit stiffer and in the tail it is a lot stiffer. If you load the ski and get back it will throw you. At speed it could throw you into the air. It happened to me and I took a big wipeout. The benefit of the tail is that it is no longer hooky, the way the tail is on the old SS. You can exit a carve whenever you want without the delay on the old SS's. I hated this on the old SS.

jbotti

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2010, 11:50:22 am »
BTW, I just skied these again for three days (possibly my last days of the year). Wow, by far my favorite skis ever!! These sksi are the answer to the question "How do you make a great ski even better?" And that's exactly what they have done. This ski will now do it all with regard to turn shape and it has even more life and pop than the old SS's. Again the only drawback would be that the old SS was a ski that intermediates to experts could use and enjoy. I do think the new one is a bit much ski for mid level intermediate skiers.

For all the Esat Coast skiers on this forum looking for a great carving ski, with high end performance, this belongs on everyones demo list. This ski gives a good skier 85% of the high end performance of a race slalom ski, and is quite a bit more forgiving and way more versatile.

jbotti

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2010, 01:35:59 pm »
Not sure anyone here cares on these but I just had an email coversation with Peter Keelty on the new Head SS's (2011). He said that he has not seen the ski, and was unable to get any to demo. He said that Head is telling him that they will not have this ski in the North American lineup this year. It's a good thing I kept the skis I was demoing!!

IMHO, Heads moves defy reason. They are paying up big to get name WC stars and at the same time what would most likley be their best selling race oriented ski they decided to only sell in Europe!! Combine this with what they have done with the Peak series (adding flappy tips to all the skis) and Head is not going to have a lot of product that interests good skiers next year. It is sad because for the last 5-7 years they have made some truly great skis, and the 2011 SS is at the top of that list.

jim-ratliff

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Re: New 2011 Head Super Shapes!!
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2010, 09:20:52 pm »

That's rather interesting. 

It may not be related, but last year was the first time that I saw Head skis in any resort rental fleets, and it was at a couple of different places.  And the colors were clearly borrowing from the "supershape" look (and recognition).  Are they paying the big names in order to sell skis to the better skiers, or to sell rental skis for the masses?

And clearly there is more of a market for "narrow" skis in Europe than here, where everyone wants to "be like Ron"  >:D (or, in different phrasing, where wide rules).
"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."