KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski

Review by Erin Trail

The Head KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski is perfect for the advanced female skier looking to have fun on both groomed and off-piste terrain.

Specifications

163 length ski:

• Tail 109 mm
• Width 86 mm
• Tip 125 mm
• Turning Radius 13,2 m
• Weight 1685 g

Camber/Rocker Profile:

• Rocker Tail 15 %
• Camber 55 %
• Rocker Tip 25 %

Construction:

• Two layers of Titanal® and a tuned Poplar/PET core for the perfect balance of stability and energy
• Graphene in strategic places, to make the ski super strong and lightweight
• Structured UHM C Base, which is the same material used in HEAD’s race ski line
• Top sheet constructed to reduce wear and tear, thanks to a coated flax edge

Detailed Review

I borrowed a pair of the KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski for the month of February 2026 for gear testing. This ski season in Colorado has been different from most, thanks to record setting low snowpack. Despite the weird weather, I was able to find plenty of terrain – and even a little powder – to fully test out these skis.

The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski are made specifically for advanced women skiers who are looking for a lighter ski that you can really push technically. The rocker and shape are specific to women, allowing for smooth turns and quick transitions. These skis feel equally at home on cruiser groomers and on bump runs.

About me: I’ve been skiing my entire life and would consider myself an advanced skier.  I appreciate a fun cruisey groomer, but I really love the technical challenge of steeps, bumps, and trees. My typical day on the mountain involves a few blue groomers to warm up and then I dive into the bumps and trees until my legs no longer work.

I tested the KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski on the following terrains/surfaces:

• Green and Blue groomed runs
• Blue ungroomed runs
• Black mogul runs
• Parkour conditions (ice, thin snow, things you end up hopping over to avoid)
• A tiny bit of powder and a tiny bit of trees

The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski are quick to get a feel for and become confident on, with very little time spent in the “getting to know you” phase of ski demoing. The turning and handling is very intuitive and responsive and by my first afternoon, I was zipping along groomed runs and near full speed (only hesitating due to low snowpack and exposed rocks) and trying them out on my favorite bump runs.

My favorite thing about the KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski is how nimble and responsive they are. I love moguls, but this season has been “interesting” where bump runs are more akin to obstacle courses, full of debris like rocks and trees.  I had countless times where I was approaching into a mogul to turn, did not like what I saw, and immediately altered course to avoid hitting a rock or mini-tree. I call these “nope” turns.  These skis enabled me to take the mogul short or long – helping to avoid the debris in the rut of the mogul – without muscling them along.  They also changed directions on a dime, allowing me to turn 180 degrees and completely alter course to a patch of bumps that were in better shape.  With all of this maneuvering, I never once experienced a crossed tip and I rarely missed my intended turn.  I never had to muscle the skis to do what I wanted them to do. The skis just went where I wanted them to go. AMAZING.

Tree skiing this season is, well, scary if you like your skis and want to avoid destroying them.  I did dabble in a few tree lines during my demo.  These skis were a smidge long for me (I usually ride 156, but the smallest available for demo were 163).  They were ok in the trees, but I think for me, a smaller length would have been better for testing.

KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski

Powder was rare and hard to find during my testing, but I did manage to find a little bit of untracked and choppy fresh snow on my final testing day (2-4″ deep). The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski handled powder and chop well, feeling stable and maneuvering well in shallow fresh snow.  For deeper snow, I would definitely go for one of the wider KORE models for more float.  But on a mixed snow day, ranging from groomed to shallow powder stashes, the KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski did everything I wanted them to do, and did it well.

The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Skis also feel light underfoot, thanks to the combination of Titanal®, poplar wood, and GRAPHENE.  The were easy to “pop” during a tight turn.  The lightness was also notable on the chairlift – they didn’t feel heavy or pull at my knees with weight.

Closing Thoughts

I was pretty sad when I handed my demo skis back in – I had a LOT of fun testing them.  The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski are lightweight and easy riding, enabling skiers to focus on the FUN as they ski down the terrain of their choice.  Due to smart design and shape, the KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Skis are capable of everything on the mountain, from groomers to spicy steeps.  I was really impressed with how nimble they were and now light they felt underfoot.

The KORE 87 Ti W Freeride Ski is available in lengths of 149, 156, 163, and 170.  The KORE women’s line is available in widths of 87, 93, 99, and 104, making them a good option for a wide variety of snow conditions.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race