Every year in our country, the number of fans of skiing is growing . In Russia there are new, well-equipped resorts where you can ride on good tracks and just have a great time. For this reason, many novice athletes are interested in manufacturers of quality equipment. Today we will tell you about one of them.
Head is well known to many Russian sports fans. The leading manufacturer of clothing and equipment specializes in the manufacture of winter sportswear, equipment for diving, tennis. The company produces and sells equipment under the Head brand - downhill skiing and boots, mounts and snowboards, helmets and goggles, tennis shoes and squash rackets, etc. In Austria is the ski headquarters of the company. The main production facilities are located in Italy, the Czech Republic and Austria.
From brand history
The history of the company began in the United States of America more than 60 years ago. It was founded by Howard Head. Then she got the name "Head Ski Company." This happened in 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland. After his unsuccessful skiing experience in 1947, Howard Head, an aircraft engineer at that time, decided that wooden skis were to blame for his failure, and he was not a completely inexperienced skier. Possessing an initial capital of $ 6,000 (at that time a pretty decent amount), which he won in poker and earned in a company where he worked part-time as an engineer, a bearded, thin man worked at night, creating new-type skis.
So there was a "sandwich" - skis, which were made of metal, plastic and plywood. They were much lighter than wooden counterparts, more tenacious, more maneuverable, and had a long service life. At that time, this invention became revolutionary - for the first time skis were reinforced with metal.
Soon, like-minded people appeared - five former athletes. In the first year of their activity, they manually collected 300 pairs of skis of an unprecedented design. In the process of working and testing, Head broke a huge number of test samples. Due to lack of funds, he issued his employees “I owe you” receipts. I must say that during this period he was repeatedly subjected to ridicule by athletes, appearing with his invention on ski slopes.
More than 60 years have passed since then. The company gained fame and became popular all over the world. Over time, she moved to Europe and joined the multinational corporation, which specializes in sports equipment.
Head today
This company, known throughout the sports world, is constantly upgrading its products. A few years ago a system was put into production that monitors the stability of skis. This innovative piezo-fiber method has been called "intelligence." She brought huge success to Head. Alpine skis are equipped with a microchip that controls the descent and in just 7 milliseconds is able to make the necessary adjustments to the behavior of the skis depending on the slope and speed of the descent.
Professional skiing Head (reviews of athletes confirm this) today are equipped with the latest KERS system. It acts as a regenerative electrical circuit - it first accumulates and then instantly gives off energy, giving an additional sharp rebound to the skis.
Since last year, Head began to use modern graphene material. It is lighter than fluff and stronger than diamond. In its strength, it is 300 times higher than steel. This material was developed by immigrants from Russia, who today work in England, - Andrei Geim and Konstantin Novoselov. For their invention, they were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize.
The company annually produces a large number of skis for lovers and professional athletes. We will introduce you to some of them in this article.
Head supershape
Alpine skiing Head Supershape (Supershape) - a series of models for experts and fans of fast and clean carving on well-prepared slopes - "expert groomer" The company has been releasing this series for several years, and it has won recognition among experts, athletes, and amateurs. The original novelty, which instantly became a cult, was liked by all experts in the tests.
Specialists appreciated the high level of carv with a radius of 13, with a waist of 76 and a very lively return. These skis are softer than the illustrious Titan and gravitate towards short turns. This model is considered by many to be the most interesting in the HEAD carv collection. It fully justifies the name - a truly rally all-terrain vehicle, aggressiveness and at the same time excellent handling. You can rush any arcs (especially short ones) along the track, in whatever condition it is - the broken sections of the ski can be overcome without problems. Alpine skiing Head supershape is the best car of the season 2014-2015.
Head Cyber C-140 RAILFLEX2
A great model for beginners and intermediate skiers. Designed for carving. Skiing Head Cyber C-140 is suitable for skiing on any type of snow and on different slopes. CAP construction with carbon fiber cover FULL CARBON. The X-FRAME system has an X-shaped frame, providing an ideal distribution of energy along the length of the ski. The core is wooden. The SUPER RAILFLEX2 platform is located in the mounting area. It is compatible only with TYROLIA mounts. High molecular weight sliding sintered surface.
Head Shape LTD PR
For beginners, an interesting model is offered by Head. Alpine skiing Shape LTD PR with a small radius, they themselves enter the turn. The model is characterized by low rigidity, has a soft ride and is quite loyal to the small mistakes of a beginner.
Universal waist allows you to experiment on different surfaces. In addition, Head Shape LTD PR skiing has a PowerRAIL platform. This allows you to quickly rearrange the mount, depending on the size of the boot. These skis are part of the Head Allride line. It is designed for skiers of all levels - from expert to beginner. Used technology ERA 3.0. It is a combination of shape, design and geometry. She is able to give versatile and comfortable riding. Skis on this technology are easy to manage, universal, chains on all surfaces.
Head rebels
This model is a less aggressive version of sports slalom skiing. Something between i.SL and Magnum Supershape. Skiing Head Rebels have a more “calm” character, they are quite sharp, have a short radius, will give pleasure to a well-skiing person.
Despite the fact that their design is similar to the Worldcup Sandwich models, which have a wooden core and 2 layers of titanium, their price is much lower than for Supershape or sports models. This is due to the lack of a KERS system and a simpler mount interface.
Head instinct
The new, but already well-established Instinct series has collected all the best from its predecessor REV. Head Instinct - Alpine skiing, belonging to universal models using graphene and titanium in the construction, are considered to be specialists in skiing for all occasions.
Surprisingly, a fairly wide waist (82 mm) does not interfere with skiing at all. Excellent tenacity, maneuverability, edge banding. Separately, it is necessary to note the lightness of these skis - the use of graphene in the construction allowed the company to save up to 15% of the weight. At the same time, the highest technical characteristics are preserved.
Many athletes note that these skis behave perfectly on broken sections of tracks that they overcome easily without noticing obstacles. Recommended for well-trained skiers.
Reviews
Head - alpine skiing, which today is chosen not only by amateurs, but professional athletes. They have many reviews, and I must say that basically, they are positive. This is especially true of the Supershape line of models, which the famous brand has been releasing for more than a year, but the athletes are pleased that they are improving every year. The skis are very fast, go perfectly in bend, keep the trajectory perfectly.
The Shape LTD PR model receives a lot of good words from beginners. On these skis it is very comfortable to study in any weather on a well-prepared track. It should be noted that the lineup of the company is so large that everyone can choose the right model in it.