2023 Head Supershape e-Magnum

The 2023 Head Supershape E-Magnum is a fantastic front side choice for advanced and expert skiers who aren’t too worried about a low-70's underfoot ski. Head has had some amazing success on the World Cup circuit in terms of building really fast skis, and that technology and construction filters down into the Supershape series. Built with their World Cup Sandwich Cap construction, the E-Magnum has a strong build consisting of a wood core, two sheets of metal, a central strip of graphene, and reinforced fiberglass laminates. All of this adds up to a pretty stiff and strong ski that has a ton of stability and power. If you’re looking to hold an edge like the real-deal race room skis, the Supershape E-Magnum is a great place to be. At 72 mm underfoot, the skis produce a 13.1-meter turn radius in the 170 cm length. This is a pretty short turn for that length, as it creeps in on Slalom-style carves. Thanks to Head’s Energy Management Circuit (EMC), skiers get a smooth ski that filters out the unwanted and negative vibrations to keep the confidence high and the chatter low. Ideally suited for skiers who spend most of their time on groomed trails, these skis are amazing at holding a clean edge on firm or hard packed snow.

Mark MacDonald skied that 170, and he noted that it was too short for him—he'd size up to the 177 for sure. That turn radius can be on the twitchy side, especially if you’re a more aggressive skier or if you simply want to let it run a bit. He gave the ski 3’s out of 5 for stability, quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, torsional stiffness, and edge hold. “Overall,” he notes, “the Head Supershape E-Magnum is not a bad intermediate carver.” While not a glowing shared experience by any stretch, it’s important to note that the shortness of the ski was difficult for Mark to overcome.

Greg Petrics found a 177, and found it skied true to size and was a good length for him. He gave it higher scores of 4 out of 5 for overall impression, versatility, torsional stiffness, edge hold, forgiveness, playfulness, and stability. Quickness, maneuverability, and flotation all got 3’s. The Head SuperShape e-Magnum is in the middle of the SuperShape lineup, and so it offers the most versatility. I find it is really bordering on being a mid-fat powder ski, but one that also rips the piste. Its strengths are numerous. It can manage some fresh snow with aplomb, likely up into the 6-8" depths. It also has absolutely no trouble gripping firm piste thanks to its solid construction by the Head factory. The only weakness is that if you plan to ski mostly firm pisted snow, the ski is a little lazy with its turn initiation, especially at low speeds. But this is entirely to be expected with its increased underfoot width, and I think Head would even tell you this themselves. The ski is recommended for terrain all over the mountain. I can imagine people having fun on this ski almost everywhere, and not feeling like they're making too much of a compromise. The ski is best for advanced intermediates who feel confident on most terrain. Advanced skiers though would also love this ski. The ski would probably be overwhelming for intermediate and skiers just getting started though.”

If you’re looking for something versatile and fun, while also providing endless edge grip and carving performance, the 72 mm waist of the Magnum is likely a great choice. By utilizing a lot of Head’s race room technology and construction, skiers will get that high-end feel and performance but in a more recreational shape and package.