2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan

Ski: 2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally, 177 cm

Available Lengths: 156, 163, 170, 177 cm

Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 175.8 cm

Stated Weight per Ski: 2275 grams (170 cm)

Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2297 & 2304 grams (with Head Super Flex Plates)

Stated Dimensions: 132-78-114 mm

Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 131.2-77.4-113.4 mm

Stated Sidecut Radius (177 cm): 15.3 meters

Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 49 mm / 10 mm

Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 11 mm

Core Materials: wood + titanal (2 layers) + graphene + “Energy Management Circuits” + fiberglass laminate

Base: RD Race Structured UHM C

Factory Recommended Mount Point: N/A (sold with binding plate)

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Head Supershape e-Rally: 23/24 Top Sheet

Ski: 2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Titan, 177 cm

Available Lengths: 156, 163, 170, 177, 184 cm

Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 175.6 cm

Stated Weight per Ski: 2205 grams

Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2205 & 2206 grams (with HEAD Super Flex Plates)

Stated Dimensions: 133-84-115 mm

Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 132.4-83.4-114.5 mm

Stated Sidecut Radius (177 cm): 17.2 meters

Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 59 mm / 9 mm

Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 9 mm

Core Materials: wood + titanal (2 layers) + graphene + “Energy Management Circuits” + fiberglass laminate

Base: RD Race Structured UHM C

Factory Recommended Mount Point: N/A (sold with binding plate)

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Head Supershape e-Titan: 23/24 Top Sheet

Boots / Bindings Used: Lange Shadow 130 LV, Tecnica Mach1 MV 130, Atomic Redster CS 130 / Protector PR 13 GW

Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO

Days Skied (total): ~20

[Note: Our review was conducted on the 22/23 version of these skis, which returned unchanged for 23/24, apart from graphics.]

Review Navigation:  Specs //  First Look //  Full Review //  Rocker Pics

Intro

The Supershape name has been a part of Head’s ski line for many years, starting in the mid-2000s as a race-inspired carving ski. Since then, Head has tweaked, evolved, and expanded the Supershape series, with the 23/24 collection including five different adult skis.

The modern Supershape skis fall between Head’s more demanding, race-oriented Worldcup Rebels series, and their slightly more accessible “V” series of piste-oriented skis.

We’ve been spending a lot of time on two of the current Supershapes — the Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan — to see how the latest iterations of these venerable carving skis compare to the rest of the market.

What Head says about the Supershape e.Rally

“The Supershape e-Rally is the perfect hybrid ski for the experienced versatile skier who likes the flexibility to ski wherever the day takes them. It features HEAD’s innovative EMC technology, which reduces vibrations and increases stability for an overall smoother ride, as well as Graphene for optimized weight balance distribution and control. If you’re looking for a versatile ski, the e-Rally will take good care of you around the mountain.”

What Head says about the Supershape e.Titan

“The Supershape e-Titan is the ultimate high-performance all-mountain ski that comes with a wider footprint and a longer radius for all mountain skiing. It features HEAD’s innovative EMC technology, which reduces vibrations and increases stability for an overall smoother ride as well as Graphene technology for optimized weight balance distribution and control. Just like the rest of the Supershape family, the e-Titan is made for performance and versatility for all-mountain adventures.”

Construction

As Head notes in their description of these skis, they both feature some uncommon materials and bits of tech.

First and foremost is their EMC system, which stands for “Energy Management Circuit” and is the root of the “e” in the latest Supershapes’ names. According to Head, the skis feature ceramic piezoelectric elements in the front and rear that convert kinetic energy into electrical energy; that electricity then passes through a circuit that consists of a resistor and a Graphene-infused carbon layer embedded in the ski. That circuit reportedly “harnesses the electrical energy and filters out negative vibrations.”

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t exactly go “Yep, that totally makes sense” when I first read Head’s copy about EMC. But the main point seems to be that it’s designed to reduce unwanted vibrations, which is something many ski companies aim to achieve via various methods. (And no, I never felt myself get an electric shock while skiing the EMC-equipped Supershapes.)

Electro-wizardry aside, the Supershape e-Rally and e-Titan feature a wood core (Head doesn’t divulge the types of wood), two sheets of titanal, and an “RD Race Structured UHM C” base.

Bindings

The Supershape skis are available with a variety of bindings; the versions we’ve been testing came with Tyrolia’s Protector PR 13 GW bindings, which feature the brand’s “Full Heel Release” design. You can learn all about the Protector bindings in our GEAR:30 conversation with Tyrolia’s Andrew Couperthwait.

2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan, BLISTER

Shape / Rocker Profile

All the Supershape skis are pretty traditional when it comes to their shapes and rocker profiles, as you’d expect of piste-oriented skis. They feature almost no early tapering at the tips or tails, equating to a very long effective edge, and have just a hint of a tip and tail rocker. Otherwise, they’re mostly cambered.

Flex Pattern

Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Supershape e-Rally:

Tips: 9-9.5
Shovels: 9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9.5-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9.5
Tails: 9.5

And here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the SuperShape e.Titan:

Tips: 9-9.5
Shovels: 9.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9.5-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9.5
Tails: 9.5

 In short, hand-flexing any part of the SuperShape e-Titan or e-Rally is quite difficult. These skis are stiff.

Dimensions

The 177 cm Supershape e-Rally’s dimensions are about 132-78-114 mm (tip-waist-tail), while the 177 cm Supershape e-Titan is a bit wider, at 133-84-115 mm. I.e., they’re on the slightly wider end of the spectrum for piste-oriented skis, and are the widest two models in the Supershape series.

For reference, the Supershape e-Original is 66 mm underfoot, the e-Speed is 68 mm, and the e-Magnum is 72 mm.

Sidecut Radius

In addition to their respective widths, another differentiator between the various Supershape skis is their sidecut radii. The 177 cm Supershape e-Rally has a stated sidecut radius of 15.3 meters, while the 177 cm Supershape e-Titan’s is a bit longer, at 17.2 meters.

2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan, BLISTER

Weight

The Supershape skis are not particularly light, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that their core construction is fairly similar to Head’s full-on racing skis. The 177 cm e-Rally and e-Titan both come in over 2200 grams per ski with their binding plates (Head’s “Superflex PR Base low” plate).

For reference, here are some of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for a few notable skis. As always, keep in mind the length and width differences of each ski listed to keep things more apples-to-apples. Also, note which of these measured weights includes a given ski’s binding plates.

1701 & 1706 Rossignol Forza 70D V-Ti, 173 cm (23/24)
1724 & 1735 Parlor Warbird, 178 cm (21/22–23/24)
1728 & 1750 Renoun Atlas 80, 177 cm (21/22–23/24)
1823 & 1853 Atomic Maverick 88 Ti, 184 cm (21/22–23/24)
1832 & 1841 K2 Disruption 78Ti, 177 cm (21/22–23/24)
1911 & 1917 K2 Disruption 82Ti, 177 cm (21/22–23/24)
1915 & 1937 K2 Mindbender 89Ti, 182 cm (22/23–23/24)
1990 & 2036 Blizzard Brahma 88, 177 cm (20/21–23/24)
2008 & 2015 Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm (19/20–23/24)
2098 & 2105 Nordica Enforcer 88, 179 cm (20/21–23/24)
2142 & 2145 Stereo Piste RS, 175 cm (21/22–22/23; w/ binding plates)
2205 & 2206 Head Supershape e-Titan, 177 cm (22/23–23/24; w/ binding plates)
2235 & 2236 Elan Wingman 86 CTi, 184 cm (21/22–23/24; w/ binding plates)
2225 & 2248 K2 Disruption MTi, 175 cm (21/22–23/24; w/ binding plates)
2286 & 2299 Fischer RC One 82 GT, 180 cm (22/23–23/24)
2304 & 2297 Head Supershape e-Rally, 177 cm (22/23–23/24; w/ binding plates)
2432 & 2445 Fischer RC4 The Curv, 185 cm (22/23–23/24; w/ binding plates)

Now, let’s get to on-snow performance:

2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan, BLISTER

FULL REVIEW

Before we dive right in, a little background:

We tested the previous versions of these skis several years ago, back when they were called the Supershape i.Rally and Supershape i.Titan. So, we were curious to see how the newest versions compared to their predecessors (especially since we thought those skis were excellent carvers for certain skiers), and to see how the new e-Rally and e-Titan would compare to the current crop of carving-oriented skis.

We’ve been testing them over the course of two seasons, from super firm, man-made snow at the beginning of the winter, to more forgiving mid-winter conditions, and even some spring slush. Let’s get to it:

Turn Shapes

Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg): To kick things off, I want to talk about the sorts of turn shapes, sizes, and styles that these skis seem to prefer.

For starters, this is one of the biggest differences I notice between the Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan. On the 177 cm lengths we have of these skis, the e-Rally has a tighter stated sidecut radius, at 15.3 meters, while the e-Titan’s is 17.2 meters. And that difference feels pretty evident to me on snow. Overall, the e-Rally doesn’t require quite as much speed, pitch, or input from the skier in order to get it on edge and carving across the fall line. It’s not some night-and-day difference like a Slalom vs. GS ski, but it’s noticeable, and I’d say, significant.

However, I think both of these skis might “ski a little longer” than their on-paper sidecut radii suggest. Because of how strong they are (more on that in a moment), they’re far from some super turn-y Slalom skis that always want to be on edge and carving really tight arcs. In fact, both impressed me in terms of their composure when just letting them run while making big, lower-edge-angle turns. The e-Titan is better for this, as you’d expect from its sidecut radius, but very rarely did either of them feel like they were much more eager to initiate a turn than I was.

Typically, I’ve preferred the e-Rally on most groomers since it doesn’t demand as much effort from me to engage its tips, bend it, and dig in its edges. I’d take the e-Titan if I primarily stuck to quite steep runs and mostly made GS or bigger turns, but the e-Rally’s slightly more accessible overall personality had me favoring it in most scenarios. This is largely because, when I’m on a piste ski, I mostly just want to tip it up on edge as high as possible. The e-Rally makes doing so easier than the e-Titan.

Lastly, both are fairly easy to feather mid-turn and to just skid around if you don’t feel like carving. That doesn’t feel like what they’re designed to do, but they’re not extremely game-on in terms of always requiring you to be cleanly carving train tracks in all conditions.

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Luke Koppa on the Head Supershape e-Rally (Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO)

Jonathan Ellsworth (5’10”, 175 lbs / 178 cm, 79.5 kg): I very much agree with Luke here — and throughout this review. So I’m going to spend most of my time not just reiterating the points he’s made, but trying to provide some additional context. And for the above section, I’d say we can boil things down to: the lower-angle the slopes and the lower the speeds, the more the e-Rally is the better tool for the job. And the heavier, more powerful, and faster you like to ski, the more likely it is that you’ll prefer the e-Titan.

And yes, both skis are very willing to have you feather and smear turns, and dump speed. They are powerful skis, but I found them to always feel intuitive, too. No alarming surprises here.

Edge Hold

Luke: As I noted above, neither of these skis feels particularly easy to bend, relative to many other piste-oriented skis (and especially most all-mountain skis). As a result, I found that the e-Rally and e-Titan both demanded a fairly significant level of commitment and aggression on my part in order to get their edges to dig into truly firm, borderline icy snow (e.g., scraped-off rollers made of man-made snow).

Now, when I did feel like meeting the challenge and really drove them with good technique, both skis offered extremely impressive edge hold. But relative to many other (generally softer) skis I’ve been on lately, the e-Rally and e-Titan’s edge hold wasn’t as “accessible” in terms of what was demanded of me to get them to bite. This was more noticeable with the longer-radius e-Titan than the e-Rally, but it held true for both to a certain degree.

Now, I want to note that I am not a large and / or exceptionally powerful skier. Still, I very rarely find myself having a hard time bending the skis we test. And if you are a larger and / or very powerful skier — or if you’re coming from a full-on GS ski — you probably won’t have much trouble at all.

But the point remains that, compared to most of the 175-180 cm carvers I’ve been on in the past few years, the Supershape e-Rally and (more notably) e-Titan have been on the less accessible end of the spectrum. Of course, all of this should make them more appealing to skiers who frequently find themselves overpowering other piste skis.

All that said, I really only noticed the Supershape’s more demanding nature on the firmest conditions we get in Crested Butte. On our more typical mid-winter groomers, where there are still plenty of slick, scraped-off sections but the snow is generally more easily edge-able, I didn’t have to focus very hard on my technique. Just pressure the downhill ski, and I was rewarded with secure grip, a precise finish through the tail, and a bit of energy at the exit.

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Jonathan Ellsworth on the Head Supershape e-Titan (Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO)

So my main point here is this: if you plan on using these skis to actually carve up icy conditions, think about your technique, how you’ve gotten along with other carving skis, and whether you might be better off on something a bit more accessible.

Jonathan: It might be worth noting that we are skiing the e-Rally in its longest available length, and the e-Titan in its 2nd-to-longest length. We can’t speak to how toned down or beefed up these skis are compared to the shorter lengths of the e-Rally and e-Titan. But I do feel quite confident in saying that experienced skiers in the 200, 220, or 240+ lbs range will have an easier time bending these than Luke did. I didn’t feel like the e-Rally was particularly hard to coax into a hard carve, but when skiing the e-Titan, I definitely needed to get that ski going fairly fast in order to ‘get it to come alive.’

So there’s probably another lesson here: the shorter your home mountain, the more you might want to consider the e-Rally. But if your ski area of choice has long, wide groomers where you can really let the skis run — and you like speed — the e-Titan could be the right call.

Suspension

Luke: To me, this is one of the Supershape e-Rally and e-Titan’s standout traits. Whether it’s due to their internal electric circuit, Graphene strips, titanal layers, or their fairly substantial weight, these skis do a very nice job of reducing harsh vibrations from the snow.

I appreciated this both during early season laps when all of the snow was pretty harsh, as well as later in the winter when the groomers would be covered in variable snow over a firm base, and I was therefore fighting to keep my ski’s edges stuck into the supportive bottom layer. Having a ski that isn’t easily bounced around goes a long way in both those scenarios.

And still, I wouldn’t call these skis “dead” — they produce some exciting pop when you put in the effort to bend them.

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Luke Koppa on the Head Supershape e-Rally (Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO)

Jonathan: Agreed. I like planted skis, and these fit the bill, without feeling dead. They track well and they aren’t twitchy or hooky. These days, there are much lighter carving skis out there, and frequently, I find that the lighter the ski, the more I want to be on perfect corduroy. The e-Rally and e-Titan aren’t at all fussy in that way….

Variable Conditions

Luke: As I’ve now alluded to a few times, I think the e-Rally and e-Titan do an admirable job of handling less-than-perfect groomer conditions. E.g., end of the day after hundreds of skiers have pushed around all the snow, when it’s gotten warm and that snow has gotten heavier, when a few inches of fresh fall throughout the day, etc.

The e-Titan, with its wider waist and longer sidecut radius, definitely handles these scenarios better than the e-Rally, with less deflection and less of an inclination to dig in and get “bogged down” in the softer, looser snow. However, for a ski with a 15-meter sidecut radius and 78 mm waist, the 177 cm e-Rally handled variable snow better than most I’ve tried with similar specs. The two Supershapes’ impressive suspension doesn’t hurt there, either.

Jonathan: Agreed.

Moguls / Off-Piste Performance

Luke: Personally, I have almost zero interest in taking these skis off piste for more than a few turns. Pretty much all the traits that make them good carvers also make them difficult in moguls, trees, inconsistent off-piste snow, etc., which is the case for most piste-oriented skis. But, especially since different companies, regions, and individuals seem to have different interpretations of the term “all-mountain,” it’s worth touching on here.

In moguls, especially those that are firm, large, and tightly spaced, I have to be very precise, careful, and on my game when skiing these skis. Their tails have a tendency to dig in and grab in this terrain, and those same tails can feel very punishing if you get backseat. The whole ski can also feel a bit hooky if the snow surface is inconsistent, and they’re not light skis that are easy to simply flick around.

They become slightly easier when the snow is soft (e.g., spring slush), and the less-hooky, less-punchy e-Titan is generally better off piste than the e-Rally. But if you’ll be spending a significant portion of your time off piste, I’d pick a different ski. (If it were me, I’d look elsewhere if I was spending 15%+ of my time off groomers.)

Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa review the Head Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan for Blister
Jonathan Ellsworth on the Head Supershape e-Titan (Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO)

Jonathan: I agree here, too. But, in the description of both skis, their “versatility” is called out, and the e-Titan is called an “all-mountain” ski. Can they be skied all over the mountain? Yes. Do we think either of these skis is the best tool available for off-piste skiing? Absolutely not.

Still, I am happy to talk about how “versatile” these skis are on groomers: they are always intuitive, their suspension is very good, they are easy to feather and scrub speed, and they deserve credit for this. But there are far better, more versatile ‘truly all-mountain skis’ in this width range.

Who Are They For?

Luke: Overall, both of these skis will best suit skiers with “pretty good” to “excellent” technique who are looking for carving skis that are on the more damp, more stable end of the spectrum. I wouldn’t recommend either of them if you’re just learning to bend a ski, or want something that’s very engaging at slow to moderate speeds, and / or prefer a really light and energetic ski as opposed to a very planted one.

Jonathan: Agreed.

Luke: As for the e-Rally vs. e-Titan, I think it mostly comes down to your preferred turn shapes, terrain, and the conditions you’ll be skiing.

The e-Rally makes more sense if you prefer small to medium turns over larger ones, spend a significant amount of time on “intermediate” slopes, and/or will rarely be skiing a ton of groomers with very soft, variable snow conditions. The e-Titan is generally better suited to slightly larger turns, higher speeds, and more inconsistent snow conditions.

Jonathan: And the heavier and more powerful you are — and the faster you like to ski — and the more you have long groomers to work with that enable you to really let your skis run, the more I suspect such a person might lean toward the e-Titan.

Bottom Line

Head’s Supershape e-Rally and Supershape e-Titan are two strong carving skis with excellent suspension and a high performance ceiling in terms of speed and skier experience level. There are more accessible alternatives out there, but for skiers who prefer a stiffer ski that rewards skier input with stability and precision, they warrant strong consideration.

Deep Dive Comparisons

Become a Blister Member to check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan to see how they compare to the Supershape i.Rally, Supershape i.Titan, K2 Disruption 78Ti, K2 Disruption 82Ti, Fischer RC One 82 GT, K2 Disruption MTi, Fischer RC4 The Curv, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Parlor Warbird, Renoun Atlas 80, Rossignol Forza 70D V-Ti, Blizzard Brahma 88, & Head Kore 87.

2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan, BLISTER
Share this post:

Rocker Pics — Supershape e-Rally

Full Profile
Tip Profile
Tail Profile
Rocker Profile - Decambered
Tip Profile - Decambered
Tail Profile - Decambered
22/23 Top Sheet
Base
Previous slide
Next slide

Rocker Pics — Supershape e-Titan

Full Profile
Tip Profile
Tail Profile
Rocker Profile - Decambered
Tip Profile - Decambered
Tail Profile - Decambered
22/23 Top Sheet
Base
Previous slide
Next slide

25 comments on “2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan”

  1. Feedback after half a season in the Northeast U.S.
    Got the e-Rallies in Feb.’22. and chose the 163, a bit short for me (5‘9“, 150#, advanced 60day/yr skier) based on various comments I’d read, and I think it was the right choice.
    Being a cambered ski that utilizes its full edge length (plus the E feature?) it seems stable at speed despite its relatively short length. The overall capability of the ski has encouraged me to be more aggressive in my skiing: carve harder & more often and enjoy speed.
    I tune it 1/2 and soften the tips and tails. When it’s on edges, stable and predictable, but when flat, it wanders, so it strongly encourages you to carve. Several hours of hard carving & enjoying the G forces provides a pretty good workout.

    Who is it NOT for? A recreational skier who just wants an easy non-demanding ride. It’s not a relaxed ski. But if you want a ski which challenges you to improve your game, this is a good choice. Can’t wait to use em again this coming season.

  2. Looking forward to the full review. I am thinking relacing my old head I titans with rhe erally. I loved the titan on the groomers. Too stiff for soft snow.

    • Hey Steve,
      I’d be wary of expecting the e-Rally to feel much softer or easier to ski in soft snow…the i-Titan (old and new) is quite similar to the e-Rally.

  3. Why is a 163 cm too short for an e-rally. Although these skis are not FIS SL skis, super powerful WC skiers use 165 or 155 cm SL skis.

  4. Charly, many tables suggest that for a 5’9″, 150 pound skier, something closer to 170 is recommended. Also, longer skis ride a bit smoother and are “less nervous.”
    Initially, skiing them as delivered with a 1/3 tune, they did seem more nervous than I liked; felt too much like a frantic go cart. So on the first re-tune, I did a 1/2 and softened the tips and tails. That seemed to calm them down for me.
    The biggest problem I have now is that they encourage me to ski faster than my (senior) friends. It’s not a “relaxed” ski; doesn’t want to be flat on the snow, wants to be carving. That said, for a ski with a tight 12.9 M turning radius, it seems happy going very fast as long as you are on an edge.

  5. Any notes about the Protector binding? Did it just feel…normal? Did you notice the added height with the binding and the plate?

    • Hi Erin, I skied the eMagnum in a 170 and 177 at ski tests in Austria last season. Enjoyed them both and certainly felt the bump up with the 177, more to handle. Really liked them and would have bought the 177 if I was buying. Some similar traits to the skis reviewed here. I also tried the eSpeed 68 @ 170 and did not find them nearly as stable and planted. Would have no interest in taking either model off piste.

  6. Former, but old racer. I mostly backcountry ski on wide skis.

    On days without new snow or a refresh, I use my e-rally 163cm. With a short turning radius, the skis are super fun. They are easy to get on edge and can brush the tips of a turn easier with a race base structure and .75/3.0 tune. One might ask, why so short – two layers of titanal and graphene, the skis are designed to ski at this length or 170cm. I can vary the turn shape from short to medium radius turns. Hey, FIS SL skis are 165cm and they have a small sweet spot, and not relaxing after a morning session. I am 5’9” and weigh 145lbs.

    I’d much rather ski powder in the Selkirk Mtn’s in my 112 wide skis, but on firm/soft groomers, 3-4cm new snow and soft bumps, the e-rally’s rock.

  7. @Bill D Good points. Many tables suggest that for a 5’9″, 150 lb skier, a 170cm ski is best. But this may not be not correct for supershape skis. The tables kind fall-apart for skis <78 wide. That said, a 170cm Head e-rally will be a bit easier for medium radius turns. For what it’s worth, I use and 1/2 tune on my regular mid-fat to wide skis, but in my experience. 0.75/2.0 with a flat grind and a better race structure will work the best. I suggest the Blister crew try a shorter Supershape

  8. Oh no, now Luke is dragging his inside pole on the snow!

    Jonathan, you’re a bad, bad influence.

    (context: Somebody claimed in a comment on a previous article that doing so was “bad form”)

    • To be blunt, even professionals often make themselves sound like idiots when they talk about torsional stiffness, mostly because it’s really difficult to actually measure it, so it all ends up being supposition based on how the ski “feels”. Also the ratio of torsional to longitudinal stiffness is more important than torsional stiffness alone because that’s what determines how much the ski twists as it flexes, and that’s even more difficult to measure objectively.

      I think that Blister has made a wise decision by not trying to address that directly, and instead focusing on the resulting subjective traits of the ski. A ski with a high ratio of torsional to longitudinal stiffness will tend to lock up all at once from tip to tail and will resist feathering of the extremities. As the review says, the Titan doesn’t behave that way. Conclude what you will about torsional stiffness and the torsional-to-longitudinal stiffness ratio from that.

      IIRC Head have said at some point in the past that the Titan and Rally are designed to have lower torsional-to-logitudinal stiffness ratios than their racing skis (of which I own several) and that jibes with this review and my experience when I demo’d the Titan. But again I haven’t actually measured any of it so I’m just parotting accepted wisdom, and vendors (and especially reps) have been known to fudge such things.

      • Thanks, Patrick! Since the somewhat lower torsional stiffness has been (AFAIU) a long-standing feature of the Supershape series, I expected it to be mentioned at least (so it still exists), but I think you covered it quite nicely. Ultimately, of course, the proof is in the pudding.

  9. Love my iTitans and find them at least “sorta” versatile in that they don’t keep me from occasional bump runs on predominantly groomer days.

    Love seeing that most of the photos are not showing rooster tails off the uphill pole.

    Contest: I flicked Jonathan some good-natured shite about this previously, and somebody claimed it was a fine technique, because some videos of his heroes showed the same.

  10. I’ve never been on ski as demanding as the Titan sounds would like to feel it but I’m sure there would be some frustration.

    • I’ve demo’d the Titan and I don’t think it’s very demanding, and least not as much so as it’s made to sound here.

      It matters a lot what you’re comparing to, though. My personal rides in that GS-ish class are the 185 cm eSpeed Pro (the burlier 20-meter version of the eSpeed, which is in turn burlier than the Titan), the 191 cm Rebel E-GS Pro (27-meter masters GS) and the 193 cm Rebel E-GS FIS (30-meter FIS GS). What can I say, I _really_ like GS skis and the feel of the various designs.

      Compared to all of those and especially to the two E-GS variants the Titan is extremely easy to drive, and much more tolerant of sloppy technique. As the reviewers say it’s also more tolerant of snow conditions not typically seen in racing such as patches of loose snow. As you might guess the tradeoff is that it doesn’t have as much power or (more importantly IMO) as much grip on rock-hard injected surfaces. The same tradeoff plays out to a smaller extent among the 3 GS skis that I named, with the FIS ski being pretty much an ultra-demanding hard-snow specialist.

      The common trait that all of these skis share is that characteristic “Head dampness”. It’s a notably different ride from, say, a Rossi racing or carving ski. As Luke said that helps a lot in inconsistent snow. As a counterexample my old Rossi FIS GS were wonderful on ice, but would be all over the place when there were patches of loose snow. The Heads are better able to just plow through it all.

      One remark I would make is that somebody who loved the old Volkl AC50 might find themselves right at home on the Titan.

      • Clarifying: When I talk about Rossi FIS GS bring “all over the place” this is back in the days of the 21-meter FIS sidecut rule when Rossi made a relatively soft FIS GS. The current Heros are a totally different ski. They’re still not as damp as the Heads but they’re a lot more stout.

  11. Curious how you thought the eTitan compares to the venerable M88/M83, as Head marketed this as a Monster replacement, even going so far as to offer the ski flat.

    • Hmm, that’s an interesting question. It’s been a while since I skied either of those skis, but from what I remember, both felt more all-mountain-inspired than the e-Titan. I think the e-Titan’s edge hold is probably a bit better, and it’s probably a bit easier in terms of turn initiation, whereas I’d have a much easier time with either Monster when skiing through bumps and other tight, off-piste terrain (I remember their tails being much easier to release and pivot). They all seem very much in the same ballpark in terms of suspension and stability (i.e., really good).

      So I think the e-Titan could potentially be a viable replacement for the narrower Monsters if you almost always used those skis on piste. But if you frequently took them off piste and enjoyed them there, then I’d lean toward something like the Blizzard Braha 88 (though it’s not as damp / stable as the Monsters), or potentially the Fischer RC One 82 GT, but that ski still feels more piste-oriented to me than the Monsters.

      • Thanks Luke. I have the RC One 82 GT; great ski, it’s a bummer it’s going away. I have yet to ski the eTitan. My favorite ski in this class is the Redster Q9.8. Hope you guys get a chance to review it.

  12. 5’7” 175 pounds. E titan 163cm
    Front side ski that can feel awkward at 84cm underfoot when carving (a slight hesitation turn to turn)
    Ski loves to carve, doesn’t like to track straight perhaps because of the length and is decent in afternoon crud.
    That said, this is a front side ski all day long. Also, they have a “sweet spot” for carving IMO. Not too fast, not too slow. Find that speed and you’ll be snapping out of your turns.
    I will be skiing the Rossi Forza 70 ti same length the rest of the season and will post a comparison in April

  13. Okay a few impressions of the E-RALLY from the cheap seats. No race background, convert from snowboard, narrowest previous skis ’23 Kendo 88’s (so similar to my M6 Mantra 96’s that I sold Kendos for the e-Rally), Liberty Evolv 90 (carved nice but couldn’t push them hard), and Liberty V76 (twitchy tippy total no go for me).

    So bear in mind that my e-Rally are the first ski I’ve been on built down from a real racing-type ski. But I’ve skied/demoed at least 50 skis in 5 years.

    I’m 6’3 205#. I’m a strong intermediate. I can mostly competently ski easy to standard double blacks at places like Crystal and Red mountain in decent snow conditions. I’ve skied 60mph and didn’t feel out of control. I often hit the knuckle on medium (15 foot) park jumps. I can carve RR tracks here and there on my all mountain skis. I look good skiing decent snow and weak skiing very bad or very very heavy snow.

    On the 177’s.

    1) For me the e-Rally’s skied GREAT +1.5-2cm. I started on the line and they really didn’t hook up off the tips like I expected except with full on attacking flexing forward pressure. And let off just a little the disengaged. Two clicks forward on demo toe and better. One more click forward and wow, these things rail easy and are SUPER fun. Looking at my tracks I’d very often see clean carves where I wasn’t trying and/or felt like I was slarving.

    2) I agree with the tester assessment almost entirely. On piste these skis are absolute steady Eddies – easy, intuitive, very stable, quite neutral feeling and easy to do whichever type of turn you please. You can point these skis and bomb fairly beat up pistes and they are planted and confident approaching 60mph (I can’t ski faster than that). Better than my M6 Mantra 184’s even.

    3) These skis are, kind of surprisingly, not elite at crushing an edge into really hard snow. For me much easier/better skied at +1.5-2cm, but they took some focus to make dig in and cut crispy frozen fresh groomers. Keep in mind I didn’t tune them – bought as used demos with a standard sloppy quick tune. So mine have a lot of base bevel for their ski type, and edges aren’t sharp/acute enough. At first I thought about .7/3, but since these skis have more of an all-mountain personality than they look, will try 1/2.5 to get them a little more “diggy,” hopefully without losing their sweet easy skiing versatility. But yeah, as the Blister gents said above, these don’t auto-stuff a clean edge into frozen hard pack.

    4) Lastly, for me these skis were a lot fun in firm irregularly mid to biggish moguls. Keep in mind that I’m 6’3 205#, so maybe flex them okay. But also 177cm for me is short, and the skis fit into and around moguls much more easily than my usual skis. Also tip engages way out front, so easy to pivot off the noses and grip the hard spots. Also remember I’m mounted forward so the tails release without laying on the tips. And mine have a pretty lax tune. But still, I thought the e-Rallys were a gas for off-piste that had already been thoroughly run over. As good or better than my quiver of “Rad Dad” skis (Enforcers, Mindbenders, Mantras etc).

    Lastly lastly, I’m having a blast on these skis. They are so damn fun on low tide days. I thought they’d box me in to “wanna be racer.” But even though they can do a decent crashing gates impression, they also have a big sweet spot (from my binding position anyway), and you can style around and play and change up your turns and body position no problem. Not in the least tippy or overly whippy feeling, rather planted and powerful, but still playful ready and able to groove to a disco beat in your helmet. Fun skis!

Leave a Comment