Ski Reviews

2020-2021 HEAD Supershape iRally, 177 cm

Reviewer Username: IanAnderson

Reviewer Height: 6’0″

Reviewer Weight: 175 lbs

Reviewer Experience Level: Expert

DAYS USED: 50 days

TEST LOCATIONS: Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone CO; Okemo, VT; Wilmot, WI

TEST TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers

TEST CONDITIONS: Extremely firm hardpack or ice | Pretty firm snow | Softer, but not deep snow | Untracked powder (shallow) | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

(0 = Terrible, 5 = Okay, 10 = Outstanding)

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 9/10

FORGIVENESS: 4/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Loose / Easy to Pivot & Smear?): 3/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Quick / Low is the Swing Weight?): 4/10

STABILITY: 7/10

SUSPENSION: 6/10

EDGE HOLD: 9/10

PLAYFULNESS: 7/10

PLAYFULNESS (Open Ended):

Energetic when carving

SKI LENGTH: It felt just right (177 cm length tested)

THIS SKI’S IDEAL TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers

THIS SKI’S IDEAL SNOW CONDITIONS: Extremely firm hardpack or ice | Pretty firm snow

WHAT TYPE(S) OF SKIER DO YOU IMAGINE WILL GET ALONG BEST WITH THIS SKI?

A skier who’s looking for a dedicated groomer ski, with carving ability and edge hold close to a race ski, but that’s easier to flex and doesn’t take quite as much work to ski well. Former or current racers and ski instructors might really enjoy the Rally.

ARE THERE SIMILAR PRODUCTS YOU’VE SKIED THAT YOU CLEARLY PREFER? IF SO, WHY?

PLEASE ELABORATE ON ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS SKI. FEEL FREE TO GO INTO DETAIL!

The Head Supershape iRally can be an incredibly fun ski for the hardpack groomer days, but while good in a variety of conditions, it’s a dedicated on-piste ski. It’s able to carve turns with edge hold only bested by true race skis, but is softer and less demanding to ski. The Rally still requires you to be skiing in the front of your boots, but it doesn’t require nearly as much power or precise technique as a race ski.
I bring this ski out when there’s been a minimal amount of fresh snow in the last few days and are going to be firm to hard. With a 14.7m radius (177cm length), the ski feels quite turny, more like a slalom ski than a GS ski. If you prefer faster speeds and longer turns, consider Head’s Supershape Titan, which is a very similar ski, but stiffer and with less sidecut. This might be the better ski for those skiing big mountains or larger/heavier/more powerful skiers. I personally prefer the Rally over the Titan because it takes a little bit less effort to ski, which can add up over the course of dozens of runs, and I feel the Rally can be skied at a wider range of speeds whereas the Titan pretty much always wants you to be going fast.
At higher speeds and on steeper grades, it definitely requires good technique to keep the ski carving well and you won’t be able to hold the edge skiing from the backseat. However on less steep terrain (most greens and blues), the Rally is really easy to roll over onto the edges and feel the ski hookup and come around without needing to put a lot of effort into driving the ski.
The ski is relatively stiff and fully cambered, but when you really get it carving the ski comes alive and is quite poppy. My favorite runs to ski this ski on are moderate slopes with frequent rollers and pitch changes. If you throw in a hard carve into the top of a roller or cat track you can get a lot of pop out of these skis. They’re also quite stable and hold their edge very well in soft chop up to a couple of inches.