2013 Head Rev 90

Product:

Length Tested: 177cm

Dimensions/Turn Radius: 136 / 91 / 117, 16.6m radius

Camber: "Marketing Rocker" with Camber

Binding: Demo

Mount point: Suggested

Environment & Conditions:

Location of Test: Squaw Valley

Number of Runs: All morning

Snow Conditions: Spring conditions, not quite corn

Demo or Own: Demo

Tester Info:

Username: Xela

Age: 41

Height/Weight: 5'9", 150 lbs.

Ski Days/Season: 30

Years Skiing: ~20

Aggressiveness: Aggressive

Current Quiver: 2012 Blizzard Bonafide 180; 2006 Dynastar Legend 8000 172

Home Area: Squaw Valley

Preferred Terrain: bumps, off-piste, trees

Conclusion: A damp wide groomer ski.

Pros: Groomer ski that can venture off piste.

Cons: A bit hooky.  Dubious tail.  Some tip flap.

Review:

I don't know what to make of a 90mm ski in today's ski offerings.  I recently tried the Ski Logik Rave, at 92mm, and didn't think much about it one way or the other.  The Head Rev 90 began the day as a perfectly serviceable ski on some steep groomers.  As a rather damp ski, it didn't provide a lot of pop coming out of turns.

Even though the Rev 90 has the word "rocker" right on the topsheet, I would call this ski relatively flat.  Neither the rocker nor the camber are pronounced.  Looking at the ski, I'd say there is a touch of tip rocker and a traditional tail.  The sidecut, however, is obvious.

I was curious how it would carve, being wide, but with substantial shape.  As it turns out, it didn't carve too well for me.  Now some of that is undoubtably me, and some is likely the soft conditions, but I know I get more carve out of my 80mm skis.  Perhaps the sidecut is too aggressive for the soft snow or the types of turns I normally do.

While the Rev 90 didn't seem as pivoty and playful as some rockered skis, it did exhibit some tip flap in cut-up snow.  In fact, performance in crud was a notable disappointment for me.  It wasn't the tip flapping, but rather that it was hard to keep the ski tracking straight.  I don't know if it was the sidecut or perhaps hooky tips, but the Rev 90 did get thrown around when skiing crud.  I note that this did not happen with a ski 7mm wider and a similar sidecut one day prior.

On a similar note, there were times when skiing ungroomed spring snow that the Rev 90 would hook up unexpectedly and strongly.  I'm wondering if this is to be expected when skiing a 90mm ski in creamy conditions.  Regardless, it wasn't fun when it happened.

I decided to retire the Rev 90 at lunch time and get back on my ole' reliable Bonafides.  It wasn't just due to the hooky tips.  I also found that the tail of the Rev 90 wasn't always there the way I wanted it to be.  Especially in moguls, I would find what seemed like the "incredible disappearing tail".  It's not as if my Bonafides have a lot of tail, but the Rev 90 seemed to have both more and less at various times.

The Head Rev 90 is a bit of a puzzle for me.  Sometimes I think a ski like this exists just for completeness, so that the Rev 105 will have a little brother.  If I had to say to whom this ski was aimed, I'd say as a one-ski quiver for a groomer skier dealing with occasional soft snow, and who likes a damp feel.  I'm sure I know people like that, but I'm not one of them.

I'm not exactly a professional reviewer; so, you may take my observations with a grain of salt.  Also, my technique is not perfect and it may be that I'm just not a good match for some skis.

I do find it interesting that alexzn mentioned hooky tips in his review of the Rev 105.  In the interest of full disclosure, alexzn is a friend of mine and I knew his opinion of the 105 before I tried the 90.  He has 3 inches and 40 pounds on me.  Still, I'm quite sure I wasn't making this stuff up.

The tip flap was less than some skis, certainly.  Frankly, it surprised me because I wasn't expecting it, given the minimal rocker on these.  Those tips are really wide, though, and mass is mass.