Head Supershape E Original Review: A Narrow, Slalom-Focused Carver for Advanced Skiers

Introduction

The Head Supershape E Original returns as a carryover model, holding the same construction, shape, and graphics as the version that brought updated shaping and construction the season before. Within the Supershape range it is the narrowest and one of the most slalom-oriented designs, with a 66 mm waist and a very short turn radius. In practice that means a ski that is happiest when it is tipped on edge and running clean, round carve turns.

Head has a long record of filtering race technology into its recreational skis, and the Supershape family is one of the clearest beneficiaries of that process. It is the main reason this ski feels as planted and as precise as it does, and it is also the reason it asks more of the person riding it than a typical all-mountain model would.

Who the Head Supershape E Original Is For

This is an advanced to expert ski. The flex is stiff both torsionally and longitudinally, and the full performance spectrum is not easy to access. The ski wants to be on edge essentially all the time, and the skier has to be a willing participant in that process rather than a passenger.

The 66 mm waist is the other dividing line. Very few non-race skis are built that narrow, and the balance point feels closer to a hockey skate than to a freeride platform. Skiers who are not used to something this narrow, or who rarely see extremely firm snow, will find it a challenge. The Magnum in the same line adds 6 mm underfoot, which is a meaningful difference for anyone weighing up the two.

If that description matches your normal skiing day, the payoff is a level of precision and reactivity that is hard to find elsewhere, along with a distinctly slalom-like feel through every turn.

Main Strengths

The core strength of the E Original is how much race-derived engineering Head packs into a recreational ski, and how coherent the result feels on firm snow. It is consistently one of the most solid and most sought-after models in the Supershape group.

World Cup Sandwich Construction With Titanal and Graphene

The build starts with Head’s World Cup sandwich construction: a denser wood core sandwiched between two sheets of Titanal. Graphene is layered in as well, and because graphene is both very light and very stiff, it contributes directly to the ski’s reactivity, responsiveness, and precision. Combining the density and damping of metal with a dense wood core and graphene gives the ski a lot of the ingredients that high-performance all-mountain carving demands, particularly in a short-turn format.

The practical result is a ski that feels calm and planted underfoot while still transmitting energy quickly once the edge is engaged. That balance is what separates a genuinely well-built carving ski from one that is merely stiff.

Cross Force Carbon and the Protector Binding

Underfoot, Head adds Cross Force Carbon, an additional laminate of carbon introduced with the previous update. It sits alongside a better-balanced PR plate, so the middle section of the ski carries a substantial amount of material. The effect is a beefy, supportive feel directly beneath the foot, which is exactly where a carving ski needs it most.

The Protector binding rounds out the package with a lateral release that has become known for being safer on the knees. Beyond the safety argument, it adds a layer of confidence that lets a skier commit to the edge earlier and ski more decisively.

Shape, Tail, and Turn Character

The shape is deliberately extreme. There is essentially no taper, just a dramatic side cut, with the widest point of the ski sitting right at the front. The tail is square and angular, and the flare coming out of it holds a turn all the way to the very end. In the 170 cm length the turn radius is 12.1 m, which is very short by any standard.

There is not much rocker here, and the ski carries some positive camber, with the weight of the binding pressing down on it. At 3,200 grams in the 170 cm with the binding mounted, there is real heft, though most of it is concentrated in the underfoot zone rather than in the tips and tails. That distribution supports a planted feel, but it also means the skier needs to stay engaged from the start of the turn to the finish.

The character that comes out of all this is a ski that always wants to be turning, and it is at its best on firm groomers where the edge can be trusted completely.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The main consideration is where you ski and how you ski it. A 12.1 m radius is enormous fun on shorter runs, but on long top-to-bottom trails it turns into a chore, because the ski simply keeps asking for another turn. Areas with shorter lifts and shorter pitches will get far more out of this model than resorts built around long, uninterrupted descents.

The second consideration is snow. This is a firm-snow tool. Its narrow waist and stiff flex are assets on hardpack and ice, and much less so when conditions soften or turn variable. Skiers who split their time between groomers and softer terrain should look at a wider option, including the Magnum within the same line.

Finally, the flex demands technique. A developing skier can ride it, but getting the full performance out of it requires a strong, active edge-to-edge skill set.

Buying Advice

Buy the Supershape E Original if your typical day is built around firm groomers, short to medium pitches, and a genuine enjoyment of carving. It rewards a skier who likes to work the ski and who wants race-influenced precision without moving to a full race model.

Skip it, or step up to the wider Magnum, if your home mountain is defined by long top-to-bottom runs, if you see a lot of soft snow, or if you prefer a ski that does more of the work for you. Matching the ski to the terrain you actually ski most often is the difference between a tool that feels telepathic and one that feels like effort.

Conclusion

The Head Supershape E Original is a specialist, and it is honest about that. Its World Cup sandwich construction, Titanal and graphene layers, Cross Force Carbon laminate, and Protector binding add up to a precise, reactive, firmly planted ski with a genuine slalom feel. It is stiff, narrow, and always ready to turn, which makes it an outstanding choice for advanced and expert skiers on firm groomers and a demanding one everywhere else.