Gear review | Head Crux 93

Test setup and first impression

According to the manufacturer, the Crux 93 is an "all-mountain touring ski" and can do everything everywhere, uphill and downhill on the piste and when exploring the backcountry in "extreme conditions". In other words, it is a versatile freeride touring ski that can actually do quite a lot. More of an all-round talent than a specialist for special applications, but that usually makes more sense for ski touring. Apart from that, Head also offers the Crux with 81, 87 and 99 mm waist width, as well as the significantly lighter but also significantly more expensive "Pro" version.

I ski the Head Crux 93 in 184 cm length with a Plum Karibou binding and Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro boots. In addition to the Crux, I've mainly used a Blizzard Zero G 95 and an older Down Low Down 102 for touring over the last three seasons. Comparative impressions therefore relate primarily to these two alternative skis. I've used the Crux this season in a variety of conditions, from rocky powder to rutted slopes. Unfortunately, due to the poor snow conditions, there were fewer touring days than I had hoped for, but the Crux 93 was also used on the piste.

The Head Crux 93 with Plum bindings is slightly heavier than my Zero G with ATK bindings, but slightly lighter than the LowDown with Dynafit bindings. According to the manufacturer, the Crux 93 in the 184 cm length weighs 1,600 grams. Subjectively, the head setup falls into my mental category of "not ultra-light, but pretty light for the dimensions of the ski". Ten years ago, the weight would probably have been even more impressive given the solid handling characteristics, but as we all know, a lot has happened in the so-called freeride touring segment in recent years, and weight requirements have shifted accordingly. There's not much else to say about the first impression: the topsheet design is as simple as a laminate floor.

Thanks to the moderate tip rocker and the comparatively wide tip, the ski floats well despite its manageable center width and can be moved with little effort. Dodging stones dug out by the skier in front is therefore no problem! The principle would certainly also work well when powder skiing in the forest. Unfortunately, I haven't had any really good powder tours with a suitable base so far this season. But I'm sure that the Crux is excellent in soft snow even without the risk of rocks. Thanks to the slight rocker and the slightly wider tip, the Crux is noticeably more playful in powder than my Blizzard Zero G, which requires a little more attention in comparison to avoid sinking in deeper conditions.

In hard snow, you can feel that the tip of the Crux 93 grips a little slower due to the rocker. The tail feels rather short due to the tail rocker, which is also not huge, but it is shorter than the LowDown, for example. Compared to the Blizzard Zero G, the Crux 93 is less agile in hard conditions, but is noticeably more damped and more stable at speed. Shorter radii need to be skied actively. The Crux's natural form of movement tends to be the larger turns, sometimes at slightly higher speeds. With rather long radii, the Crux also plows through bumpy, rutted slopes without any problems.

Once you have found the right position on the ski, the skiing experience can probably best be described as "stable", especially in mediocre conditions, in the sense of an all-round touring ski. I was pleasantly surprised by the good float and the comparatively playful powder performance for a ski of this width. For very hard conditions, I would rather do without the rocker and for the deepest days of the year, more mid-width would be desirable. However, for an estimated 85% of my touring days, the Crux 93 offers a good mix of reliable downhill performance that is independent of the day's specific snow conditions.

Conclusion

The Head Crux 93 is an all-round touring ski suitable for freeriding, which also offers a pleasant skiing experience on the piste and is really versatile. Good powder performance for a ski in this width category!

Advantages and disadvantages

+ versatile

+ Stable even at higher speeds

+ Good float for the width

+/- Tail certainly rides rather short, whether this is an advantage or disadvantage is a matter of taste

What you need to know

RRP €650,-

• Available lengths (radius): 162cm (15m), 170cm (16.7m), 177cm (18.6m), 184cm (20.4m)

• Waist: 130 | 93 | 113

• Powder Rocker

• Long radius for smooth, wide turns

• Graphene reinforced poplar wood core

Click here to visit the Head website for more information.

The ski was provided to PowderGuide free of charge by the manufacturer. Find out how we test it in our test statement.