Hello Tomahawkins. I'm very interested in your experience with skiing the Race Pros both with and without the WRC Plate. I'm thinking of installing the Powerail Binding also. Thanks, JMD
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2023 Head Worldcup Rebels e-Race Pro
- Thread starter SkiTalk Test Team
- Start date
Hi @JMD ,
Hand flexing, plateless not surprisingly feels softer. But with a boot clicked in, it stiffens things back up, probably not to the same extent, but reasonably close. And I mentioned the stack heights are the same. On the snow today, honestly I couldn't tell the difference. But I was skiing pretty chewed up off piste stuff and had little chance of carves on smooth snow. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had had the opportunity and was able to test plate vs non-plate on the same day. One concern is the brake overhang with the Protector's 85mm brakes -- it's not pretty, but I didn't boot out (brake out) today because of it.
If you are thinking of converting, the good news is the PowerRail holes don't interfere with the WRC holes. Note the skis don't have a mount line, so before you remove the plates, transfer the mark from the plates.
Any love for the Head World Cup Rebels e-Speed? Lot's of info and reviews here on the e-Race. I want a longer turning radius. Is the e-Speed basically the same as the e-Race just more GS oriented in shape and turn radius?
Anyone ski the 185cm e-Speed? Is it a bear? Some skis as they reach their top length become unyielding unless you're a BIG guy. The OG Bonafide was like that: 180 perfect, 187 monster for my 5'11" 170# self. I have a186 Kastle FX 104 that I love for a reference. I've also skied 190somthings GS skis back when I used to race so the length by itself is not the issue.
Anyone ski the 185cm e-Speed? Is it a bear? Some skis as they reach their top length become unyielding unless you're a BIG guy. The OG Bonafide was like that: 180 perfect, 187 monster for my 5'11" 170# self. I have a186 Kastle FX 104 that I love for a reference. I've also skied 190somthings GS skis back when I used to race so the length by itself is not the issue.
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2017
- Posts
- 402
@Tomahawins--just for clarity, can you specify again which two binding systems you are comparing? I missed it.
1-Power rail + protector
vs
2-WRC Plate + what binding?
1-Power rail + protector
vs
2-WRC Plate + what binding?
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2017
- Posts
- 402
OK, I think I found it.
Binding system 1
Twin PR Base with Protector binding
and
Binding system 2
RP-WCR-14 plate and FreeFlex 16 binding
Correct?
Binding system 1
Twin PR Base with Protector binding
and
Binding system 2
RP-WCR-14 plate and FreeFlex 16 binding
Correct?
Hi Tomahawkins. Thanks for the review. Great to hear the mount holes do not interfere. I will pre-mark the center mount line. I have an left over PRD12 80mm Brake to install.
The Rebel e.Speed recreational GS sport carver is a great ski. Both the 180 and 185 work for me. Neither are a "beast"--certainly not compared to FIS GS skis.
Just got home last night from four glorious days at Deer Valley.
I brought two pairs of skis with me on this trip. One was my Stereo Apex 100 V3s in 186cm ( https://www.skitalk.com/threads/2021-stereo-apex-v3.22538/ ) and the other was my new Head e-Race Pros in 180cm.
It snowed on Days 1 and 2 and Day 2 in particular was spent on the Stereos in gorgeous, knee-deep Utah powder. That night the Deer Valley groomers came out in force and for Day 3 I broke out the Heads.
I had taken both the Stereos and Heads to a Dallas shop to have the bindings mounted. Thanks to my own poor communication with the shop's tech they also did a 1 degree/2 degree machine edge bevel on the Heads instead of just waxing them and leaving the factory tune. So when I arrived at DV I took them to Jan's Rennstall shop for a hand tune just to be sure they'd be as right as they could be. My goodness were those skis right.
These Head e-Race Pros were a revelation. I expected them to be demanding, humorless and unforgiving of sloppy technique but was delighted (and relieved) to find that they were game for just about anything I dished out. They slarved when I wanted to be lazy, they locked up tight onto a railed edge when called upon, and gripped like no tomorrow on those very few windblown ridgetops I came across. Short and medium turns - they didn't care. I tried them in both flat and bumpy foot-deep junk on the sides of some of the runs. Not their thing - they felt out of their element in the crud.
I made my decision to be an e-Race owner purely from reviews and without the benefit of any sort of demo opportunity and asked Jake from Jan's in Park City to order them for me. Jake declined, saying that there was no market for them there. From the numerous admiring comments and questions in the lift lines about my fluorescent yellow skis I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a future owner or two in there. Just for fun I said to go see Jake at Jan's for a pair.
If I ever do find myself with the self-restraint to travel in the snowy west with just one pair of skis it would have to be the Stereos but I'd hate to think any ski trip couldn't include at least one good groomer day on my Heads.
I brought two pairs of skis with me on this trip. One was my Stereo Apex 100 V3s in 186cm ( https://www.skitalk.com/threads/2021-stereo-apex-v3.22538/ ) and the other was my new Head e-Race Pros in 180cm.
It snowed on Days 1 and 2 and Day 2 in particular was spent on the Stereos in gorgeous, knee-deep Utah powder. That night the Deer Valley groomers came out in force and for Day 3 I broke out the Heads.
I had taken both the Stereos and Heads to a Dallas shop to have the bindings mounted. Thanks to my own poor communication with the shop's tech they also did a 1 degree/2 degree machine edge bevel on the Heads instead of just waxing them and leaving the factory tune. So when I arrived at DV I took them to Jan's Rennstall shop for a hand tune just to be sure they'd be as right as they could be. My goodness were those skis right.
These Head e-Race Pros were a revelation. I expected them to be demanding, humorless and unforgiving of sloppy technique but was delighted (and relieved) to find that they were game for just about anything I dished out. They slarved when I wanted to be lazy, they locked up tight onto a railed edge when called upon, and gripped like no tomorrow on those very few windblown ridgetops I came across. Short and medium turns - they didn't care. I tried them in both flat and bumpy foot-deep junk on the sides of some of the runs. Not their thing - they felt out of their element in the crud.
I made my decision to be an e-Race owner purely from reviews and without the benefit of any sort of demo opportunity and asked Jake from Jan's in Park City to order them for me. Jake declined, saying that there was no market for them there. From the numerous admiring comments and questions in the lift lines about my fluorescent yellow skis I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a future owner or two in there. Just for fun I said to go see Jake at Jan's for a pair.
If I ever do find myself with the self-restraint to travel in the snowy west with just one pair of skis it would have to be the Stereos but I'd hate to think any ski trip couldn't include at least one good groomer day on my Heads.
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- Dec 2, 2015
- Posts
- 25,895
He declined because he really works at State Farm late at night.
Hi - hit up the wrong year thread, so posting here.
I have a pair of 2018 Head i.SL RD 165 and a Head i.sl I use for teaching and kid skiing which is now really softening up (snap starts to go after 60 - 70days+ as I'm a bigger chap). I.Sl also has a super catchy tail if the conditions get a climate change dose...
Our hill is very small - as mentioned, I'm looking for something in between my RD and the i.SL. Thinking the e-race could fit the bill in 165 as the sidecut measurements are the same as my i.sl RD (I can save some $ by moving the bindings over).
Question to the thread is - is the e-race softer than the RD or is this a lateral move? Thanks!!!!! Very little chance of me getting a demo ski, so I shoot and hope...
I have a pair of 2018 Head i.SL RD 165 and a Head i.sl I use for teaching and kid skiing which is now really softening up (snap starts to go after 60 - 70days+ as I'm a bigger chap). I.Sl also has a super catchy tail if the conditions get a climate change dose...
Our hill is very small - as mentioned, I'm looking for something in between my RD and the i.SL. Thinking the e-race could fit the bill in 165 as the sidecut measurements are the same as my i.sl RD (I can save some $ by moving the bindings over).
Question to the thread is - is the e-race softer than the RD or is this a lateral move? Thanks!!!!! Very little chance of me getting a demo ski, so I shoot and hope...
Hi, @tomahawkins
I think I will step in the Protector path next winter and since I like consistency in setups I am looking into Rebels e-Race too.
Have you considered using Multiflex PR Base ? (in Tyrolia catalog it seems to be the most « race-oriented » Power Rail base one can get)
I think I will step in the Protector path next winter and since I like consistency in setups I am looking into Rebels e-Race too.
Have you considered using Multiflex PR Base ? (in Tyrolia catalog it seems to be the most « race-oriented » Power Rail base one can get)
Yup--don't take the plate off!
Also, if you are bigger than about 180 lbs, then the 175 is the way to go on this ski.
Also, if you are bigger than about 180 lbs, then the 175 is the way to go on this ski.
Should have checked on the Multiflex. I asked about the Superflex High, but Tyrolia was out on of stock for the season. They probably don’t make a whole lot of spars other than those bolted on the SuperShapes.
I may try to engineer up a plate; maybe just a metal band connecting the Twin PR Base pairs to add a little stiffness. Removing the plate make the ski a little softer, not as much as I would have expected.
Protector vs Plate:
Plate + ski = 3800g
Protector + ski = 3460g
Flexing side by side I was surprised that the Protector felt stiffer. Doubting what I was feeling, I loaded up both skis with 25kg. Sure enough, it is. The plate with the FF16 flexed more.
Plate + ski = 3800g
Protector + ski = 3460g
Flexing side by side I was surprised that the Protector felt stiffer. Doubting what I was feeling, I loaded up both skis with 25kg. Sure enough, it is. The plate with the FF16 flexed more.
The ff is made to help the ski flex.
The FF stands for Free Flex; it stops the boot from stopping the ski from flexing by letting the heel and toe bindings maintain their straight-line distance from each other (boot sole length) while their arc-length distance along the curved ski changes.
Right. The bindings are mounted to the plates at one fixed spot and the other mount points are allowed to slide. Same with the plate mounted to the ski. I think the general consensus is a plate somehow makes a ski stronger and stiffer, when in fact it does the opposite.
Depends on the plate.
. .. and if you leave or remove the tab at the back of the race plate.