WCR e gs rebel fis review

Overview

The WCR e-GS Rebel FIS is the giant slalom ski from Head's race department, the model Head lists under Atle Lie McGrath, Camille Rast, Lara Gut-Behrami and Sara Hector. It is FIS-approved, so it meets the length and radius rules for World Cup, European Cup and Continental Cup giant slalom: Head publishes the 193 cm at 101-65-84 mm with a 30.5 m radius and also sells it in 183 and 188 cm. In Head's EU store it comes as a set with a pre-mounted race plate and, by default, the Freeflex ST 20 X RD binding (ST 16 X RD and ST 14 X are the alternatives). Head's weight figure is 2,635 g per ski without binding at 193 cm.

On-snow performance

Everything here is built around one job: holding a clean arc at GS speed on injected, icy race snow. A 30.5 m radius at 193 cm means the ski does very little at low speed; it needs real pressure and a high edge angle before it bends into a turn, and once it does, the Rebel Camber profile (full camber, no rocker) and the long effective edge should make it track like a rail. Head's EMC piezo elements in the tip and tail are there to take the chatter out of the ski on rough, hard snow so the edge stays in contact. On paper this is one of the heaviest skis in our catalog, and that mass is a feature at race speed: it stays planted when the course gets rutted. Outside a GS course, on a busy public piste, the long radius and the stiffness make it a chore, and soft snow, bumps and anything off-piste are simply not what it is for.

Construction & specs explained

• Construction: Graphene Worldcup Sandwich Construction around a wood core, Head's race-department build.
• Topsheet: the thinner topsheet Head uses only on its RD skis, to cut weight and quicken edge changes.
• Damping: EMC (Energy Management Circuit), ceramic piezo plates in the front and rear of the ski that convert vibration into electric energy and dampen it.
• Profile: Rebel Camber, Head's full-camber race profile.
• Certification: FIS approved for World Cup, European Cup and Continental Cup races.
• Plate and binding: sold as a set with Head's race plate; Freeflex ST 20 X RD by default, ST 16 X RD or ST 14 X optional. PROTECTOR ready.
• Dimensions: 101-65-84 mm, 30.5 m radius at 193 cm (Head publishes the sidecut for 193 only).
• Lengths: 183, 188, 193 cm.
• Weight: 2,635 g per ski without binding (193 cm).

Who it's for & comparisons

This is a ski for licensed GS racers and their coaches: FIS athletes, strong FIS juniors moving up to adult lengths and masters racers who run FIS-spec equipment. An ex-racer who wants a GS feel for free skiing is far better served by the Head WCR e gs rebel (23–25 m) or the Head worldcup rebels e gsr (11.9–15.7 m, 68 mm). The direct rivals are the other FIS GS skis in the catalog: the Atomic Redster g9 fis (65 mm, 30 m at 188 and 193 cm), the Fischer Rc4 worldcup noize gs men (65 mm, 30 m, 2,500–2,750 g) and the Volkl Racetiger gs r wc fis (65 mm, 30 m, 2,750 g at 193 cm). Within that group the Head sits mid-pack on weight and is the only one with electronic damping; which one wins is decided on the hill by the athlete and the service team, not by the spec sheet.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• FIS-approved GS geometry, 30.5 m at 193 cm, as raced on the World Cup.
• EMC piezo damping and a wood-core Graphene sandwich for a calm ride on hard, rutted race snow.
• Head's thinner RD topsheet keeps edge changes quick for a ski this heavy.
• Sold as a complete set with a race plate and the Freeflex ST 20 X RD.

Cons

• 2,635 g per ski without binding, one of the heaviest skis you can buy.
• A 30.5 m radius has no purpose on a public piste at normal speeds.
• Race-department price tier, and the RD bindings add to the set price.
• Only three lengths, all 183 cm and up.

Verdict: The WCR e-GS Rebel FIS is a race-room tool and nothing else: with a FIS licence and a GS course to run, it is one of the most proven skis in the start gate (Head says it has won more Olympic medals than any other). Everyone else should look at the WCR e-GS Rebel or the e.GSR.