WCR e sl rebel fis review

Overview

The WCR e-SL Rebel FIS is Head's FIS-approved slalom ski, the race-department model for World Cup, European Cup and Continental Cup slalom. Head publishes it at 168 cm as 119-68-103 mm with a 12.8 m radius and sells it in 156, 158, 165 and 168 cm, which covers the women's and men's FIS minimum lengths. The build is Head's wood-core Worldcup Sandwich Construction with Titanal, Graphene and EMC damping, under the thinner topsheet Head reserves for its RD skis. In Head's EU store it comes as a set with a pre-mounted race plate and, by default, the Freeflex ST 16 X RD (the ST 20 X RD and ST 14 X are the alternatives). Head's weight figure is 2,080 g per ski without binding at 168 cm.

On-snow performance

On paper this is the archetype of a modern FIS slalom ski: a wide 119 mm shovel over a 68 mm waist, 12.8 m of radius at 168 cm and a full-camber Rebel Camber profile with no rocker to soften the entry. That shape hooks up early and hard, so the ski should pull itself across the fall line the moment it is tipped, and the Titanal sandwich and stiff race flex are there to hold that edge on injected, rutted slalom snow. Head's EMC piezo elements in the tip and tail are designed to kill the high-frequency chatter a slalom ski picks up at the top of the turn, so the shovel stays hooked instead of bouncing. All of this comes at a price in tolerance: it needs a skier who stays forward, moves fast across the ski and keeps the rhythm high. Below that intensity it feels stiff and abrupt, and in soft snow or bumps the narrow waist and full camber give nothing away.

Construction & specs explained

• Construction: wood-core Worldcup Sandwich Construction with Titanal, in Head's Graphene Worldcup Sandwich race build.
• Topsheet: the thinner topsheet used only on Head's RD skis, for lower weight and quicker 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, full camber; Head tags it "Short Radius".
• Certification: FIS approved; Head describes it as the race slalom for high-speed-level competitors.
• Plate and binding: sold as a set with Head's race plate; Freeflex ST 16 X RD by default, ST 20 X RD or ST 14 X optional. PROTECTOR ready.
• Dimensions: 119-68-103 mm, 12.8 m radius at 168 cm (Head publishes the sidecut for 168 only).
• Lengths: 156, 158, 165, 168 cm.
• Weight: 2,080 g per ski without binding (168 cm).

Who it's for & comparisons

Licensed slalom racers, from FIS juniors at 156 and 158 cm to senior men at 165 and 168 cm, plus masters who run FIS-spec slalom skis. For anyone else in Head's range, the Head WCR e sl rebel is the same construction in a 151 cm non-FIS length, and the Head Worldcup rebels e sl (122-68-107 mm, 10.5–13.7 m, 150–170 cm) is the slalom carver for strong recreational skiers; the Head WC Rebels e-SL SW RP EVO 14 is the lighter near-FIS set on the RP EVO plate. Across brands, the direct FIS rivals are the Atomic Redster s9 fis (65.5 mm, 12.1 m at 165 cm, 157 and 165 cm, 2,000 g), the Fischer Rc4 worldcup noize sl men (66 mm, 12 m at 165 cm, 2,200 g) and the Blizzard Firebird sl fis (66.5 mm, 151–165 cm, 1,840 g at 165 cm). The Head is the widest underfoot of that group and the only one with electronic damping; on weight it sits between the Blizzard and the Fischer.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• FIS-approved slalom geometry in four lengths that cover the women's and men's minimums.
• Titanal sandwich, Graphene and EMC piezo damping for a shovel that stays hooked on hard, rutted courses.
• Head's thinner RD topsheet keeps edge changes quick.
• Sold as a complete set with a race plate and the Freeflex ST 16 X RD.

Cons

• 2,080 g per ski without binding, on the heavier side for a FIS slalom.
• Unforgiving below race intensity; stiff and abrupt for anyone not racing.
• Race-department price tier, and the RD bindings add to the set price.
• The pre-mounted plate ties you to Head/Tyrolia Freeflex bindings.

Verdict: The WCR e-SL Rebel FIS is a World Cup slalom ski in the literal sense and makes no concessions to anyone outside a race course. For licensed slalom racers it is one of the obvious choices; everyone else gets more from the Worldcup Rebels e-SL.