HEAD

Overview

HEAD is an American-Austrian sports equipment manufacturer known for premium products in winter sports, racquet sports, water sports, sportswear, and licensing. It produces skis, snowboards, tennis racquets, diving gear, and apparel under brands including HEAD, Penn, Tyrolia, and Mares, with a focus on high-performance gear used by athletes at all levels.⁶²³

History

HEAD originated from the Head Ski Company founded in the United States in 1950. The company group, Head Sport GmbH, later incorporated Austrian ski-equipment maker Tyrolia and Italian diving equipment manufacturer Mares. It has maintained production in skiing, snowboarding, tennis, and other racket sports.⁶¹³

Product Lines

Manufacturing

HEAD Sport GmbH handles design and engineering primarily in Austria, with production involving wood cores, titanal sheets, fiberglass, and Graphene technology. Manufacturing details for final assembly are not specified, but the company groups previously independent entities from the US, Austria, and Italy.⁶⁷

Notable Products

• Supershape series - Benchmark carving skis for piste performance over a decade.
• Kore series - Graphene-enhanced lightweight skis for freeride and off-piste.
• Joy series - Women-specific ski line built from scratch with Graphene and wood core.
• HEAD tennis racquets - High-performance racquets used by professional players.

Reputation

HEAD is recognized among skiers and tennis players for engineering excellence, particularly in carving skis like Supershape and innovative materials like Graphene. Enthusiasts praise its commitment to piste skiing and women-specific designs. Some note its focus on premium construction over cost-cutting.⁷¹