The Head Super Joy is a high performance carving ski that doesn’t use metal. Does that not make sense to you? If not, we understand. Traditionally high end carving skis use metal in their construction to increase torsional stiffness and vibration dampening. The downside to metal is it also makes a ski very heavy. Head, on the other hand, has designed the Super Joy using their Graphene Koroyd Carbon Construction and the result is a ski that’s powerful, stable, responsive, and lightweight all at the same time. While the Super Joy isn’t brand new moving into 2018, our testers couldn’t resist getting on a pair and putting them to the test.
Just about everyone who skied the Super Joy was impressed by its quickness and responsiveness. Tami Razinger tested the 163 cm length and scored it 5 out 5 for quickness and torsional stiffness, two attributes that make for a super fun ride. As Tami described it, “The Head Super Joy is really fun to rip all around the mountain. Quick responsiveness, a tight turn radius, and can handle speed.” Tami is an aggressive skier, so if she says it can handle speed you can rest assured it’s true, and is definitely not something that she said about everything she tested. Tami did add that she “wouldn’t recommend for powder or off-piste skiing,” and we would agree that the 75 mm waist width is most appropriate for use on groomed slopes. Those looking to get off the groomers should consider a wider Joy model like the Wild Joy. This ski, however, is what Tami called a “fun carver!”
Katrine Wolfgang was also on the 163 cm and agreed that carving performance is the strength of the Super Joy. She scored it 5 out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and overall impression. Stability and torsional stiffness, in our opinion, are two very important criteria for a carving ski and the fact that Head has achieved such impressive levels without using metal is very commendable. Katrine thought they had “Great edge hold through hard turns,” and just like Tami referred to it as a “fun carving ski!”
It was the responsiveness of the Super Joy that really impressed Elissa DeGolyer. She tested the slightly shorter 158 cm length and described it as “a super springy feeling ski!” Similarly to Katrine and Tami, Elissa scored the Super Joy 5 out of 5 for quickness and torsional stiffness, but because she found it so springy and responsive it also earned a 5 for playfulness from Elissa. She was “very pleased with how this ski reacted! The Super Joy is ultra light and surprisingly aggressive without any metal.” We agree, Elissa. Just about every aspect of the Super Joy (other than the fact it’s light) is impressive considering it doesn’t use any metal. Do you like to carve? Would you say you’re addicted? Because Elissa recommends the Super Joy for the “carve-aholics out there.”
Head’s Graphene Koroyd Carbon Construction really is impressive and seems perfectly at home in the Super Joy, along with the rest of the Joy skis it’s used it to be honest. The combination of an overall light weight with such high levels of responsiveness, edge hold, and strength is an achievement that Head should be proud of, and the Super Joy is a ski that any carving-enthusiast woman should absolutely check out.
