As a mid-80's front side ski, the 2024 Head Total Joy is a crisp turner with some versatility built in. When it comes to the Joy series of skis, the Total is the most versatile and most all-mountain oriented while keeping carving and edge grip at an absolute maximum when it comes to aggressive and balanced skiing in a variety of conditions and terrain. Most skis that are 85 mm underfoot will likely fall into the all-mountain category, but the shape and profile of the Total Joy keeps it firmly in the front side department. In many ways, having a wider waist in this realm is beneficial because it gives skiers a better balance point and a nice platform to stand on. This allows for higher edge angles in softer snow which is mainly a benefit because it’s not always rock-solid out there.

Built with Head’s Carbon Sandwich Cap Construction, the Total Joy gets a blend of karuba and ash in the wood core. The light weight of the Karuba is offset by the density of the Ash, making an ideal mix of woods to create a powerful yet accessible ski. Above and below the wood core are two layers of fiberglass and two laminates of carbon. This makes the Total Joy pretty darn stiff and responsive all while using lighter weight materials to get us there. By mixing a light weight with a stiff flex, skiers are getting a ton of precision and agility for carving turns on groomed terrain. In addition to the solid core construction, skiers also get the benefits of graphene, making the ski even stiffer with less weight. With all of these materials, it’s likely going to be on the pingy side, so Head does a great job using their damping layers and their Energy Management Circuit to mitigate and reduce vibrations and chatter. This circuit functions as a radiator to filter out unwanted noise. As a result, skiers get a super-smooth flex and feel while keeping the weight to a minimum.

From a shaping perspective, we are dealing with an 85 mm waist that can hold on firm snow, mainly because of the build, but also because of the camber underfoot. The energy that’s built into the ski from the camber allows for great edge grip as well as good rebound and pop. In the 163, this ski creates a 14.7-meter turn radius that is great for mixing long and short turns based on the skier’s whim. While there’s not a lot of rocker to talk about here, it’s mainly the camber that stands out as being the dominant aspect of the profile. By having a mid-width and a mid-arc, this ski stands out as being amenable to a multitude of turn shapes and styles.

We’ve loved the Total Joy and its emphasis on precise and reactive skiing. Of all the Joy skis, the Total Joy has the most versatility built in. While it’s on the stiff side of the spectrum, it’s still pretty light, allowing more skiers to be able to get on this ski and enjoy the maneuverability and agility that’s built right in. Thanks to the mid-range of the shape and the radius, the Total Joy functions at a high level in a variety of formats for a large range of skiers.