[The test results and review for the Great Joy are from 2016; its only changes for 2017 are cosmetic.]

The tiny ski industry lacks the financial wherewithal to invest in materials research, but thankfully the aerospace biz shares some similar concerns about ultra-light materials that are super-strong and able to resist unearthly vibrations. Hence Head was able to get their hands on Graphene™, a sheet of carbon one-atom thick, which as thin as an element can be.

How they’re able to handle a material of this infinitesimal dimension is a mystery, but what it does for a ski’s handling is becoming clear. It allows the ski designer to cut weight to a silly degree while retaining crud-sucking qualities and speed management skills formerly associated with much heavier materials. The snow feel is extraordinary, as if one’s race boots had suddenly acquired the sensitivity in the sole of a skateboard shoe. Women often look at moguls as if they were mine fields; on the Great Joy, they can skim them as if their skis were butterfly wings. Despite their relatively low weight, there’s no need to ski them long to make them more stable. Our experience suggests a 168cm Great Joy can support a 180-pound male without a hitch in its stride.