by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Head Wild Joy was the first model to be added to the original Joy collection since Head unveiled the first skis – men’s or women’s – to use Graphene. Graphene has a direct impact on flex distribution, so by controlling where it’s concentrated Head can fine tune the flex to match the snow conditions the model is made for: for on-trail carving skis, more Graphene goes underfoot; for off-trail purposes, Graphene is moved to the extremities. However it works, the Wild Joy feels stable on the edge and snappy off it. Its sidecut has a lot of shape for an off-trail oriented ski, so it’s always up for carving.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
No other ski in the All-Mountain East category remains as committed to carving as the Head Total Joy. If the Total Joy were a doctor, it would be a specialist rather than a general practitioner. Carving is it’s life’s work, as one glance at its deep-dish sidecut will tell you. Its turn radius is only 13.6 in a 163cm, and it descends to a size 148cm, which must be able to turn sitting still. The Total Joy earns its highest marks for Short-Radius Turns – third best in the entire genre – with an aggregate score will above the category average. Aside from its short-turn fetish, the Total Joy’s most tangible trait is its featherweight design, an amalgam of carbon fiber, Koroyd honeycomb and Graphene.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The secret to the Kore 93’s success is Graphene, carbon in a one-atom thick matrix, that’s 300 times stronger than steel. Head combines it with Karuba, a superlight wood, and Koroyd, a synthetic honeycomb, to make a structure that’s damp yet reactive and most of all, light. For the second year in a row, testers raved about the Kore 93. “Easy to turn, light yet stable and fun for many types of terrain,” writes one. “This is the best light ski, so stable at speed. Super sick all mountain light core ski,” says another. “Awesome line of skis. Quick, light, damp ski. For the intermediate cruiser to hard charger,” chimes in a third fan. Another succinct summation: “Smooth, powerful, and fun. Makes the rider better.”
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
K2’s new Alluvit 88Ti isn’t a mere improvement over last year’s iteration, but a major makeover with benefits for all women skiers, particularly those with off-trail travels on the daily agenda. Mirroring the moves made by the unisex Pinnacle 88Ti, the Alluvit 88Ti ditched the foam section of its core in favor of an all-wood affair featuring fir and aspen, then added a perimeter of Titanal to calm the edge and sharpen its bite. The changes flipped the Alluvit 88’s personality from meek wallflower to sassy extrovert. If the Alluvit 88Ti has a terrain bias, it’s in favor of soft snow in depths ranging from one inch to two feet.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
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