Head has been on an R&D tear since it first industrialized the use of Graphene some seven years ago. Graphene is the lightest, strongest material known to mankind, but a matrix one-atom thick isn’t easy to manipulate, which is why after its initial discovery Graphene spent more time in the lab than on the production line. Head has spent the intervening years learning how Graphene changes how skis can be made. The V-Series models introduced last year use Graphene instead of core thickness to control longitudinal flex, a radical departure from the norm that suggests even more can be done to re-conceive the modern ski.

For 2020, Head returns to the scene of its first triumph with Graphene, it’s Joy women’s collection. All five Joy models use new molds and constructions aimed at the various ability tiers found in the Frontside genre. For women who prefer their snow ungroomed, Head has re-branded the shortest lengths of the Kore 93 and Kore 9 with a “W” and slid the mounting point 2cm forward. Sadly, we didn’t get much in the way of data on most of these new models. Only the Kore 93 W garnered the attention required to rate it among our Recommended models.