2025 Head e-Total Joy

No one can accuse the Head Total Joy of being a copycat model. Sixteen years ago, it debuted as the centerpiece of new series of women’s skis built from scratch, without reference to any unisex model. It was also the first time Head industrialized Graphene in a ski, a bold experiment that has paid off in spades. At this stage of the Total Joy’s evolution, Head engineers have figured out how to optimize this unique material, blending it with classic features like an all wood (Karuba-Ash) core, fiberglass and carbon laminates. It’s a heady blend: the wood gives it great snow feel, fiberglass gives it liveliness and snap, the carbon and Graphene keep the weight in check and its piezo-electric EMC damping system maintains snow contact with the same security as much stouter models. The most obvious change from the Total Joys of yore is a new tip shape that shaves away 6mm, trimming the forebody and diminishing its propensity for digging in hard at the top of a turn. The Total Joy remains the most carve-centric model in the All-Mountain East pantheon, but the narrower profile improves its handling in off-trail conditions. Its slimmer silhouette opens up its sidecut radius, which in turn makes it easier to maneuver in deep snow. Also new across the Joy collection (as of 23/24) is a softer-flexing mid-section that evenly distributes pressure along the full length of the ski. This adaptation alone is worth the price of admission if you’re an AARP member who prizes energy conservation. While the change in forebody geometry has a profound effect on performance, the most significant change in the 2023 Joy series is in the plate that connects it to its integrated Tyrolia binding. The binding perched atop the new plate is from Tyrolia’s Protector series that includes a separate adjustment for lateral release at the heel. Given the inherently heightened exposure of a woman’s knee to twisting forces, riding on a Protector binding offers an extra measure of protection.