2015 Head Great Joy Review (Video)

The Head Great Joy was one of the skis our female ski testers were most excited about when it was announced, and turned out to be one of our absolute favorites when we got it on the snow.

Ski manufacturers often announce the "next wonder material" that will "revolutionize the way we ski" and often, it doesn't quite live up to the hype. But in this case, a lot of the credit as to why we liked the Head Great Joy - and the whole Head Joy women's ski line - is a new material called graphene, previously used in Head tennis rackets, said to have one of the best strength-to-weight ratios of any material.

Skis are always trying to balance lightweight without being to flexy our chattery - and graphene seems to let the ski shed wait while still having the right amount of stiffness and damping to tackle a wide range of terrain and conditions.

The shape of the ski, at 98mm underfoot with tip rocker and a slightly lifted tail, is a great execution of the modern all mountain ski, with a slight bias towards off-piste soft snow conditions.

Out on the hill, our testers were blown away by the ski's versatility. First up, we took to heavy, wet powder where it floated admirably, flexing with energy to pop up out of the snow for easy, quick turn transitions.

As the day went on and the powder got cut up, the Great Joy didn't get tossed around like many lightweight skis, powering through crud well, or just as easily making quick, nimble turns between chopped-up bumps.

On groomers, the Great Joy really surprised for its width. Carving wasn't a problem for our more aggressive and capable testers, although the sheer size of the ski means its not the best option if you're looking for a ski for more groomer days than not.

It's also a bit much for more timid intermediate skiers. For reference, Ski Magazine rated it pretty low for forgiveness. But if you've got the skill and inclination, this is a ski that can handle a huge range of terrain with total confidence.