Head Joy line, which is which?

[marzNC]

Even with all the discussion about the Head Joy line that came out last year, I still can't keep straight which is which. The Head website includes specs for every length. Interesting to see how the turn radius varies by depending on the length. Here's a comparison for some of the lengths. Of course, there are other differences between models besides waist width.

153cm
Pure Joy 127-72-107 R10.1 Lengths 143 to 163
Super Joy 127-74-107 R10.9 Lengths 143 to 168
Absolut Joy 128-78-108 R11.8 Lengths 143 to 168
Total Joy 132-84-112 R11.8 Lengths 148 to 168
Great Joy 139-97-122 R11.4

158cm
Great Joy 140-97-123 R12.4
Big Joy 148-108-131 R12.6 Lengths 158 to 178

168cm
Great Joy 141-98-124 R14.3 Lengths 153 to 173
Big Joy 149-110-132 R14.8

Part of the issue for me is that the name "Super Joy" sounds like it should be wider than the Absolut Joy (no "e").

Only the Pure Joy is designed for beginners/intermediates. For the other models, it's a matter of personal preference per usual.

 

[marzNC]

I demo'd the Total Joy 158cm and Absolut Joy 153cm at Massanutten last Jan. Only took a couple short groomer runs each. Liked them both. Really like the idea of carrying very lightweight skis from the parking lot.

Found a decent deal on the Absolut Joy at 148cm during the summer so those will be my "carvers" for Mid-Atlantic skiing for a while. Decided to go short since the idea is to have fun with them where skiing ungroomed terrain is not an option because it doesn't exist. Then maybe I'll have an easier time on the little bump line that is created on Paradice at Mnut when there is enough snow.

 

[marzNC]

A review of the Great Joy and some other comments about Joy skis from 2015:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/head-great-joy.19031/

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Thanks for this. Glad I'm not the only who gets confused by the Super Joy name. Always forget that puppy is 74 underfoot. Already tried the Total on a soft snow day and perhaps it was my weight but it was a big no bueno, very sluggish. Wouldn't mind trying the Super Joy and the Absolut on a hard pack day. I absolutely have the Great Joy on my list for a bigger mountain softer snow day.

 

[marzNC]

Notes below were my impressions from the Massanutten Demo Day early Jan 2015. That thread also has comments from others who attended the demo day.
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...sanutten-va-for-petite-advanced-skiers.19001/

The surprise was that I didn’t like the Blizzard Cheyenne, 78 underfoot. Tried two lengths, 151 and 156. The longer one was better but still found it hard to hold an edge. I went for the Cheyenne (151) first thing Sat morning when conditions were really quite nice. Tried the 156 in the afternoon. Could be they are just a little stiff for me.

The second surprise was that I liked the Volkl Aurena at 147cm, 75 underfoot. Apparently related to the RTM line for men. I usually try a Volkl to confirm previous experience where I didn't like them. Maybe it's different because I went relatively short, or maybe because the Aurena is geared towards intermediate skiers so it’s not that stiff. Or maybe I’ve gotten used to the Volkl Attiva AC1 skis I bought for my daughter that I’ve been skiing in the northeast and MidA the last couple seasons. I know my ability to put skis on edge is better than before.

On to what I did like . . . the Temptations and the Head Joys.

The Head Total Joy was easy for flying down the hill. At 85cm underfoot, I could see using them in a few inches of powder without any problem at all. I’d say they like to go faster than Black Pearls.

The Head Absolut Joy was pretty fun. I was on the 153cm, 128-78-108, R 11.8. Took a little bit of work for me to get them completely on edge, but mostly a matter of concentrating a bit more. Certainly a light ski. Perhaps the 148cm would be more the ideal length. One difference between the Absolute Joy and the Temptation 80 is that the side wall construction on the Absolut Joy is “solid” while the Temptation is less solid. I asked for and got the technical explanation but tend not to retain those sorts of details. An older woman (over 70) who is making the switch from straight skis liked the Head Absolute Joy.

The first Temptation 80 I took out was the 144cm (125-80-114). Boy, was that easy to turn even though the radius is supposed to be 17. Later on I tried the 152cm, which seem just as easy to turn and felt a bit more stable at higher speed.

On Sunday afternoon, I gave the Temptation 84 a try at 154cm (133-84-120, R16). I was using it during a clinic so it wasn’t exactly a normal demo. Certainly felt great in any case. Certainly would be happy to rent some if I were traveling without skis and didn’t need powder skis.

While the Temptations are certainly not designed like the Attraxion line, they would serve a similar purpose for me as an all-mountain option. Fun locally and reasonable for a lot of conditions on a trip out west. I could imagine using either the 80 or 84 in several inches of Utah powder without any problem because of the wide shovel and my relatively light weight. Would love to try the Temptation 88. Don Cochrane of Freestyle said he wasn’t carrying the 88 any more because the women coming to his shop didn’t buy it the last couple years. Although the men were buying the Experience 88.

On Sunday morning, I did a head-to-head test between the Temptation 80 and the Absolut Joy on MAKAttack. For me, the Temptation 80 was a hair easier to turn. If I were going to get the Absolute Joy for northeast skiing, it would probably be at 148cm.

 

[Liquid Yellow]

Oooooo I'm glad you liked the Temptation 80s as I've just bought a pair in 160cm!

All the reviews I've read say they have a great edge hold on hard pack, so I hope they do that for me too - they've got to be better than my Black Pearls on boilerplate anyway.

 

[mustski]

K2 has the same old problem - Joy this and Joy that! If you don't give each ski a definite name, it just becomes confusing. I throw up my hands and move on!

 

[Robyn]

You skipped over the 163 Great Joy which is what I ski. It has a 13.3 radius. One of the things I absolutely love about these skis (and people who have watched me ski them have commented on it) is how fast and fluid I can go from a big super G style turn to a quick slalom style turn and back again. I have never loved short, quick turns as much as I do with my Great Joys.

 

[dianakate]

I demoed the Total Joys in 163 at that demo day and then bought them in 168. I loooove them - they are lightning fast, hold an edge on the hardest snow/ice and are stable. Just a ton of fun! And very light to carry. Can you tell I love these skis...holy cow, I can't wait to ski again!!

 

[marzNC]

You skipped over the 163 Great Joy which is what I ski. It has a 13.3 radius. One of the things I absolutely love about these skis (and people who have watched me ski them have commented on it) is how fast and fluid I can go from a big super G style turn to a quick slalom style turn and back again. I have never loved short, quick turns as much as I do with my Great Joys.

Yeah, I started the list for myself and then got curious about other lengths as well. That's why 153cm is the most complete. Only added 158cm and 168cm because the Big Joy doesn't exist at 153cm. Then put in the Great Joy just to see the difference in turn radius. Interesting to see the difference in the length range between different models.

I checked out the Great Joy at 163cm at the beginning of the Alta Demo Day. They did better than I expected on the frozen groomers. Unfortunately never got a chance to get on them again after the temps warmed up later in the day. Would like to try them in some powder since I usually don't need much more than 100 underfoot unless it's really deep.