e super joy review

Overview

The e-Super Joy is the name Head used in the 25/26 season for the most carving-focused 75 mm ski in its women's Joy collection, sold as a set with the Joy 11 GW SLR binding. For 26/27 Head dropped the "e-" and sells the same ski as the Head Super Joy: Head's 26/27 page shows the same 120/75/106 mm sidecut, the same radius per length and the same 1635 g weight that retailers published for the 25/26 e-Super Joy. Head rates it Advanced, On Piste and Fast. This page covers the 25/26 stock that shops still sell under the old name.

On-snow performance

On paper this is a ski for women who like to push on groomed runs. Head's copy for the 25/26 model mentions a new design that lengthens the sidecut, and the numbers back that up: 14.0 m at 163 cm, against 13.1 m for the e-Real Joy at the same length. The shape suggests a ski that holds a medium-to-long carve at speed but can still be pulled into a shorter arc. The Allride Rocker puts 20% rocker in the tip over 80% camber with no tail rocker, so turn entry should be easy and the finish should come from the full tail. EMC damping and the carbon in the core point to a calm, firm chassis rather than a soft, forgiving one. With a 75 mm waist it stays a piste ski: it will cope with the softer snow at the side of a run, but it is not built for deep snow.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Head describes carbon in a poplar wood core; Snowleader's 25/26 listing names LYT Tech with graphene, carbon, fibreglass and Karuba wood, in a Carbon Cap Sandwich construction.
• Damping: EMC (Energy Management Circuit) with piezo-ceramic elements.
• Better Balance: a 0.75° base ramp on every length for a centred stance.
• Base: Structured UHM C.
• Rocker: Allride Rocker, 20% tip rocker / 80% camber / 0% tail rocker.
• Sidecut: 120/75/106 mm; radius 11.2 m (148), 12.1 m (153), 13.0 m (158), 14.0 m (163).
• Lengths: 143, 148, 153, 158, 163 and 168 cm.
• Weight: 1635 g per ski without binding at 163 cm.
• Binding: Joy 11 GW SLR (DIN 3–11) on Head's pre-mounted SLR base. It is a system ski, so a touring binding is not an option.

Who it's for & comparisons

The e-Super Joy suits an advanced woman who skis mostly on piste, likes speed, and wants a light ski that still holds an edge. Skiers who are still building their carving technique will find the Head Real Joy easier, while those who want a race-style ski with metal should look at the Head Power Joy. Against the Blizzard Phoenix 72 ti the e-Super Joy is 3 mm wider underfoot and runs a longer radius at a similar length; the Blizzard gets its stiffness from titanal rather than carbon. The Stockli Laser mx weighs about the same (1650 g at 164 cm) on a narrower 71 mm waist.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Light for an advanced carver: 1635 g per ski at 163 cm.
• The 14 m radius at 163 cm holds a fast, long carve.
• Six lengths from 143 to 168 cm.
• EMC damping and carbon keep the ski calm at speed.
• Same shape and weight as the 26/27 Super Joy.

Cons

• Needs an active, confident skier to get the most from it.
• The 75 mm waist limits it in soft or deep snow.
• System binding: no option for a touring or flat-mount binding.
• Less forgiving than the Real Joy for skiers still learning to carve.

Verdict: The e-Super Joy is the light, carbon-reinforced advanced carver of the 25/26 Joy line and the same ski Head now sells as the Super Joy. Pick it for fast piste skiing; choose a softer Joy if you are still learning to carve.