Sender jr review

Overview

The Rossignol Sender Jr is the junior member of the Sender freeride family, scaled down for children between roughly 104 and 140 cm of ski. Rossignol's North American site lists it as the Sender Kid-X, European shops sell it as the Sender Jr with a Kid 4 GW binding — it is the same 26/27 ski. Rossignol's brief is simple: make learning easier, more comfortable and more fun, with a junior-specific flex and rocker that let kids use changing terrain to pivot, steer and stop. The brand rates it for intermediate juniors.

On-snow performance

Compared with Rossignol's narrow piste juniors, the Sender Jr is a little wider — 74 mm underfoot on the three short lengths and 76 mm from 122 cm up — which gives a small child a more stable platform on chopped-up afternoon snow and at the side of the run. The radius stays short (7 m at 104 cm, 9 m at 116, 11 m at 128 and 14 m at 140), so the ski still wants to turn readily. Rossignol builds in high traditional camber with a slight tip rocker: the camber keeps grip on groomers, while the rockered tip lifts over small bumps and makes the first part of the turn easy. On paper this is a ski for kids who already link turns and like to leave the corduroy — through the trees at the edge of the piste or over rollers — rather than a park ski; the tail is not a twin tip.

Construction & specs explained

Rossignol uses its HD Core feature (the spec table names a Microcell core) with fibreglass reinforcement and Cap construction, where the topsheet wraps down to the edges with no separate sidewall — lighter, more forgiving and more resistant to chipping, in the brand's words. The extruded base is chosen for durability in rental and demo use, and the Oversized Sidecut pairs a deep carving sidecut with a modern waist width. Lengths: 104, 110, 116, 122, 128 and 140 cm. Sidecut: 106/74/98 mm for 104–116 cm, 108/76/100 mm for 122–140 cm. Radius: 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 14 m. Rossignol's table lists 0.7 kg at 104 cm, 0.8–0.9 kg in the middle lengths and 1.0 kg at 140 cm; the column says per pair, but as on Rossignol's other tables the figures are per ski. The ski is a Kid-X system ski, so the binding comes with it and the ski is not suited to touring.

Who it's for & comparisons

Choose the Sender Jr for a child who has the basics and wants a slightly wider all-round ski with a freeride look rather than a pure piste carver. The Rossignol Soul jr is the same construction, shape and length range under a different name and graphic, so pick between the two on design. For pure groomer days the narrower Rossignol Hero jr is the more precise choice. Outside Rossignol, the Dynastar M manace team kid from sister brand Dynastar has an almost identical 107/75/99 mm shape and the same six lengths; the Nordica Unleashed j fdt has a twin-rocker profile for more freestyle play; and the K2 Omen jr is a true twin tip for kids heading to the park.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• A little more width (74–76 mm) than narrow piste juniors for chopped snow.
• Short radius keeps turning easy at every length.
• Light: 0.7–1.0 kg per ski according to Rossignol.
• Tip rocker with camber suits both groomers and light off-piste edges.

Cons

• Not a twin tip, so riding switch and park tricks are limited.
• The Kid-X system plate fixes the binding choice.
• Rossignol rates it intermediate; true first-timers may be better on a softer kids' ski.

Verdict: A friendly, slightly wider all-rounder for children who are ready to explore the sides of the piste; the Sender Jr and Soul Jr are the same ski, so the graphic decides.