Depart first review

Overview

The départ. First is the entry point to Salomon's new départ. freestyle family for 26/27: a true twin tip for young children who want to ski backwards, try their first rail or simply play around the whole mountain. Salomon calls it the gateway to départ., built to ski both ways and make progress everywhere from groomed runs to the park. It is sold only as a set with the C5 GW binding on a Juniortrak plate, in 113, 123 and 133 cm. Waist and radius grow with the length: 110-78-102 mm with a 6 m radius at 113 cm, up to 114-82-106 mm and 10 m at 133 cm.

On-snow performance

On paper the First is built for fun at low speed rather than for carving. The true twin-tip shape gives the tip and tail the same form, so riding switch should feel natural from the first day. Salomon puts rocker in both the tip and the tail, which should make the ski easy to pivot and less likely to catch an edge when a child lands a small jump slightly sideways. The short radius, only 6 m at 113 cm, and the freestyle shape point to quick, tight turns, easy butters and smooth slides across side hits. A 78 to 82 mm waist is wide for a ski this short, so it should feel steady in soft, mixed snow at the side of the piste. Salomon pairs this with a composite core and cap construction to keep the ski light and easy to turn for small skiers; the trade-off is that this is not a ski for fast, hard-snow carving.

Construction & specs explained

• Shape: true twin tip with tip and tail rocker.
• Core: composite, for a light and easy-to-manoeuvre ski.
• Reinforcement: fibreglass.
• Sidewall: cap construction under a single topsheet.
• Sidecut: 110-78-102 mm (113 cm), 112-80-104 mm (123 cm), 114-82-106 mm (133 cm).
• Radius: 6 / 8 / 10 m at 113 / 123 / 133 cm.
• Set: Juniortrak plate with the C5 GW binding.
• Weight: about 1,260 g (113 cm), 1,360 g (123 cm) and 1,460 g (133 cm) per ski. Salomon publishes no ski-only weight for this ski. We calculated these figures from Salomon's with-binding set weight (3,630 / 3,830 / 4,030 g per pair, halved) minus the published 558 g of a single C 5 GW binding. The set also includes the Juniortrak plate, so treat the numbers as approximate.
• Level: beginner; snow type: mixed; turn: medium, per Salomon.

Who it's for & comparisons

The départ. First is for young children, roughly at 113 to 133 cm ski length, who already link turns and now want to ski switch, hit small jumps and explore the park with friends. The Atomic Bent jr 110-130 is the closest match on paper, with a 78 to 82 mm waist and a similar length range; Atomic uses an All Mountain Rocker with more camber, while Salomon goes for a true twin with rocker at both ends. The Faction Prodigy jr has nearly the same waist (78.5 mm at 113 cm) and a longer size range up to 143 cm, which helps fast-growing children. The K2 Omen jr is narrower at 75 mm and is the pick for a child who mostly rides the park. When the First gets too short, Salomon's teen model, the départ. Ten, continues the same idea in 143 to 163 cm.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• True twin tip makes skiing switch easy from the start.
• Rocker in tip and tail gives easy pivots and fewer caught edges.
• Short radius suits quick turns and playful skiing.
• Ready-to-ski set with plate and C5 GW binding.

Cons

• Composite core and cap construction are not made for speed.
• Only three lengths, from 113 to 133 cm.
• Sold only as a set with the C5 binding.
• Less edge grip on hard snow than a cambered all-mountain ski.

Verdict: The départ. First is a light, playful twin-tip set for young children who want to ski in both directions and start in the park. Pick it for fun and progression; a child who mainly carves on groomed runs is better served by a cambered all-mountain junior ski.