Playmaker u-flex review

Overview

The Elan Playmaker U-Flex is the smallest ski in Elan's Playmaker freestyle family, made for young children of roughly 95 to 130 cm tall. Elan says it is "built for the next generation of freestyle skiers with U-Flex technology for added balance and confidence." It comes in three lengths, 95, 105 and 115 cm, all with the same 105/72/97 mm shape, an Early Rise Rocker profile and a light Synflex core inside a Full Power Cap shell. Like Elan's other kids' skis it is sold as a system, on the Junior Shift plate with the EL 4.5 GW CA JRS binding (DIN 0.75–4.5).

On-snow performance

On paper the U-Flex is built to make the first turns easy and the first tricks fun. Elan's U-Flex technology combines construction and profile so that the ski is 25% more flexible than a standard junior ski, which means a small, light child can bend it and roll it onto its edge without much strength. The Early Rise Rocker lifts the tip, which helps the ski start a turn, reduces the chance of catching an edge and adds a little float in soft snow. The radius is short in every size, 5.4 m at 95 cm, 7.0 m at 105 cm and 8.8 m at 115 cm, so the ski wants to come round in small, quick turns. The 72 mm waist is wider than most beginner kids' skis and gives a stable platform for rollers and small jumps next to the piste. The flip side of all that softness is less hold on hard, icy snow and at higher speed; a child who already carves fast will soon want something stiffer.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: Synflex Core, a light synthetic core.
• Technology: U-Flex (Elan: 25% softer flex).
• Reinforcement: fibreglass.
• Construction: Full Power Cap.
• Base: extruded.
• Profile: Early Rise Rocker.
• Dimensions: 105/72/97 mm in all three lengths.
• Radius: 5.4 / 7.0 / 8.8 m (95 / 105 / 115 cm).
• System: Junior Shift with EL 4.5 GW CA JRS, DIN 0.75–4.5.
• Elan size guide: 95 cm for skiers of 95–110 cm, 105 cm for 105–120 cm and 115 cm for 115–130 cm.
• Weight: Elan does not publish a ski-only weight.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Playmaker U-Flex is for beginner and early-intermediate children who are drawn to the small jumps and fun-line features many resorts build for kids. Within Elan, the Elan Jett uses the same U-Flex technology, Synflex Core and Early Rise Rocker, but with a narrower piste shape (101/69/90 mm in the short sizes) and a much wider length range from 70 to 150 cm; it is the better pick for a child who mostly skis groomers. Once your child passes about 130 cm, the Elan Playmaker 81t continues the line with a twin tip, a Dual Woodcore and lengths from 121 cm. Outside Elan, the Head Oblivion team jrs is a 68 mm twin tip with a wood core that starts at 87 cm, and the K2 Hi fi youth offers the same 72 mm waist with a slight rocker-camber-rocker profile from 109 cm.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• U-Flex makes the ski easy to bend and steer for light children.
• Early Rise Rocker eases turn entry and reduces edge catches.
• The 72 mm waist gives a stable platform for small jumps.
• Complete system with the EL 4.5 binding in every size.

Cons

• Only three lengths, from 95 to 115 cm.
• The soft flex and synthetic core give little grip on icy snow.
• The extruded base glides slower than a sintered one.
• Fast-growing kids will outgrow it within a season or two.

Verdict: An easy, confidence-building first freestyle ski for small children. For a child who mostly cruises groomers, the Elan Jett with the same U-Flex technology is the simpler choice.