Revolt jr park review

Overview

The Völkl Revolt Jr Park is a junior twin tip for kids who spend their days in the terrain park. Völkl developed it with young riders in its "Built Together JR" programme and says it is not a watered-down adult ski: it has a stiffer flex and a high-performance core, so that young skiers have the stability to go big and land cleanly. It comes in two lengths, 138 and 148 cm, with a 108-76-101 mm sidecut and a centre radius (R3) of 11.4 m at 138 cm and 13.6 m at 148 cm. It is sold flat, without a binding. For kids who would rather play around the whole mountain, Völkl makes a softer, wider sibling with a binding included, the Volkl Revolt jr urban.

On-snow performance

On paper this is the stiffer and more serious of Völkl's two junior twin tips. Völkl talks about feeling confident and in control at high speed and about mastering jumps, rails and everything in between. A stiffer flex helps a strong young rider pop off a kicker and stay balanced on the landing, but it also needs more body weight and skill to bend than a soft beginner twin. The tip and tail rocker makes riding switch easier, lets the ski pivot on boxes and rails, and should keep the ends from catching on landings. At 76 mm underfoot it stays narrow enough to get on edge quickly on groomed runs and in the pipe. The 11.4 to 13.6 m radius gives a medium turn that should not feel nervous at speed. It is not built for deep snow: the narrow waist and park focus make it a piste and park ski.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: wood core of aspen and maple.
• Sidewall: Full Sidewall with Mini Cap; the cap overlaps the sidewall for durability.
• Profile: Tip & Tail Rocker, twin tip.
• Base: P-Tex 2100, a sintered high-density base.
• Flex: stiffer than the Revolt Jr Urban, according to Völkl.
• Binding: not included. Völkl recommends the Marker Squire 11 with a 90 mm brake.
• Dimensions: 108-76-101 mm; radius (R3) 11.4 m at 138 cm and 13.6 m at 148 cm.
• Weight: Völkl does not publish a ski-only weight.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Revolt Jr Park is for older kids and young teenagers on 138 or 148 cm skis who ride the park a lot, perhaps in a freestyle club, and have outgrown a soft twin tip. A child who mostly cruises and plays around the mountain will be happier on the softer Volkl Revolt jr urban, which comes with a vMotion binding and goes down to 118 cm. The K2 Omen jr is almost the same width at 75 mm and runs up to 149 cm; the Völkl's selling point is the stiffer, competition-minded flex that Völkl describes. The Head Oblivion jr junior is wider at 80 to 82 mm and goes up to 161 cm, so it suits a bigger rider who wants a bit more float. Within Völkl, the Volkl Revolt 100 jr is the wide, full-rocker option for juniors who head off-piste.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Stiffer flex and high-performance core for stability on jumps and landings.
• Tip and tail rocker for riding switch and for rails.
• Narrow 76 mm waist that gets on edge quickly.
• Developed with young riders in Völkl's Built Together JR programme.

Cons

• Only two lengths, 138 and 148 cm.
• Too stiff for small or beginner park kids.
• Binding not included.
• Too narrow for powder days.

Verdict: The Revolt Jr Park is a proper park ski for strong young freestylers who need more support than a soft junior twin can give. Lighter kids, or kids who mostly play around the piste, will get more out of the softer Revolt Jr Urban.