Revolt jr urban review

Overview

The Völkl Revolt Jr Urban vMotion is a junior twin tip for kids who treat the whole mountain as a playground. Völkl describes it as softer and wider than the Revolt Jr Park, with a playful tip and tail for butters and jibs, and says it is "not about competition, it's about creativity and having a blast". It comes in four lengths, 118, 128, 138 and 148 cm, with a 107-78-100 mm sidecut. Unlike the Park version it is sold with a binding already mounted on a vMotion Jr. interface: the Marker 4.5 vMotion Jr or the 7.0 vMotion Jr, depending on the set. Its stiffer, flat-sold park sibling is the Volkl Revolt jr park.

On-snow performance

On paper this is the easy-going one of Völkl's two junior twins. The softer flex makes it easier for a lighter child to bend the ski, press on the nose or tail for a butter, and pop off small rollers at moderate speed. Tip and tail rocker helps with riding switch and lets the ski pivot easily in bumps and on side hits. The centre radius grows with length, from 8.2 m at 118 cm to 14.8 m at 148 cm, so the short sizes turn tightly for small kids and the long sizes stay calmer when a teenager skis faster. At 78 mm underfoot it is 2 mm wider than the Park, which gives a little more support in the soft snow at the side of the piste, but it is still a piste and park ski, not a powder ski. Because the binding comes with the ski, it is ready to go once the shop has adjusted it to the child.

Construction & specs explained

• Core: wood core of aspen and maple.
• Construction: Full Cap; the topsheet wraps over the full wood core.
• Profile: Tip & Tail Rocker, twin tip.
• Base: Crown F7501.
• Flex: softer than the Revolt Jr Park, according to Völkl.
• Binding: vMotion Jr. interface with a Marker 4.5 vMotion Jr or 7.0 vMotion Jr included.
• Dimensions: 107-78-100 mm; radius (R3) 8.2 m at 118 cm, 10.2 m at 128 cm, 12.4 m at 138 cm and 14.8 m at 148 cm.
• Weight: Völkl does not publish a ski-only weight.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Revolt Jr Urban is for children and young teenagers who love jumps, butters and side hits but are not yet riding in a freestyle team. The four lengths cover a wide age range, and the included binding keeps buying simple. Kids who ride the park every weekend and hit bigger jumps should look at the stiffer Volkl Revolt jr park, which is sold flat in 138 and 148 cm. The Atomic Bent jr 110-130 is close in width at 78 to 82 mm underfoot in 110 to 130 cm, with a rocker-camber-rocker profile, but Atomic pitches it as an easy all-mountain ski for younger kids and sells it without a binding. The Rossignol Sender jr is a little narrower at 74 to 76 mm and uses a tip rocker with camber rather than a twin-tip rocker in both ends, so it is more of an all-mountain kids' ski. For smaller children, the Head Oblivion team jrs is a narrow 68 mm twin that starts at 87 cm, where the Völkl starts at 118 cm.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Soft, playful flex for butters, jibs and side hits.
• Four lengths, from 118 to 148 cm.
• vMotion Jr binding included and mounted.
• Tip and tail rocker for riding switch.

Cons

• Too soft for strong park kids who hit big jumps.
• Too narrow for real powder days.
• The shortest size is 118 cm, so small children need another ski.
• Cap construction rather than the sidewall used on the Park version.

Verdict: The Revolt Jr Urban is a fun, easy junior twin for kids who play all over the mountain, and the included binding makes it a simple buy. Strong park riders will want the stiffer Revolt Jr Park instead.