Elan U-Flex and why it is important

[Philpug]

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The Elan U-flex could be the most important ski technology for the future of skiing. A bit over stated? Maybe, but by the future of skiing, I am referring to the kids and young ones that either are just starting to ski or progressing through the learning process. I have been talking for a while of the importance of ski flex and the ability to bend the ski in the turn is as crucial as any dimension when it comes to the skis performance. If this matters to an adult, it is surely important to a child.

Go into any ski ski shop and flex junior and toddler skis, most are proportionately as still or stiffer than most adult skis, some do not bend hardly at all. Elan has done a good job addressing this with their U-Flex like of skis. The U-flex series bends easily so kids can get on them and actually carve the ski because the ski can bend under them. In playing with these skis, it not hype or just marketing, these are game changers for kids.

 

[Puck it]

Awesome idea. Did they patent it?

 

[Gerry Rhoades]

Wow. That's brilliant.

 

[Philpug]

@Gerry Rhodes I am going to ping Elan and see if I can get them involved here. IMHO, this technology could be for kids the same as the SCX was for adults. It needs to be promoted and the word needs to get out there.

 

[Gerry Rhoades]

That would be good. They're going to have to seriously pursue getting some specialty dealers instead of what seems to be mostly general line sporting goods stores, at least in the west.

 

[Xela]

As the parent of two featherweights, I'm interested in this idea. I wonder if it's all frontside skis or do they have any big mountain offerings?

 

[AmyPJ]

I also have a featherweight and am intrigued.

 

[Philpug]

Bumping because it's important.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Seems cool.

A couple of thoughts. The boot seems like it would matter more than the ski. The binding and boot makes up a lot of the total length of the ski when we are talking about 80cm skis.

Also, in the video, the kids' skis barely seem to be bending at all regardless of the technology. It's not like current kids skis don't work. Maybe bending isn't really that important.

 

[cantunamunch]

Seems cool.

A couple of thoughts. The boot seems like it would matter more than the ski. The binding and boot makes up a lot of the total length of the ski when we are talking about 80cm skis..

^This. Especially with kids' small torsos, short lever lengths, and low upper body weight. Sidebar: The market should have evolved Dolomite KID designs by now, yet where are they?

Conceptually, I see Elan's design as a simple evolution of Waveflex, thicker sections alternated with thinner ones is not groundbreaking.

Head, for example, could have done this back in '98, it's just that they didn't make the corporate decision to do so.

 

[skibob]

My son will be in his second year on Elan U-flex this season. Made a huge difference for him, as he is a lightweight and not that strong yet. He went from snowplowing green runs to parallel turns on steep terrain last year. Part of it was just his continuing development, but I definitely think the skis helped.

I've ranted before that kids skis are WAY too stiff. Comparatively, the Volkl Chicas my daughter was on two years ago are WAY stiffer than my Motive 95s (ie, accounting for weight and leverage).

At 45lbs, I've seen my son visibly bend the Elans. I do agree that for very beginners, bending skis may not be that important. But for advancing small kids, it matters and facilitated his improvement greatly.

 

[cantunamunch]

Take a router to the topsheets and fill in with Irongrip?

 

[Philpug]

Take a router to the topsheets and fill in with Irongrip?

Remember Head did that with the first Peak series skis? Not a good idea.

 

[cantunamunch]

Remember Head did that with the first Peak series skis? Not a good idea.

Wasn't that what "Flow Ride" was? Sure, I remember, and I reckon it could have been done as a kids' ski on a Big Easy type platform.

 

[Xela]

There seems to be a bias that an easy-to-bend ski is just for beginners and/or that it won't last. I heard this about the Blizzard Viva Jr. skis that my kids used for a while. I wonder how these compare to U-Flex. I know they haven't fallen apart and my kids seem to have progressed. They're pretty small for their ages.

 

[hbear]

For what window of child skier is this for? By 6 I see most all of our race kids bending their current skis just fine (foam core, cap) and by 7 the stronger ones are bending their sidewall race construction skis just fine as well.

While weight certainly can be an issue, I'm thinking more to do with proper instruction and time on snow? Honestly don't see many kids struggling with the skis being too stiff at the beginner stages. A plow is a plow and flex of ski won't change that. Once the kids start learning to lay down tracks, they all bend their skis (obviously to varying degrees, but they are still decambered).
Kids that do struggle are the ones who's parents have over equipped (e.g. Full wood core, titianal layers way too early, skis too long, or boots too stiff). But that has nothing to do with equipment design and more to do with parent brains.

In the race course for the better skiers we have the opposite issue, too few skis options that are more torsionally stiff at sub 120cm for the more proficient kids. After 120 there are many options but up until that point it's limited.

Perhaps it's my bias from what I see with the race kids, so perhaps it's a big deal and a big issue outside of that group?

 

[oldschoolskier]

I'd have to see it in action to see the benefits. From a view point I would lean towards how hbear sees it. Not sure that the advantage gained off sets the potential longer term disadvantage. However since mine are grown (and solid muscle) I'm going to let those that have the little ones make that choice.

 

[Philpug]

@hbear, Racers and stronger kids do not need this. Go into a ski shop and try to flex some of these smaller skis (under 110cm), many of these cannot flex under the force of a 150+lb adult, how can they flex under the feet of a 50lb child? These are the equivilent of a Stride bike, these are first skis, I don't think Elan expects kids to be on these all they way through high school, although some parents might want that. These have nothing to do with racing..at this stage, but it could give tehm the sensation of what a carve feels like so when they do hit the brushes they could be a gate ahead. Lets not overthink what these are, a ski for a begiiner to lightweight novice.

 

[cantunamunch]

...and it is also well within the remit of equipment designers to anticipate parent brains and design around them

 

[hbear]

Got it. If it helps kids learn proper technique I'm all for it. Like I said, my views are certainly biased from what I've seen.

In race programs they are all beginners at some point too, I might take for granted how quickly they progress through that stage however.

Wonder if part of the issue is the system binding used that also impacts stiffness as well? Most of those sub 100 skis have system bindings that don't help flex either. I find hand flexing flat skis much easier if given the same ski.