What Our Gearhead(R) Experts Are Saying:"I moved my daughter onto these once she outgrew her foam cored beginner skis, and the difference in how she carves a turn was noticeable within a single run. The woodcore gives her real feedback from the snow without the ski feeling too heavy or stiff for her to control."There's a point where a young skier stops needing a ski that forgives everything and starts wanting one that actually responds, and the Mantra Junior Ski is built for that exact transition. We watch kids move off flexy, foam cored beginner skis and onto something with real feedback, feeling turns start to connect instead of just happen, and the confidence that comes with it is obvious almost immediately. That feedback comes from construction shared directly with the adult Mantra line, just without the metal laminate. A multilayer woodcore of beech and poplar gives a genuine, connected feel underfoot, while full sidewall construction adds the durability needed for a season of real progression. Dropping the metal layer keeps the weight down and the handling easy, so smaller, lighter skiers can actually feel what the ski is doing instead of fighting it.