• Price: £150 / €180
• Lengths: 90, 98, 108, 118, 128, 138
• Flex: 4
• Profile: Hybrid Camber
• Shape: True Twin
• head.com

The Head Rowdy Junior sits in the middle of the brand’s grom range. It’s aimed at the rider a bit too young and inexperienced for the Head Evil Youth, but who is past the point of needing the Head Rowdy Kid.

“If you reckon your grom has the making of a park ripper rather than a charger, the Head Rowdy Jr is a fine freestyle foundation”

It’s got a mellow rocker profile, with a true twin shape and soft enough flex for an easy introduction to piste buttering when the time is right. It’s not as well suited for high speeds, what with the relative lack of edge bite and extruded base, but it can manage everything up to the real face-melting descents with ease.

There are no bespoke sidewalls on the Head Rowdy Jr, so it’s a little lighter and can handle more abuse. The trade-off is that it’s not as nice to ride at high speed, as you lose the shock-absorbing properties of sidewalls – but as we’ve already mentioned, that’s not what this is really for anyway. Furthermore, mums and dads who remember cap construction’s ‘90s heyday can bask in the glow of warm nostalgia.

If you reckon your grom has the making of a park ripper rather than a charger, the Head Rowdy Jr is a fine freestyle foundation.