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Old 08-26-2021, 01:50 PM   #14
Tron_fdc
In Your MCP
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Watching Hot Dog Hans
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug View Post
Thanks! My boy is turning 10, so I think he is in U12, although I understand there is some flexibility depending on skillset. He is a bit of a peanut, 52 inches tall and 65 lbs.

We are out of Nakiska, and as mentioned there is some help with ski purchases, with a swap in September and a night at one of the retailers to help outfit the kids. I realize all sports are expensive, but I am hoping not to spend a fortune on something with limited use. I suppose we could use the swap next year, but I am not sure what the market is like for kids race skis, used or new.
Yep, that's first year U12.

I would suggest you find a pair of Lange Or similar) Race boots, likely a 60-65 flex. If he isn't big enough or strong enough boots that are too stiff will work against him so probably stay away from the 70 flex for now. Any race boot should also have a power strap. My kid is constantly messing around with the power strap.....the big thing last year was cutting off the one that came with the boot and using a seperate strap. Who knows if it did anything, but you need a power strap of some sort.

Bindings: go with a race specific binding that has a race plate. There's a few reasons here; race bindings have brakes that fold into the plate when they are locked in. If you use a cheap pair of bindings with no plate they will break, and if he turns hard enough the brake will drag and release the binding. It's super dangerous and I found that out the hard way. The race plate (riser) adds pop to the turns and increases the distance from boot to snow, so in a ski with a lot of sidecut (race ski) it will allow a deeper carve.

For skis he's going to need slalom and GS skis. I stick with Volkl because they're a great ski, and you can find racetigers on kijiji all the time for relatively cheap.

As far as length goes, there is something to keep in mind when you approach FIS age. Skis are regulated by FIS as far as length and sidecut go once you hit that level (17+), so parents who size their kids skis according to the kids height every year are putting them at a disadvantage. The min length of a FIS ski (IIRC) is 210cm on GS and 165 on SL. You shouldn't jump more than 7-10cms a year, so if you work backwards your kid should be on a 150cm GS and 130SL or thereabouts. It's that, or your kid takes a MASSIVE jump in length coming out of U16 and into FIS. All our U16's are skiing comically long skis this year and that's why. They are getting ready to jump into FIS regulations.

Anyways, keep looking on Kijiji. I find a lot of stuff there, and every year the Fernie team puts on a swap of old gear where there is a TON of stuff. It's a huge swap and it has a lot of race gear.

Good luck on the hill! It's a great way to spend time with the family and enjoy the outdoors. It's also a lot of fun to get involved with volunteering and meet like minded parents to crush beers and do laps with. I'm 46 and started riding park a few years ago and it's a blast. Just stay off the rails lol
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