#KIDS SKI RACE GEAR HOW TO#

JUST THIS YEAR I learned I had been sizing them wrong all along and all their boots have been huge for years! My kids have been skiing since they were two and are now ages 6, 8 and 10 respectively. If they can’t do this it will be a problem. Their weight should be on the ball of the foot. In laymen’s terms? Have your kids flex in the boots by bending at the knee. Most beginner skiers under the age of 6 will want a boot that rates much lower. Most Junior Race Ski boots have a flex rating of 70-90. Make sure your beginner/young skiers have a lower flex rating, as well as any child that is light. This is the general rule of thumb: The more advanced the skier, the higher the flex rating. Pay some attention to flex ratings on boots.Boot stretching at an actual ski shop or going up a size might be advisable. On the other hand, if your child has a wide foot, it really could be too tight. How does it feel? This part is largely subjective and often times a boot will feel tight even though it is sized correctly. Have them walk around and spend some time in the boot. Have the child put the boot on, buckle it, stand up and flex as though they were skiing again. Or more simply – Two fingers stacked together should fit behind the heel and shell. Change sizes accordingly until you find a match. There should be 5/8 – 1 inch behind the heel. Have them flex forward slightly as if they were skiing. Change sizes accordingly until you find a match. Or more simply Two fingers stacked together should fit behind the heel and shell. Have the child insert their foot into the shell, move their toes towards the front of the boot so they lightly bump the front. There should be 5/8 1 inch behind the heel.

Remove the boot insert from the shell.

A chart like this one from Level 9 Sports can be a great place to start: Chart for Sizing Ski Boots.

When I am completely clueless on where to start regarding size, I refer to an online chart first or size my child’s foot at the ski rental shop ahead of time.

Here are the steps I go through when fitting my kids for boots: But many of us are trying to go the cheap route – ski swaps for gear, hand-me-downs, and self-instruction. I am not saying this is for everyone or every family.

#KIDS SKI RACE GEAR HOW TO#

This series focuses in on how to ski with kids, specifically, how to do it yourself. If you are new to The Kid Project, I also want to introduce you to our “Ski Schooling” series. Obviously, any one of us can drive down to the local ski shop and have a skilled salesperson do it for us.īut if you are like us, and trying to get the family skiing on a dime, we rely heavily on ski swaps, consignment shops, clearance sales, and classified ads to outfit our kids in ski gear every winter. And most these venues DON’T come with a trained boot fitter. Today I want to share some tips on fitting your kid for ski boots.

Kids ski race gear