The Importance of Proper Fitting Equipment
I started snowboarding on my 8th birthday, 22 years ago. My parents openly hated snowboarding, they said they were all “punks” that destroyed the snow on the trails, so when I wanted to try snowboarding they did everything to try and deter me from snowboarding, but at the same time acted like the supportive parents that they were. Having started skiing at 2 years old, I quickly became bored with my weekly lesson programs over the years, and begged my parents to allow me to try snowboarding “when I was old enough”. In the 90’s it was still believed that children couldn’t start snowboarding until they developed the muscles to be able to snowboard, usually around 7-9 years old. I remember I was so excited to get to skip school for my birthday and go to the mountain for my first snowboarding lesson. I remember my instructor wasn’t very pleasant. Morning shifts usually didn’t get young children, so he wasn’t very pleased to have a hyper 8-year-old girl, I know I was a lot to handle, I would get bored very easily if I wasn’t being challenged, and I didn’t have a problem with letting you know it. I picked up all the skills very quickly, but he wanted to teach by the book, and wouldn’t skip tasks, but after a two back-to-back lessons, I was comfortably connecting turns on green terrain.
Since both of my parents were big into skiing I had brand new skis with each growth spurt. Especially with how tiny and short I was, my parents knew the importance of proper fitting equipment to try and turn me into the next Olympian Skier. My parents still upset that I wanted to continue with snowboarding, but wanting to pretend to be the supportive parents of a sport they despised, they went and bought me my first snowboard to add the cherry on top for my birthday. My first snowboard was a red 148 Liquid with step in bindings. For those who do not know much about snowboarding sizes, I am 5’3 and my boards are between a 142 and 148, I should have been on a 90 maybe a 100. I won’t even get into step-in bindings and how horrible they are. Also take note about Liquid snowboards; their symbol was two stick figure men, peeing into a puddle, not at all embarrassing for an 8-year-old girl. I would put stickers on my board or paint the bottom, and even was deterred from not getting into park because I wanted my board to be planted on the ground so no one could see it. My parents wouldn’t bring me snowboarding, only skiing, so I would have to catch a ride with a neighbor or friends if I wanted to snowboard. To make a long story short, I became a snowboarding instructor to not only pay for but to teach and share my passion of snowboarding.
Jumping ahead to now, it is still slowly coming around but the fact is if a child can walk, they can snowboard, the key point is they just need the proper size equipment. Day in and day out whether it be on rentals, new equipment, or handed down from the older sibling, I come across children being on equipment that is much to big for them. Especially more in this day and age, children get easily frustrated and give up quickly if they can’t do something, and even if its just a difference of 10cm, that can quickly loose a child from enjoying not only a sport, but the great outdoors. Please do not put your children on equipment that is to big, thinking they will just grow into it. If you come across a good deal, buy it and save it for next season or later down the road. For younger children (usually under 8 years old (with height generally under 4ft) aim for sizing them between the nipple line and shoulders. For children between 8 and 12 (with height roughly <5ft), aim for shoulders and chin. Other things to consider: girls and children on the leaner side aim towards the shorter board. If your child is mistaken to be an adult, or a football linebacker you can go for a longer board. For boots, make sure they fit the child with snowboarding/ winter socks on, and only wear one pair of socks, layering socks actually makes you colder. The boots are the most important piece of equipment because that is where our movement initiates. Also make sure the boots fit inside the bindings, the bindings should still have room to be able to click down after they are snug with the boots. The bindings should span the width of the board. Older boards are much wider than more modern boards, more commonly we see boots and bindings that are to small for the board.
An additional thing to consider, even at a young age, girls have a naturally wider stance and some boards do reflected this in their setup. I have students “tearing up the trails” as young as two and a half. Please don’t set up your kids for failure, if the equipment doesn’t look right, don’t be afraid to say something.