Boot flex for kid

[alias_rice]

For those of you with hard charging kids at what point have you moved on from youth boots? I need to get new boots for my 11 year old and he is measuring a size 23.5. I am trying to decide if I should just keep him in a junior boot, most of which have a flex of 60, or if it is time to step up to maybe a smaller female boot. He doesn't race but he skis harder than me most of the time but he still is sub 100 lbs. My wallet prefers s youth boot, but don't want to hold him back.

[Danno]

My kid is still in a flex 60 or 70 boot, she's 11 and a racer. So I'm not any help. But if you don't get answers here, you can usually get answers to these types of questions in the kids stoke thread in the main forum or the keep kids skiing in gear swap.

[Mofro261]

For those of you with hard charging kids at what point have you moved on from youth boots? I need to get new boots for my 11 year old and he is measuring a size 23.5. I am trying to decide if I should just keep him in a junior boot, most of which have a flex of 60, or if it is time to step up to maybe a smaller female boot. He doesn't race but he skis harder than me most of the time but he still is sub 100 lbs. My wallet prefers s youth boot, but don't want to hold him back.

At age 11 and still less than 100 lbs.... no way do you want an adult boot for him. Not just flex, but weight and cuff height also will be different. There should be several options in kid's boots and in the 23.5 to get him something in the 80-90 flex range instead of the 60.

I know it sucks to have to buy boots every year for growing kids but it's really the best way to do it until they are closer to adult size

[iriponsnow]

Head Raptor 70 or Lange RS 70

[DLD in UT]

You can get a 90 flex junior short cuff Lange with 2 rivets in the back (RS 90 SC). If you remove the top one it reduces flex by 6 %. If you remove the bottom, but not the top it goes down by 12%. If you remove both it goes down like 20%. see here

My boy is 10 and I looked at these. Ended up just going with the straight RS 70's mentioned above, given he wouldn't need the heftier flex this year and next year his feet will be even bigger. The RS 70s are a noticeably better built boot than the RS 60s, too.

[PlayItLeo]

Lots of good options in the 70-90 flex range from all the major players in the junior race boot market. Can usually find them cheap on eBay or sideline swap or similar. My oldest kid skis hard and made the jump to adult boots after a growth spurt last year at age 13 - 130lbs and 5’7 - and was on 110 flex Kryptons in a 25.5 and he loved them. Will be on the same this year in a 26.5
Flip side - my 12 year old hasn’t had that big growth spurt yet and will be on 24.5 90 flex Raptors this year. He’s a little ripper too, but adult boots would be way too much for him, especially in the height of the cuff.


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[The Tortoise]

I agree with the 70 flex in a junior short cuff race boot. They are so much more substantial than the 60-65 boots.

[The Tortoise]

Head Raptor 70 or Lange RS 70

Any particular reason you picked those two?

[SoVT Joey]

Any particular reason you picked those two?

two of the best built and easiest to procure. Playitleos kids absolutely rip. Those are solid boot choices. Sub 100 pounds I find it very difficult to recommend anything over a 90 flex. And most of the time 70 is adequate. If the kid can’t flex the boot, they can’t learn to properly ski. Kids rarely know how to create power at that age and the most important thing is initiating a turn correctly and from the front of the boot, not fighting the boot.

I used to love pulling rivets and cutting plastic to soften boots, parents would be pissed until their child was suddenly skiing better.

[The Tortoise]

Interesting. My 13 year old racer had the Atomic's in a 70 flex last year and liked them so much he's in the 90 this year. They seem like solid boots with a really good liner.

It was definitely a jump up in flex from the 70 to the 90. No way would I put an 11 year old under 100lbs in a 90 flex boot.

He also rips.

[alias_rice]

Thanks all. I was in Evo the other day and all they had was kiddie boots and the salesman suggested women’s. I’m glad I held off.

Looking around online last night I was surprised at how many junior touring boots are on the market. The hike into gunsight is as much as my kid is willing to go.

[SoVT Joey]

Interesting. My 13 year old racer had the Atomic's in a 70 flex last year and liked them so much he's in the 90 this year. They seem like solid boots with a really good liner.

It was definitely a jump up in flex from the 70 to the 90. No way would I put an 11 year old under 100lbs in a 90 flex boot.

He also rips.

nice turn!

[detrusor]

My 11 year old 70 pound daughter is in the Fischer 70 race boot.



Her older sister hits the growth spurt and moved into the Lange Z soft plus


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[alias_rice]

Thanks all for the advice. After trying on a bunch of options, the Rossi Alltrac 80’s felt best for him.

How much is going from a bsl of 265 mounted on the line to a bsl of 275 mounted back a bit going to effect him? Plenty of room on the bindings to go back, but I’m not opposed to remount if it would be an issue.

[The Tortoise]

What are the skis?

[alias_rice]

What are the skis?

143 Bent Chetlers

[Mofro261]

Thanks all for the advice. After trying on a bunch of options, the Rossi Alltrac 80’s felt best for him.

How much is going from a bsl of 265 mounted on the line to a bsl of 275 mounted back a bit going to effect him? Plenty of room on the bindings to go back, but I’m not opposed to remount if it would be an issue.

Think of it this way, 10mm length change is 5 mm in front and 5 mm behind. 5mm isn't worth trying to redrill, you'd have to move him +5mm of the line to space holes 1cm forward anyway.

[comish]

Just going to add a few more data points:

Mini Comish was 13 last year and was in an Adult Rossi 90 flex, although not the plug. This year at 14 looks like he is going to be in a Dobie WC 110 at least to start.
Comish Twins were 11 last year and in the 70 flex kids boot, Lange and Atomic. They were told the Lange RSJ 60 was too soft at the start.

The 65 and 70's are definitely a different beast than the 60 flex.

I would say even though the RSJ Lange series is the most common, mine tended to like others more. They have liked the Dobie junior, Head and one twin really liked the Atomic last year.

I definitely believe in not going too stiff too soon. Seen way more issues with little's in too stiff a boot than vice versa.

[slcdawg]

Last year my 12 year old went to a Technica Cochise Team Jr, 90 Flex. I was concerned it may be too stiff, but it worked great for him. He doesn't race but very aggressive in bumps and steeps.

[uglymoney]

Great topic.

My old 11 year old was in 22.5 Technica 70's last year and she struggled putting power into them.

Now 12 she has had a big growth spurt and now barely fits in some 23.5 Nordica GPX Team junior boots. I am pretty sure they are a 60 flex. We are going to start the year on those.

After race season last year we made a ton of progress when I had her away from the coaches. The exercise where you lead with your uphill ski through turns really seemed to get through to her and turned on the lightbulbs. So we worked on that a lot and she was actually developing angle and putting some energy into her skis.

These boots were freebie from a coach friend. Seems like the best way to go. We'll hopefully have to move her into a better stiffer boot as the season progresses. No point now in trying to forecast her foot size and I really want her to first overflex these as she continues to learn how to control her angulation and develop more energy in her turns.

[waxman]

Head Raptor 70 or Lange RS 70

this but really just the RS 70

[comish]

this but really just the RS 70

Why do you say just the RS 70

[funkendrenchman]

I have an 8 yo 50 lb girl - skis pretty hard and races. Should I keep her on a 50 flex Lange as long as possible until foot size forces her to go to a Head or Lange 60 flex? In theory she could move to a 60 flex in her next boot size, but she is so light.

[SWskier]

I have an 8 yo 50 lb girl - skis pretty hard and races. Should I keep her on a 50 flex Lange as long as possible until foot size forces her to go to a Head or Lange 60 flex? In theory she could move to a 60 flex in her next boot size, but she is so light.

My boys are 7 and 9, moved both from RSJ 50 to 60 at around 55-60 lbs. Older bro up the RSJ 65 this year. Both are rippers and race as well and had no problem with it. I’d go with the 60 next time around.

I’ll have RSJ 60 21.5 available by the end of the season if you are interested.



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[skis_the_trees]

My soon-to-be 8yo little guy is about that same weight and has been in a 21.5 Lange RSJ60 this year without any problems. Definitely was a performance step up for him compared to his older 3 buckle Rossi boots. If she is a good skier I think she would be fine in the smaller Lange RSJ60.