what size board bindings boots and plate for a new alpine racer

[Lachlan_Skellet]

hi evryone im looking to get a new alpine board bindings boots and plate for my next seasons races for slalom and giant slalom in australia.

my sizing is im 6ft9 weight 78kg foot size 13 us 

i had a look at some kessler boards in a 185cm and some mountian slope boots but doesnt look they have my size for the boots and for the bindings i think it is f2 but there are so many i dont know what one is the best and for the plate i had at all flex and i dont know which one is a good one for a 185cm board.

if anyone could help on size and what equitment and brand that will really help 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

There are others on the site who will likely have more knowledgeable product advice.

However, because you’re so tallthe straightforward answer is that you’ll likely have to buy custom equipment, either straight from the manufacturer or getting it made yourself. So it will likely be a lot more expensive and difficult for you to get alpine equipment.

Keep in mind that weight is probably more important than your height when it comes to finding a board, although it’s possible you might need a custom stance width. So you should contact Kessler, SG, Oxess or F2 (or Virus?!?) directly to ask about their stock board options and whether they might work for your size/weight/shoe size. 

I see you mention basketball—your size is an advantage there, but it is a disadvantage for alpine snowboarding! Good luck!!

[b.free]

1 hour ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

 

I see you mention basketball—your size is an advantage there, but it is a disadvantage for alpine snowboarding! Good luck!!

Excuse me? Why is that?!

[BlueB]

3 hours ago, Lachlan_Skellet said:

my sizing is im 6ft9 weight 78kg foot size 13 us 

A stock race board would be ok for your weight. Height doesn't matter much, but you can order a longer custom for GS, if you wanted. No need for SL. However, if you preferred the lower angles, you might need to order wider boards. 

Measure your feet properly in cm. 13 street shoe size doesn't mean much. 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

1 hour ago, b.free said:

Excuse me? Why is that?!

Haha—because most manufacturers don’t make their products for riders this size?  

Guy’s 6-9, size 13 feet (MP 31?), and at 17yo may still be growing…he’s running the risk of having to custom-order boots, possibly boards and maybe even bindings!

There are some theoretical physics impacts in being so tall—larger surface area means more wind resistance—but I think that’s probably a non-issue compared to, say, the affect of a small board slip. 

[Neil Gendzwill]

8 hours ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

However, because you’re so tallthe straightforward answer is that you’ll likely have to buy custom equipment, either straight from the manufacturer or getting it made yourself. So it will likely be a lot more expensive and difficult for you to get alpine equipment.

Keep in mind that weight is probably more important than your height when it comes to finding a board, 

The only relevance height has is related to stance width. Maybe at 6’9” he needs a wider insert pack but odds are the stock ones will work. The inputs to the board involve weight and strength. 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Yep, strength and foot size is what I was thinking. 

Stance, maybe! I suspect he’ll be maxed out on inserts for an off-the-shelf board. 

[Jack M]

Welcome!  For racing GS I think a stock 185 will be fine and the Allflex soft gs longitudinal cut will be good for your first plate (it's not that soft!).  The Allflex spring plate is popular for SL in world cup.  Several world cup racers use what looks like a non-spring GS plate for SL, but I've heard it is actually a special flat (no camber) plate.  Stock Allflex GS plates have camber.  I tried mine on my SL board and hated it, YMMV.  If you don't want to spend a fortune on two Allflex plates, the Vist 17 plate is a bargain that works well for a first SL plate.

For SL I'm tempted to recommend the Kessler 168 for your height instead of the 162, but I have no data on 6'9" snowboarders, sorry! 

Bindings, basically everyone uses either the F2 Race Titanium or the SG Performance Bindings which are stiffer.  Personally I prefer Bombers which are even stiffer, but nobody uses them in serious racing.  Get an extra lift kit so you can try putting one under your front foot toe and rear foot heel for more comfort.  The bindings only come with one lift kit. 

Boots, UPZ goes up to mondopoint 30.5, Deeluxe goes up to 31.  I prefer UPZ over Deeluxe.  Your mondopoint size is simply the length of your foot in centimeters.

Indeed you might need to go for custom boards if you can't get a wide enough stance width.  I have a 32" inseam and my stance width is about 20.5".  You can apply that ratio to your inseam to get an idea.  If you're on a budget you could t-nut a stock board, but then it will have no resale value.