# Small girl BIG feet board help



## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

Im 5'1" 105 with size 10 DC boots. My feet are 24.5 cm.
I am a beginner and want a board I can ride all over with a little park action.
I cant find a women's board that seems wide enough for my lugs and men's boards seem to long/wide.
I am looking for a camber board and found some men's boards like the Forum Contract 146 and the Rossignol Retox Amptek 147, would these be ok for all mountain and for my body and foot size?
Do you have any other suggestions for boards?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

unemployed said:


> Im 5'1" 105 with size 10 DC boots. My feet are 24.5 cm.
> I am a beginner and want a board I can ride all over with a little park action.
> I cant find a women's board that seems wide enough for my lugs and men's boards seem to long/wide.
> I am looking for a camber board and found some men's boards like the Forum Contract 146 and the Rossignol Retox Amptek 147, would these be ok for all mountain and for my body and foot size?
> Do you have any other suggestions for boards?


Nothing wrong with riding a mens board, just get the length based on your weight and it'll feel right. Also, are you SURE your boots fit you right? Most people buy boots the same size as their shoes, when if fact they should probably be a size, size-and-a-half smaller in most cases. 

I just measured my foot and it's 25.0 cm exactly to the tip of the big toe. I wear a size 8.5 mens shoe, and my boots are a 7.5 Burton. I'm thinking you might be better off in a 9-9.5 womens boot but that's just my internet guess.

For boards, I ride one with a waist width of 246mm. The Contract 146 has basically the same waist width so you should be fine on that, although you'll be light for it, so it'll likely feel stiffer than it's designed to me. That shouldn't be a problem though.

Just spent a while trying to find a womens board with the waist width you need designed for your weight, and you're right they're all skinny. Even a K2 148W is still only 242 mm at the waist. Looks like a short mens board will suit you better. Just be aware that they'll be stiffer than advertised so if you're looking for a mid range flex, you probably want to get something lower on the flex ratings (around a 3 if they rate them out of 10).


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Another option is to go with a regular women's board for your weight and style and use riser plates...this my recommendation due to your otherwise dainty size. With riser plates you will get the benefit of gaining better edge angles which in the short run are more responsive and perhaps punishing but in the long run you will develop excellent edge control. My daughter used diy 20mm plates when learning on a big ass board, it forced her to develop excellent edge control and she can rip. I made high density plastic (cutting board material) using regular wood working tools; the plates matched the foot print of her binding so that it would not mess with the flex pattern of the board. Plates like Palmer plates have a bigger foot print thus can mess with the flex and torsional flex of the board.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

How old are you? I mean, are you a kid still growing?


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

I normally wear a size 8.5, I tried on size 9 in the DC boots and my toes were curled up. I didnt try a 9.5 but the 10 feels good. There is a very small amount of heel slip after a week of wearing them but it is very very minimal. I only notice it if I am standing on toe edge and try to jump up the hill or out of powder or something weird.
My brother has 25 cm exactly also and he wears a size 9.5 in reg shoes and his boots are 9.5 Vans although he said they might be a little big after a couple seasons.
@ wrathfuldeity You mention risers I have 2 questions.
What size should I look for?
Also your reference to your daughter is the opposite of what you suggested for me. You said get a normal size board but you referenced your daughter was using a board to large for her.
Will the risers achieve the same goal with a normal size board?

I am 28.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

op, this was when she was 9 or 10 weighed maybe 90# and was maybe 5' and riding an option 148 bella, stiffy fr board. by the time she was 12, she was throwing the bella around and maxing out the speed...maybe 5'1" and 110#. At age 13, she got a option kendra starr 155 for her pow board and at 14 she got a salomon lush 144 for her park board. But now at 17 at 5'3" and 125#, she ski cause she can go faster and bigger..after 3-4 sets of skis is on k2 169 miss directed fatty rockered twins which are relatively huge for her size, but she is an athletic little bulldog.

imho, the risers will achieve the same goal and there are some added benefits due to your small size concerning flex and edge to edge response will be tougher on a men's board.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

unemployed said:


> I am 28.


Whew. I don't feel creepy then.

I bet you have big hands too, right?

OMG guys... this is the holy grail. A tiny little thing like this that you can toss around in the bed but not worry about bottoming out on? Amazing.










Sorry... I really shouldn't start drinking so early during the day.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> Sorry... I really shouldn't start drinking so early during the day.


Yup definitely a creeper message... lol

BTW I was looking at risers for a Kessler Ride. A lot of the racers use risers, in fact I think almost all of them do. Yeah risers could make a properly sized board that was too narrow, work for you by elevating your toes and heels (allowing you to carve harder before they touched snow).

OP: I don't mean to keep beating you over the head with the boot issue, but I boarded for almost 20 years before I realized what a proper fitting boot felt like. It should be quite tight. You should be able to touch your toe to the front just slightly, and have basically no heel lift.

I hate to beat a dead horse but a smaller boot would help fix the board width problem.

Edit: Kessler plates on a ride and a BX board. They're wide to distribute the loads. These guys use them for BX so they actually want them to help stiffen the board.


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## magtek30 (Feb 29, 2012)

the ampteks are good
different boots fit differently
liner-less are cool nw


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Look into arbor boards. They have the griptech which alleviates the toe and heel hang ever so much.


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

Doesnt lib tech TRS come in narrow? 148 and 151. if flex is right you can get them. They would be narrow mens board.
at size ten(womens?) width should not really an issue. When you go to mens board flex is what you should watch out for, especially you are only 105lbs.
Check out shayboarder.com Review is written by a female with mens size 9 boots. And she reviews both mens and womens board.
Look into mens park (jib) board since they are softer than freeride board.

poutanen, whatkind of bindings are those? and where did you get those plates? Are those plates only for kessler boards?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

srdeo said:


> poutanen, whatkind of bindings are those? and where did you get those plates? Are those plates only for kessler boards?


Actually I got those pics from this site: Kessler Plate | All Boards Sports - Boulder Colorados Skate, Snowboard & Apparel Shop - Powered by Clvr.Tv

They're Catek OS2 bindings, and I'm pretty sure the plates are adjustable to use on almost any board.


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

I said my feet were big not my vagina you creep.
@ Poutanen I get what your saying about my boot size but my feet are still gonna be 24.5cm whether or not Im wearing a size 9 or 10. So I still need to get a board based on my actual foot size and can fix any boot issues I have in a separate thought. I appreciate most everybody's help and suggestions. Im not sure what route Im gonna go with between the riser w/ girl board or a larger guy board. Guess it will depend on whichever I can get the best deal to fit ratio.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

1.Don't get risers that path is strewn with pitfalls. Get a board that fits you.

2.In L-gorge's defense he said he was drinking and pretty sure he thought you said something about your vagina. Just kidding he's terrible!

4.Get a job!


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## KG29 (Jan 20, 2011)

you could try a wide mans board 

This is a very odd situation 5'1 with a 10 boot you sure they fit you right when you bought your boots


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

You should get a mans regular board, soft to mid flex. They sell in sizes down to 146/148. Men's boards This size are usually a 24- 25cm waist. The soft men's board would be a mid flex for your weight.


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

@ KG Yeah they fit, like I said usually I wear an 8.5 but the DC shoes have giant Achilles bumps that make their boot run large. I am using my 24.5cm foot measurement vs the board width to make my dec. not my shoe size.

After everything said I fell like I am going to go with the Forum Contract 146, it is the shortest board with the proper width and it has a flex of 3 so I should be able to manipulate it.
Thanks for the help boys.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

unemployed said:


> I am using my 24.5cm foot measurement vs the board width to make my dec. not my shoe size.


You board barefoot? :dunno:

Good call on the board though it sounds like it'll suit you well...


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

I was told to figure board width by foot size not boot size since boot construction is different and that your foot angle will compensate for boot material.

Should my bindings also be a bit more flexible to compensate for the board size?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

unemployed said:


> I was told to figure board width by foot size not boot size since boot construction is different and that your foot angle will compensate for boot material.


I think you got told something really funny there!?! The problem with big boots is overhang, and how much lean angle you'll get before either toes or heels dig in. Those are directly affected by the boots you choose, and yes some boots fit smaller than others (i.e. have less material in the toes and heels to make them overhang less).

The way to properly pick a board width to go with your boots, is to first find the best fitting boots you can (hopefully with newer shorter overhang tech stuff in it), then pick a board and mount the bindings in the stance you typically ride in. Now strap the boots in and lean the board to your toes and heels, always pushing down to keep the edge in contact with the floor/counter, and check how much lean you can get before the toes or heels hit.

Different stances will need wider boards (a 0/+20 stance will need a wider board than a -10/+10 stance) and different bindings will elevate your boots above the board to a certain degree.

I hate to sound negative but whoever told you to buy a certain width board based on your foot length alone is giving bad advice.


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

Here is one of the articles that I read but there were a couple more that echoed it

The Boarder's Blog - Snowboard Width - Huh?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

unemployed said:


> Here is one of the articles that I read but there were a couple more that echoed it
> 
> The Boarder's Blog - Snowboard Width - Huh?


Yeah, his PPS on that article basically said what I was saying. Also, I think the theory that you need larger feet than the board is wide, is assinine. They talk about leverage and seem to suggest that if the ends of your feet don't overhang the board, you won't have leverage to actually rock the board from side to side. That's just downright wrong when you think about the physics of it (and I've seen the leverage argument made many times).

Our front to back centre of gravity will be somewhere in the arch of our feet, not at the tips of our toes or at the back of our heels. As we're going through a heelside turn, our weight is trying to drop our toes and flaten the board out. There's a way to do the math and figure the torque being applied to the board by our bodies. But then there's an equal force being applied to the board through our binding highbacks, and the bindings themselves. If I made my board 2.5 cm wider than it is now (that'd be 10% wider) I should have roughly 10% more force needed to be applied to the highbacks to keep the board in the same position. This has nothing to do with how big my feet are.

I suppose they're trying to generalize, which could help some people pick a board, but it's not necessarily correct...


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

this is the best way to determine board width

How to determine the best board width for you. - YouTube

If money is not an issue, you can get a custom board from them.
It's pricy ($550), but you can get custom width, custom flex and custom length.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

snowklinger said:


> 2.In L-gorge's defense he said he was drinking and pretty sure he thought you said something about your vagina. Just kidding *he's terrible!*


FACT :cheeky4:


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

Did anybody have any input on binding stiffness?
Should I be leaning towards a super flexable binding also?
I was looking at the Burton Lexa which have a mid stiffness.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

unemployed said:


> Did anybody have any input on binding stiffness?
> Should I be leaning towards a super flexable binding also?
> I was looking at the Burton Lexa which have a mid stiffness.


I like super stiff bindings but I'm a bomber and weigh 175 pounds. The Lexa's or Stilletos would be pretty good. My GF tried the Scribes and liked them a lot, but she weighs around 150 or so.


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## Chosen_OnE (Apr 3, 2011)

unemployed said:


> I said my feet were big not my vagina you creep.
> @ Poutanen I get what your saying about my boot size but my feet are still gonna be 24.5cm whether or not Im wearing a size 9 or 10. So I still need to get a board based on my actual foot size and can fix any boot issues I have in a separate thought. I appreciate most everybody's help and suggestions. Im not sure what route Im gonna go with between the riser w/ girl board or a larger guy board. Guess it will depend on whichever I can get the best deal to fit ratio.


This would be the universal sign if that's what he meant.










Back to snowboarding, what stance angle do you have set now?


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

I use 15, -3


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## Chosen_OnE (Apr 3, 2011)

unemployed said:


> I use 15, -3


Do you notice foot drag on both feet (front side and backside?)


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

i say match the flex of the binding and boots to the board you are getting. if you get mid flex board get mid flex binding and boots. i think you can get s/m mens binding also. They may be cheaper since there are more of them left over and put on sale. if you put stiff binding on soft board, the board will feel even softer. and if you put soft binding on stiff board the board will feel even stiffer. they just dont feel right when they are mismathed even if individually they may be good board, binding and boots. If you put minivan tires on a sports car, it's not going to perform right.

Lexa might be mid/stiff as womens, but that is porbably equivalent to men'd soft.
Since you are getting mens soft board, it is probably pretty good match.


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## unemployed (Feb 24, 2012)

Wow thanks srdeo that helps a lot, I was really confused on that and which way I should go.
That makes me fell better about my dec.
@ Chosen_OnE
I have been riding a Burton 138 rental, this is my first season riding. Im still learning and have only gone 7x every.
I have noticed a little bit of toe and heel on my back foot but it is very slight.
I dont go very fast at all, I go very slow and dont every really get going straight down the mntn so my speeds are not high and carves are not deep.
I heel side down most steep or icy runs and sometimes I fell that but I dont mind cause I am trying to go slow.
I know that next season I will get better will want to go faster and I want to get my own board now that stuff is going on sale and I know I like it.
I just got back from a trip to big bear and had a lot of fun.


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