Thursday, December 3, 2009

Is My Kid Too Young/Small for Poweriser Kids?

Q. My child is a little younger or under the weight range, but very athletic and energetic. I'm sure he'll grow into it... Should I buy him the Youth stilts?
Poweriser Kids 3050 are listed for ages 8 through 12 (66-110lbs)

In my experience even the small kids have a blast walking on stilts. Young kids usually pick it right up after a few mins, so balance and coordination is not a problem... but the main issue is fitting.

The ages and weight ranges on the Poweriser Kids 3050 is really just an estimate. The minimum size needed for kids to fit into the Poweriser Kids model stilts is mainly determined by the length of their legs. Fitting on the kids stilts requires a minimum of about 13 vertical inches between the bottom of the shoe and the bottom of the kneecap. The age and weight recommendations are less important than this particular dimension for fitting.

Make Adjustments using a Foam Insert
The 13" dimension requirement of kids stilts can be slightly adjusted by adding foam padding underneath the shoe. If you place a foot shaped piece of stiff foam under the shoe it will lift kids up, and this adjustment may be needed if the foot straps don't fit well with the tightest settings.

Adjusting the Cuffs of the Kids Stilts
Most kids will need to have the leg straps unscrewed and placed in the tightest position (smaller hole). Often even with this adjustment smaller kids will need wrap something such as padding or a towel around their calves to make a snug fit into the top two bindings.

Should you buy if the kids are too small?
My suggestion is to ensure that the kids properly fit the stilts. If the stilts don't fit right when they are first opened and adjustments are not made, it will be hard for the kid to use and uncomfortable as they are learning a new skill. Uncomfortable fit also pretty-much guarantees that they will lose interest in the sport. Fitting and comfort is one of the things that I emphasize, because powerbocking is supposed to be enjoyable!

Whatever you decide, the kids will definitely grow into the stilts before you know it.

As a reminder to parents: An adult should hold their hands and "spot" for the first 10 mins while the kids are first learning to balance.

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