The K2 Girls Youth Snowboard Setup We Picked For Our Daughter

My twelve year old daughter went through a growth spurt over the summer and completely outgrew the kid’s 120 cm board that she was on last season. We had to scramble to find her a completely new setup just before this season started. At 5′ 1″, she’s almost tall enough to jump up to a standard women’s board, but she’s not the most confident rider, and weights only 81 pounds, so the added length and stiffness would have been too much for her.

Offered in lengths of 129, 134, 137, and 141, the Kandi hits the sweet spot between kid’s and women’s boards. We chose the 134 cm for Bella.

“I was scared to go up to a bigger board, but once I rode the Kandi, it was really easy to make turns. I love this board!”

– Bella Kline

Flat camber, with rocker toward the tip and tail, and K2’s Noodle flex makes it easy to initiate turns on the Kandi. I noticed this immediately with Bella. She was all smiles on her first run on this board, and has been ever since. As parents, this is HUGE for us! Having a frustrated kid on the mountain is a true test of patience for everyone. A board that instills confidence in a tentative rider makes it more fun for the whole family, especially Mom and Dad!

Finally, knowing that she will outgrow this board within a season or two at best, cost was also a factor for us. Priced at $199, the Kandi is well below the price of many standard women’s boards, while still offering useful features.

With Bella wearing women’s size 8 boots, kids bindings are no longer an option for us. The all-mountain freestyle Charm binding is light, comfortable, reasonably priced, and easy for Dad to adjust. And most importantly in the eyes of a twelve year old, they match the Kandi perfectly!

Pro tip for all the Dads from a guy who’s spent an obscene amount of time dealing with the frustration of lacing up kids snowboard boots. Buy boots with the Boa® lacing system for your kids!

Sore feet is one of the first complaints we get from our kids while riding. The second is cold feet. Usually after just two runs! I haven’t heard either of those complaints from Bella this season. Win!