Mon, 04/19/2010 - 10:37amBindings

The point where man meets machine, and the two become fused as one (kind of).

Often a bit overlooked by many buying a new set-up, and incorrectly so. The binding is the point where all of the feel and response from the board starts to channel up towards your body. It’s a vital link in the response chain, and without it, let’s face it, you’d be snurfing. This season we have noticed a fair bit of development from brands on the binding front, with a plethora of entry systems and strap variations popping up all over the place.

The easiest way to categorise bindings is through a flex rating, with the more freestyle orientated ones having more flex than the freeride types. Normally, you would buy a set of bindings to match the level of flex in your boots, although by mixing and matching boot and binding flex levels, you can customise the overall flex and feel of your setup. Quite a few pros use stiffer boots with a slightly softer binding to create an softer yet responsive feeling ride. Once again, this is all about personal preference, and the more stuff you try out, the better idea you will get about what kind of feel you’re after. 

Watch out for binding shape, some large volume boots won’t fit into the narrower style bindings. On top of that all you really to make sure is that you get the correct size binding for your boot, and that’s essentially anything that doesn’t leave your toes hanging off the edge. Your local snowboard emporium should be able to tell you what will fit what, or you could just take your boots with you to the shop.

Four things you need to know about bindings:
 

1 Fit

Make sure to take your snowboard
boots with you when buying as sizes
between brands can vary.

2 Base Plate

This is the base where your foot rests
and the part of your binding that
attaches to the snowboard (or not,
check out Burton’s baseless EST
system). Made from strong materials
from enhanced plastic to aluminium,
pay attention to connection
techniques from traditional four-hole
screws to Burton’s ICS system –
make sure it’s compatible with your
snowboard.

3 Heel Cup

Often connected seamlessly to the
base plate, these are normally stiff
and solid, creating support and
response. In recent years there have
been a multitude of easy-entry
bindings on the market that often
incorporate an unlocking heel cup.

4 High Back

The high back creates rigidity, most
freestyle riders will opt for high backs
that are medium to soft flexing as a
super strong carbon high back can
become a drag when you’re trying to
get your groove on. Look out for
forward lean options, this system can
improve power transferring to your
heel edge but is less popular among
freestyler riders. Rotating high backs
provide a more customisable feel to
your chosen stance.

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Related stories:

Snowboards

• An intro to buying a snowboard
• Jib snowboards
• Freestyle snowboards
• All mountain snowboards
• Freeride snowboards
• Backcountry snowboards
• The shape
• The topsheet
• The base
• The sidewall

Boots

• Buying a set of boots

Bindings

• Buying bindings

Back to Document’s Gear Finder