If you can imagine your snowboard as a car, your snowboard bindings are definitely your steering wheel. As anyone who has watched the Fast and the Furious will know this is an imperative to winning the next quarter mile and for your shred setup its vital for your Performance on the snow. There are three main things to consider when choosing your snowboard bindings: Fit, Flex and Features. 1. Fit Obviously bindings come in different sizes to fit different boots, and a snug fit between boot and binding is vital for effective control. Perhaps less obviously, different bindings also fit different boards. While most brands’ products will work OK together there are exceptions Burton for example, make their boards with three-screw insert patterns, meaning you need a set of Burton bindings to ride them. These days, a lot of their boards feature the ‘ICS channel system’, two sliding inserts which also require a conversion kit (which Burton provide with new boards) or better still, one of their EST bindings. These are designed specifically to work with the channel, so won’t fit with other companies’ boards. Make sure your bindings will fit your boot and your board before you buy them! 2. Flex Flex is determined by materials – the particular combinations of plastic, aluminum or composites used to make a binding. It’s a question of personal preference, but there is a general rule of thumb: Softer bindings are more forgiving and easier to ride, making them good for beginners, jibbers and park rats who’ll need a bit of extra ‘give’ round their feet to help with sketchy landings. Stiffer bindings offer greater response, making them better for free-riders and advanced freestylers who need that kind of precision control at high speed. 3. Features While most bindings share a lot of
If you can imagine your snowboard as a car, your snowboard bindings are definitely your steering wheel. As anyone who has watched the Fast and the Furious will know this is an imperative to winning the next quarter mile and for your shred setup its vital for your Performance on the snow. There are three main things to consider when choosing your snowboard bindings: Fit, Flex and Features. 1. Fit Obviously bindings come in different sizes to fit different boots, and a snug fit between boot and binding is vital for effective control. Perhaps less obviously, different bindings also fit different boards. While most brands’ products will work OK together there are exceptions Burton for example, make their boards with three-screw insert patterns, meaning you need a set of Burton bindings to ride them. These days, a lot of their boards feature the ‘ICS channel system’, two sliding inserts which also require a conversion kit (which Burton provide with new boards) or better still, one of their EST bindings. These are designed specifically to work with the channel, so won’t fit with other companies’ boards. Make sure your bindings will fit your boot and your board before you buy them!
