• SPORTS
    AND
    GAMING
  • Sports & Gaming Moderators: ghostfreak

The Snowboarding Thread v. No skiers allowed

^ do you mean you're switching to straps from step-in or you're currently rocking straps but you're looking for a toe cup (or at least a more contoured toe strap than a regular strap)?

any name brand binding these days should offer a more contoured strap. i'll be honest, i have a bunch of bindings and moving to over-the-toe from over-the-top alone isn't going to turn you into shaun white overnight.

i have a few pairs of bindings and, for the most part, they all have some kind of contoured toe strap that fits over the toe. i have a pair of rome 390s which have a kind of rubberised toe strap that expands to cup the toe and you cinch it down. it's pretty cool and pretty solid. i think they're aimed at the all-mountain freestyle market but i bought them for my t6 because the whole set-up is so light. it's a perfectly solid all-mountain freeride binding for me.

on one of my other boards i have a pair of nidecker carbon 900s which are, by far and away, my favourite bindings. they're pretty solid (i.e. heavy) but they are responsive as hell. it's not that well known but i love nidecker gear.

i've never owned a pair of burton bindings myself but i have friends who do and, to me, they seem poorly made and cheap feeling. fwiw, i'm not a trendy burton hater - one of my boards is a burton board. i just don't rate the bindings...

alasdair
 
Man i wish i had greater access to practice snowboarding, doesn't exactly snow where i am. I tried it out during January in Switzerland and Austria on my own but having no prior experience (nor skateboarding) i failed miserably, i have no problems skii'ing but i learnt that from a younger age.. next time i aiming for an instructor for sure.
 
trying to learn snowboarding without formal instruction is just asking to get hurt and be miserable...

aside from the obvious benefit of a lesson, most mountains will give you a huge discount on your lift ticket (and rentals if you need them) when you take a lesson.

alasdair
 
I have a pair of Nidecker Carbon 900s and a pair of Nidecker Ltd 760 freestyles and they are both such good binders. I have never ridden a pair that makes me feel as solid or connected to the snowboard. I would highly recommend these. The toe-cap is totally overrated and to get it, you have to go Burton or Ride to get it and I can't advise supporting either of those companies binding programs.
 
binders? lol. too much e (or not enough)? :)

what boards do you have the bindings on?

my all-purpose, all-mountain board is a nidecker platinum 159 with a pair of nidecker pro 800s, both of which i absolutely love:

snowboard01.jpg


alasdair
 
I have an APO Amanite 160 (made by nidecker for Regis Rolland) and it rips.
My teaching board is a Jaime Lynn Lib Tech 157.
I also just bought a Never Summer SL 159, which is really surprising me since I never used to like NS.

I also have a few random powder boards including a K2 Eldorao 162
 
^ do you mean you're switching to straps from step-in or you're currently rocking straps but you're looking for a toe cup (or at least a more contoured toe strap than a regular strap)?

oh my apologies. What I meant was switching from toe strap to toe cup. I got to try out the toe cup and it felt a lot more comfortable (and "natural") than the toe strap. So why is the toe cup more suitable for terrain? is it the comfort? Maybe what I just need is some more comfortable toe strap bindings.

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to snowboard equipment unfortunately.
 
Last edited:
I think the toe cup is more comfortable than a strap on a comparable burton/ ride/ whatever binding, but there are toe straps out there that make the cups look equally uncomfortable.

Basically, all modern snowboard stuff absolutely rips, it is just about finding some gear that suits you well, makes you happy, and allows you to have fun and shred.
 
I have an APO Amanite 160 (made by nidecker for Regis Rolland) and it rips.
My teaching board is a Jaime Lynn Lib Tech 157.
I also just bought a Never Summer SL 159, which is really surprising me since I never used to like NS.

I also have a few random powder boards including a K2 Eldorao 162
sweet. i had an apo board for a while i liked it. i've never owned a never summer board but they seem to last for ever and be built like tanks!

my powder board is a rossignol jonas emery 161w:

snowboard02.jpg


soh, i agree with muvolution - try stuff until you find equipment you're happy with, regardless of the brand.

alasdair
 
My board is a 8 year old POS but i still ride faster and jump higher than 90% of the people I see so its all good. :P

And strap-ins >>>> clip ins. I like the upper ankle support.

The place where I go makes snow too, but its shitty and it tends to melt during the day and refreeze during the night which makes the conditions really really bad. I havent even bothered to go up yet this year because everyone I talk to says its not worth the effort yet.
 
My apo is 6 years old, the lib tech is like 8, my k2 is at least 14 years old, probably more.

As long as you aren't riding like a barfoot or sims with a pointy nose and no tail with no-back bindings and a fluorescent paint scheme, you are probably going to be fine.

Any board made in the last 8 years is, by snowboard standards of equipment, going to be pretty good. As I said above, boards have gotten so good, that it is just about finding something that you like and can have a good time on,
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably go check out some bindings next week. Just had one more question. When trying out bindings at the shops, how does one decide whether they'll be comfortable on the slopes. I'd imagine that the way they feel at the shops would be different from the way they feel on the slopes. That's something I noticed when I tried out my friend's toe cup bindings.
 
get your boots and take em with you, boot up, have the binders set up on a board in your proper stance, strap in, and stand there for a bit. Flex up and down, do some fake nose presses, so fake mannies, flex alot, imagine making turns each way, etc.

There is alot more to buying a boot than making sure your heels don't lift up when going toeside.

Try to find a boot with the Intuition heat-moldable liners. They are pretty nice. Stay away from boots with the boa system, as I see it come un-done i the worst possible times. It just isn't quality goods
 
haha, yeah. I guess it's like drug-slang - people don't understand "ice, shard, crank, amps, etc..." until you are screaming methamphetamine, Methamphetamine, METHAMPHETAMINE!!!!!!111

some use bindings, some use binders. Gay people use step-ins- they are called skiers.
 
just got back to tennessee from my second home, jackson hole, WY. the lack of snow there was a little disappointing, but i was still able to hit the slopes 3 times over the 11 day stretch i was in town. i went to teton village twice, and grand targhee once. both of these resorts are favorites of mine; teton village for the very difficult, technical runs, and targhee for its incredible powder and un-crowded runs.

now i get to prepare to hit vail in 4 days, and man i hope they get nailed with some snow. there were a lot of exposed rocks in jackson hole, and after last years' colossal snowfall, it was a little underwhelming. since i have a home in jackson hole, i was a little more accepting of the lack of snow. vail is 100% vacation, and if theres not good snow there it will be a waste of my own money.
 
Top