Flow NXT FSE Snowboard Binding - 2009 BCS

I have owned/used many pairs of Flows over the years and these are the BEST binding Flow has ever made. Light weight and comfortable. Problems with hardware working its way loose hasn't been a problem with these either. If your going to go Flow pay the extra $ and get these.

DISCLAIMER: RAMBLING REVIEW AHEAD:

So this is my first experience with flows other than 1 run on a pair of old cheap flows that weighed about 75 lbs and had 0 responsiveness.

I'm in my thirties, been riding since high school. I'm new in the park, and am mainly an all mountain freerider. I'll basically ride anything, anytime, anywhere, but prefer as steep as you can get it, as deep as you can get it, and preferably with a lot of trees in the mix as well.

These fse's ride like a dream. It took a solid day to tweak the setup to perform to my likings, but once dialed, were great. I had zero pressure points, zero issues with heel lift or unresponsiveness...zero issues altogether.

To address some typical gripes about flows (including my own concerns going into the purchase):

1) "they shred your boots". I ride salomon f22's and had no problem with the hiback eating the rubber off the back of my boot.

2) "they're a pain to get into and out of in deep pow". I got buried in waist deep pow on one of the early season dump days, and didn't have any trouble getting out of the binders. To get back in, I just faced toeside uphill, planted the edge, and kicked in only minor problems. What's even better with these new binders is that if you do get buried (which I did again later in a tree well) or are having problems getting in, you can keep the hibacks locked up, and unstrap the I-strap like a traditional binding with the ratchets. Just as easy to get in and out of as a traditional setup--clutch design tweak, and if you mark your straps with a sharpie once they're dialed, you can go right back to your preferred setup.

3) "the binders are unresponsive and I get heel lift" These actually feel just as responsive as my 09 ride SPI's. The only complaint I could foresee is if you're totally, totally set on the toe cap style (for response, not comfort), you might not like the unavailability of that option on these.

I can't speak on the durability of these, as I've only ridden them 15 days so far, but in those 15 days, have had no mechanical failure issues.

I bought these to replace my ride contrabands. I ride a 12.5 foot, and after hours of tweaking, couldn't get the contrabands to ever fit quite right. I love the idea, and if you have a foot size 11 or smaller, I'd recommend them, but for us big footers, it wasn't worth the hours of combined effort of all the shop reps and myself to try to dial them. They just don't adjust out enough to ride as intended, plus they lack the microadjustments I craved.

Overall, I love these flows. They are the most cushy, comfy bindings I've ever ridden. They're easy to get in and out of (the skiing gf doesn't have to wait for me). They flex well, but are still super responsive. The only question mark that remains is the durability, but so far so good. I'd suggest demoing a pair, and if they feel good for your foot/boot, don't hesitate. Have fun out there!

These bindings are awesome - I was riding plastic Burton bindings until the base broke a few weeks ago, and I figured what the hell and bought these.

The responsiveness of the bindings are amazing, I've had some groomer days and pow days - they perform in all conditions. I never thought I would want anything other than toe cap, but I don't miss them a bit - the aluminum base is well insulated for vibrations and is so snappy, I'll never go back!!

These are a very comfortable binding and are far more responsive than my old Flows. (I was working on bumps this weekend and the padding on the bindings [and board] really smoothed out the ride.)

There are lots of options for the set up, and you may need to spend a bit more time than you might to expect to get them just right. They are very easy to get into. In fact, I could strap-in faster tnan my skiing buds took to click into thier bindings.

Don't spend much time in the park, but the bindings were super for the all mountain riding that I do. They are quite an improvement from the older Flow model that I was using (but also cost a lot more).

Hi, they are worth every cent. Great quality, light and responsive.