Kill the squirrel

By OkP Ranked #791 - Snowboard Bindings March 13, 2008

For me these were an upgrade from a set of Drakes that came with a $200 board+bindings beginner package. Learning to ride on those, I imagined that all bindings were the same, and so I focused on improving my technique rather than upgrading my gear. When my friends would brag about their new stuff, I would turn my nose up - pfft, I ride on cheapo gear, and I'm as good as you!

But then I gave my Drakes to a friend and got these Rides. I mounted them on that same old board and went up to Steven's Pass in Washington. After the first run I was ready to call my friends and apologize. The difference was phenomenal!

These bindings let me have way more control of the board. Turns were smooth, predictable, and thanks to all the padding - nice and soft, even on fairly icy terrain. One thing that really made the improvement obvious was riding the board flat. Before, I would be stressing about the board squirreling this way or that when flat, having to make quick adjustments and being super careful not to overcompensate. With these bindings, riding flat became much easier. I felt like I had way more control - there was no way the board would skim out now. A similar benefit was observed when riding switch. Switch for me is still an awkward ordeal, but these made it much more controlled and predictable. Also, skating with one foot unstrapped, getting off the lift, etc, I felt like I had more control and could finally relax and enjoy the ride.

I also love the adjustability on these. The highback can be rotated so that it stays parallel to the board as you rotate your bindings. The toepad can be extended or retracted to fit your boot better. Of course the straps can be adjusted, and the overall length of the binding. Once you get the adjustments dialed, it feels like the binding was custom made just for you.

I haven't tried other high-quality bindings, so I can't compare, but I'm freakin' loving these. I can't wait to mount them on my new Jussi board (thanks again!).

View Details: Ride RX Snowboard Binding

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