Snowboard Bindings

Snowboard bindings are of utmost importance for joyful snowboarding. Many runs were not designed with snowboarding in mind and if the boarder doesn’t have enough momentum to clear a flat area, they may be forced to undo a binding to get to the next incline. Unlike ski binding which can easily be latched and unlatched, early snowboard bindings often required hard work in either case. Luckily technological innovations have largely reduced these issues, although getting the right bindings is still very important.

The first strap-in snowboard bindings could often be plagued by the buildup of ice making them difficult to get on and off. The design featured a toe-strap and an ankle strap, neither of which would release in a crash causing many a broken ankle. Despite these flaws, the bindings served well for control and ankle support necessary to snowboard well. The step in clicker bindings would change this for better and worse.

The first step in snowboard bindings were designed much like ski bindings in that they operated by a step-in lock click mechanism. These made it easier to get on and off the snowboard but many designs also suffered from ice buildup just as their predecessors did. Though step in bindings ultimately failed they introduced new concepts that would improve strap-in designs and make it easier to get into and out of the snowboard.