# Why are bindings that important?



## Guest (Mar 5, 2010)

Hey guys,

I've noticed alot of people on this forum saying that when it comes to gear, boots > bindings > board in terms of importance. However, when I went to a couple of boardshops, they have all generally told me that bindings are the least important, since they all essentially do the same thing (straps your boots to the board). 

I can understand the difference in bindings in terms of quality and durability, but asides from that why do bindings matter more than the board?


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

What is closer to your body matters a lot. Boots to Bindings to Board. If your interface to your board needs to be right to fit your style. If part of the chain breaks down....well you just aren't going to have that much fun. I wouldn't put a soft freestyle binding on my all mountain deck for example.

This doesn't mean you have to spend more money. Just choose more wisely. The most expensive gear is not always the right gear. For instance My all-mountain set-up is a Burton T6 with P1 bindings. My Park board is a Ride Kink with Burton Cartel's. I went with Ruler boots to have a medium flex boot that I could ride in both realms.


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## mrpez (Jan 29, 2010)

bindings are important because of their degree of responsiveness. if you buy a shitty pair of bindings you'll find that you have to exert a lot more force to get the board to respond, whereas higher quality bindings will respond easily. bindings also have a lot of moving parts, so if you buy a piece of junk its going to fall apart on you. 

personally, i would rate it bindings = board > boots. ive ridden with many different boots, rentals borrowed and recently my own. i dont think id have as big a problem as i would have had with lower quality bindings and board.


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2010)

Ha, don't go back to that store.

Bindings are very important because they help you maintain good posture on your snowboard and they can make all the difference in helping you carve. Also, they need to securely keep your boots snug so that all the power you are exerting through your feet goes directly onto your board so it is moving the way you want it to.
Bindings also come in different styles, such as regular or toe cap straps. I also know that Flow make a kind of "step-in" binding that is basically one chunk of fabric that you can strap over your boots in one step. All of these styles are preferred by different people. Personally, I prefer the toe cap straps which fit snugly over the tip of the toe of your boot. I think it gives me much more power and drive into my toe side turns.
You also need to get a good stance with your bindings when you mount them. If you have shitty bindings, your feet and ankles will be hating it and you probably won't be able to maintain good control over your board. 

Good luck with your purchases. *BINDINGS DO MATTER*


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks for the all the info. This is probably a stupid question, but whats the difference between freestyle and all mountain bindings? I know that for boots, you go with softer flex for freestyle and harder flex for all-mountain but I never realized there was a distinction for bindings as well. 

I have Burton Custom bindings and I mostly free ride, but I want to start going to the park and doing some more freestyle riding. I was looking to get a soft rocker deck and just switching the same bindings between the two boards to save some cash. Is that going to be bad news?

Again, thanks for all the replies!


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## Altephor (Feb 4, 2010)

ampersand said:


> Thanks for the all the info. This is probably a stupid question, but whats the difference between freestyle and all mountain bindings? I know that for boots, you go with softer flex for freestyle and harder flex for all-mountain but I never realized there was a distinction for bindings as well.
> 
> I have Burton Custom bindings and I mostly free ride, but I want to start going to the park and doing some more freestyle riding. I was looking to get a soft rocker deck and just switching the same bindings between the two boards to save some cash. Is that going to be bad news?
> 
> Again, thanks for all the replies!


Essentially, and this is coming from a newbie here, so if it's wrong I apologize, but an all mountain binding will be a little stiffer, with a slightly taller highback than a true freestyle binding. The stiffer binding allows the rider to make those quick transitions from heel to toe at speed.


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

You will be alright with the switching of bindings between decks. Realize though if you do this a lot that you could strip or spin your inserts (not all that likely, but it is a possiblity). I would keep an eye on end of season sales and perhaps hook your self up with a new pair of bindings so that you don't have to do this.


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