# Question for Snowolf!



## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

Hey there.... I'mmmmmmmmmmmm back.......... lol
Question for you - I got some new bindings this year and just put them on my board today. The past two years I have had my boots centered over my board while in the bindings - I sent you a photo of them to review if you may recall. With these new bindings we centered the bindings on the board and put my boots in and had them pretty much centered but my toes were a little more forward than my heel. We left it and after a run I needed to bring my highback up. I've always had my highbacks as high as they would go. After doing this it brought the toes of my boots further over the board than my heels. We didn't have any tools with us (left them at the base of the resort in the condo) so I just rode them that way. Well....... I had the best run of my life!!! I've always struggled going to my toeside, but I'm wondering if having my toes over the board a little more is why things went so well today. Each time I went to my toeside my edge seemed to take hold. I must not have strong toes and with them over the edge of the board more, I'm wondering if this is possibly why. I did laps down the black diamond run today and felt sooooo confident than previously. I could heel/toe down the run fairly easy - at least easier than it has been. 

So... is there anything wrong with having your toes hang over your board a little more than your heels????? The heel is about 1/2 inch over the board - the toes are about 1 1/4 inch over the board. correction: husbands says it is more like 1 inch - kind of hard to measure with the toecaps on the bindings.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

you've answered the question for yourself. riding stance is very subjective - if it feels better then ride it like that.


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

that's cool that you are riding much better on your toeside.but my concern is that 1-1/4 over hang on your toeside (i could be wrong) could catch when you dig down more when you carve/turn? can you possibly have both heel/toe at equal length at 1". hopefully,that can still be as effective on your toeside turns. fwiw,glad you had fun today


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## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

t21 said:


> that's cool that you are riding much better on your toeside.but my concern is that 1-1/4 over hang on your toeside (i could be wrong) could catch when you dig down more when you carve/turn? can you possibly have both heel/toe at equal length at 1". hopefully,that can still be as effective on your toeside turns. fwiw,glad you had fun today


When we got back to the condo we checked it out and due to the binding type I can't bring them back anymore - they are already as far back as they can go without messing with my stance (by turning the binding plates) which I can't change due to the problems with my right knee and the weird angle I have to have to alleviate the pain in my right knee. And I don't want to change the highbacks which I know would bring the foot back. I'm not into carving at my age, just want to get down the mountain having fun and didn't notice my toes digging in on the diamond runs. I've been guys in the lift lines where their toes are almost 2" hanging over on their toeside - so thought maybe it wouldn't be a problem with me. I'll see how it goes tomorrow - but I'm superstitious and don't want to jinks anything by changing something after my great day today!! :yahoo:


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

firstx1017 said:


> When we got back to the condo we checked it out and due to the binding type I can't bring them back anymore - they are already as far back as they can go without messing with my stance (by turning the binding plates) which I can't change due to the problems with my right knee and the weird angle I have to have to alleviate the pain in my right knee. And I don't want to change the highbacks which I know would bring the foot back. I'm not into carving at my age, just want to get down the mountain having fun and didn't notice my toes digging in on the diamond runs. I've been guys in the lift lines where their toes are almost 2" hanging over on their toeside - so thought maybe it wouldn't be a problem with me. I'll see how it goes tomorrow - but I'm superstitious and don't want to jinks anything by changing something after my great day today!! :yahoo:


:thumbsup: if that suits you well then ride it like you stole it:laugh: have a great day!


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## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

No comment on stance, I don't even know what mine is. I just mess with my bindings till I am happy..

But! If you ever head up to Snow Summit on a weekday hit me up!! Currently I only work two days a week, Mondays and Fridays.... I have a lot of weekdays off, but I only make the drive out to BB/SS if I have peeps to ride with, other wise I hit up Mth High. 

So if you ever have a free weekday let me know so we can shred!! If you only ride weekends you should try to sneak out mid week, Snow Summit and Big Bear are pretty much empty until the kiddies are released from school.


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## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

mixie said:


> No comment on stance, I don't even know what mine is. I just mess with my bindings till I am happy..
> 
> But! If you ever head up to Snow Summit on a weekday hit me up!! Currently I only work two days a week, Mondays and Fridays.... I have a lot of weekdays off, but I only make the drive out to BB/SS if I have peeps to ride with, other wise I hit up Mth High.
> 
> So if you ever have a free weekday let me know so we can shred!! If you only ride weekends you should try to sneak out mid week, Snow Summit and Big Bear are pretty much empty until the kiddies are released from school.


That's where we are today @ Snow Summit. We are here every weekend. But Mixie you are WAY better than us - we'd just slow you down!  We are old and slow!  We don't bomb the runs that's for sure. We usually can only handle the morning and then head back for lunch and a nap! 

We got busted by Eyewitness News today for snowboarding on a work day!


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## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> That makes sense actually. With the toe of the boot hanging over a bit, it is logical that you would be able to pressure your toeside edge more effectively. You also mentioned increasing your forward lean if I read that correctly. This may also have had a major impact as increasing forward lean will cause your lower leg to be at a much better angle to force you to flex your ankles more and keep more weight over the top of the board. Either way, it sounds like a positive change.
> 
> Generally speaking, we try to keep the binding centered on the board but so long as you are not catching your toes on the snow when in a toeside turn with high edge angle, it is not hurting anything. I am curious though about your new bindings versus the old ones. Do the new ones have the toe ramp (often called "gas pedal") when you old ones did not? If so, this could be the reason for the improvement too.
> 
> Glad for the improvement and like I said, if your toes aren't dragging in the snow, don`t change it for now.


No, they do not have a toe ramp. They are last year's Roxy Rock It Power rear entry bindings. I picked them because they are two straps and the strap over your foot actually pops up when you pull the highback down to get your foot out. I tried Flow NXT's last year and had a hell of a time getting my boots out of them when I had them tighted the way I needed them. The forward lean would not go forward enough for me so I sold those. I am tired of strapping in and wanted to try the rear entry again and with the pop open action of the strap I can get my foot out sooooo much easier. This year's Roxy had canted footbeds and harmellow on the bottom, so who knows I may try those next year. For now, I am liking these except I can't move the bindings back any further unless I change my stance if I rotate the circle plates - and I don't want to do that at this time. Did great today on the black, however, after all day yesterday my right knee is screaming at me so we had to come back so I could ice it. Still wondering why my back knee is giving me problems when snowboarding and wondering if I may have to change my stance or binding angle - now with my toes over a little making it easier to do toeside, makes me wonder if I should try difference stance widths and a different angle on my back foot. If I could just get this all figured out it and alleviate the back knee pain it would be WONDERFUL!!! lol


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## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> Where specifically on the right knee are you getting pain? Canting and a change in stance width and angle on that foot can actually help.


At the end of last year I dialed in my stance and binding angle to where my knee hardly hurt. This year when I really bend my knees while going down the black diamond runs it is my back leg right knee as I ride regular that starts to kill. Anytime I bend in an athletic stance and really bend is when my right knee hurts. It does not hurt to walk, only when I really bend my knees. We just went on a run and I widened my stand an inch and put my back angle out 3 degrees and I really didn't like the wide stance, but I kept with. We only went on one run as my husbands back thigh was killing him. I will see how it goes tomorrow but I think I will mess around with the stance and binding angle and see what can come up with.


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## firstx1017 (Jan 10, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> The reason asked for specific location on the knee is that can sometimes tell you some thing. I for example get pain in the MCL and found that ducking my stance out more helped. I rode 15/-15 for years. Recently I changed to 15/-18 and that has helped my right knee MCL.


We were on a run last weekend and when my husband tried to fix my right binding, it popped up and he couldn't remember what angle I had it at so he put it at -15 that put me at 15/-15. Thursday I told him I thought it was more than -15 but I left it there as I was more fixated on my toes being over the edge of the board. This afternoon he put it to -18 when he widdened my stance. I came back here and found my post from last year and back in April I had it at 15/-21. So, tonight he put it back to 15/-21 and put my stance back in as it was as I know the stance was too wide and that is why I was getting hip and knee problems. I pulled a photo of the knee online to try to figure out where the pain could be, but I just can't isolate it. It is pain on the outside of my right kneecap - not the inside. Right now it is swollen and I can hardly bend my knee and put my foot up towards my butt. And if I press real hard to the right of my right kneecap, it is painful there. Last year it was pain behind my knee. So, onward we go! I'll keep you posted!:icon_scratch:


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

It is worth noting that changing your stance width will often require a change in binding angle. When I started I was at about 21" wide and doing 18/-18. I then went to 22.5" and found 15/-15 felt best.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Like John Doe I made my stance wider this year and had to mess around with my angles. I too was getting knee pain with the wider stance. I messed with my angles and I was able to make the pain go away. 

To your bindings I have set up a lot of Flows. Some of the ratchets on the older bindings would actually tighten during your riding. This may have been an issue in your other bindings. Remember they don't need to be as tight as conventional bindings. I love the new stye with the "kick-up" of the strap. 

Hope you get it dialed in again and start to ride pain free. 

I often ride with riders below my ability and they don't slow me down. I enjoy riding and chatting with them and just being with friends old and new. So meet up with as many forum members as you can. Great friendships can be formed.


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## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

firstx1017 said:


> That's where we are today @ Snow Summit. We are here every weekend. But Mixie you are WAY better than us - we'd just slow you down!  We are old and slow!  We don't bomb the runs that's for sure. We usually can only handle the morning and then head back for lunch and a nap!
> 
> We got busted by Eyewitness News today for snowboarding on a work day!


Whatever! I ride by myself so much I'm more than happy to ride with other people I don't care where I'm riding. 

Besides I want to ride uphill from you and body check the freaks trying to kill you lol


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