# Guidance please. Union Contact Pro vs Burton Genesis or ???



## Matty_B_Bop

I'm looking for a pair of bindings to go with my new deck(s). I'm interested in bindings that are super responsive, comfortable for long sessions and match my riding style. 

I think I've narrowed down my binding choices to the 2015 Union Contact Pro and the 2015 Burton Genesis based on reviews. 

I would consider my riding style advanced/expert all mountain freestyle, but I also live in the midwest where mountains don't really exist. When I'm not out west riding trees, moguls, park, groomers natural features and charging super hard, I'm in Wisconsin buttering groomers, playing in the park, riding switch in moguls and playing all over the hill. 

I'm looking for suggestions from people that have tried these bindings. I've owned 3 pairs of Cartels, but I'd like to try something different even if it's within the same brand. I'm also very open to other suggestions/brands as well. My budget is $300.

These will be going on primarily all mountain/freestyle boards. 

I ride size 11 2013 Burton Ambush boots. I'm 5'10 (177cm), 165-175lbs (75-79kg) and ride anything from 152-159cm boards. 

Thanks for any and all info. 

Yes, first post.


----------



## Brewtown

Ive got the 14 pros on my salomon villain and its all id ever need for midwest riding, but I think id want more for charging and riding glades out west. Good match for that board but anything over mid flex and id probably look to the atlas or force. 

I took a couple laps on a friends genesis and it was the most comfortable binding ive ever tried. The c pros are comfy but the genesis doesnt even feel like you have a binding on your foot the strap is that good. Id say the response is somewhere around cartel/vita but I was riding them on my friends proto so I dont have any baseline for comparison. It was a good match for that board though.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Brewtown said:


> Ive got the 14 pros on my salomon villain and its all id ever need for midwest riding, but I think id want more for charging and riding glades out west. Good match for that board but anything over mid flex and id probably look to the atlas or force.
> 
> I took a couple laps on a friends genesis and it was the most comfortable binding ive ever tried. The c pros are comfy but the genesis doesnt even feel like you have a binding on your foot the strap is that good. Id say the response is somewhere around cartel/vita but I was riding them on my friends proto so I dont have any baseline for comparison. It was a good match for that board though.


thanks a lot for the response, man. 

I'm partial to Burton because I trust and am used to their sizing. For whatever reason, my 11 boot is an awkward size for Unions, and I'm a little uncomfy with that. The M/L Unions are way too small, and the L/XL seem way too big (overhang on my board a bit, which I don't care for . . . and not used to). 

I hear nothing but comfort out of the Genesis, which I like, especially in 7-8 hour sessions in the Midwest. If you had to give a response rating out of 10 for the Genesis, what would you say? 

Again, thanks for your input!


----------



## Mystery2many

I ride the Genesis and Holograms. The Genesis feel really soft and are comfy as hell but they take a bit getting use to because they are not as instantly responsive as other bindings. I would look towards the Vitas if you want more response.


----------



## Brewtown

Mystery2many said:


> I ride the Genesis and Holograms. The Genesis feel really soft and are comfy as hell but they take a bit getting use to because they are not as instantly responsive as other bindings. I would look towards the Vitas if you want more response.


I would agree with this. Hard to give a numerical rating, I had them on my buddies proto and it was a good match, but hard to differentiate the response of the binding vs turn initiation of the board when I havent tried it with other bindings. It seemed to have a have a firm responsive baseplate but there is a fair amount of flex to the highback and strap. Youre not buying either of those bindings if response is your #1 criteria, but they are quite responsive considering the comfort and freedom of movement they give you.


----------



## Brewtown

This will help: what was the most recent year cartels you had, what did you like about them and what would you like your new bindings to do differently?


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

My most recent Cartels are from 2013 I believe. 

I like them because they are reliable, reasonably comfy for long sessions, the sizing works great with my boots and they just feel good to me. 

Problem is, I really have nothing to compare them to being that my last 3 pairs of bindings have all been Cartels. 

I'd like to try something new, but don't want to regret it since the Cartels have been good to me and this stuff isn't cheap. I hope that makes sense.


----------



## F1EA

Matty_B_Bop said:


> My most recent Cartels are from 2013 I believe.
> 
> I like them because they are reliable, reasonably comfy for long sessions, the sizing works great with my boots and they just feel good to me.
> 
> Problem is, I really have nothing to compare them to being that my last 3 pairs of bindings have all been Cartels.
> 
> I'd like to try something new, but don't want to regret it since the Cartels have been good to me and this stuff isn't cheap. I hope that makes sense.


Cartel Limited.


----------



## Brewtown

Matty_B_Bop said:


> My most recent Cartels are from 2013 I believe.
> 
> I like them because they are reliable, reasonably comfy for long sessions, the sizing works great with my boots and they just feel good to me.
> 
> Problem is, I really have nothing to compare them to being that my last 3 pairs of bindings have all been Cartels.
> 
> I'd like to try something new, but don't want to regret it since the Cartels have been good to me and this stuff isn't cheap. I hope that makes sense.


No I hear ya man. Nothing worse than spending money on new gear and not having it work out, which is exactly why reliability and comfort are huge (also why I buy last seasons gear on sale so Im not risking as much). If you want something similar to the cartel just a bit more responsive the vitas are a safe choice. If ya want something that is a mellower/surfier feel to really switch things then go genesis. Unless your riding a harder turning board it should be responsive enough but it will be a different feel and there will be more give in the highback and strap. 

The union counterparts in my mind are the c pro and atlas but your right the footbeds are huge. L/XLs will probably have a bit of overhang on most reg width boards, not really a problem performance wise but I get it if it bugs you. Theres enough gear options out there, not all decisions need to be completely rational.


----------



## ekb18c

I have the Genesis and ridden the Contact Pro often. I prefer the Genesis as it's more comfortable. The new ankle straps are awesome. While the Cpro are great too considering the sizing issue you have, perhaps you might want to stay with something familiar?

Another binding you want to consider might be the Rome Katana. 

I have the 13 Cartels, 15 Genesis, and 15 Katana, 15 Force. Honestly I didn't really notice that much of a difference betwen the 13 cartels and the 15 genesis. It's just the genesis was a bit softer and a bit more comfortable.


----------



## Extremo

The Union Contact Pro are designed around flex. You should look elsewhere.


----------



## PlanB

Matty_B_Bop said:


> If you had to give a response rating out of 10 for the Genesis, what would you say?


In my experience, you won't find a significant amount of difference in level of response between the Cartel and Genesis. Burton's own website lists them at 7 & 6 out of 10 respectively and I'd say that holds true to my own real-life experiences. For the premium you are paying for the Genesis over the Cartel, you're getting some higher-end features, not overall stiffness.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Thanks for all the input everyone. Cartels seem to be very popular, and for good reason. 

I'd definitely like to try something new, but perhaps I should just stick to what works for me. I've just been trying to branch out since there are so many brands and variations out there.


----------



## jwelsh83

Contact Pros are comfy. I had a pair of 13's to go with my Forum deck. The Pros are more of a jibbing binding with decent amount of flex, and I can't really speak on the Genesis. I've gone away from a traditional binding myself all together. I'm a Flow guy and speak highly of them but it's all preference. I have the NX2 and its a super stiff binding. Goes well with my stiff DC boots...


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

ekb18c said:


> I have the Genesis and ridden the Contact Pro often. I prefer the Genesis as it's more comfortable. The new ankle straps are awesome. While the Cpro are great too considering the sizing issue you have, perhaps you might want to stay with something familiar?
> 
> Another binding you want to consider might be the Rome Katana.
> 
> I have the 13 Cartels, 15 Genesis, and 15 Katana, 15 Force. Honestly I didn't really notice that much of a difference betwen the 13 cartels and the 15 genesis. It's just the genesis was a bit softer and a bit more comfortable.


Would you mind going into more detail about your experience with the Rome Katana? I've read good things about these as well. 

What are your thoughts on those in comparison to the other bindings you've used, especially against the Cartel?


----------



## fastaction

I love my genesis but they do lack that instant power transfer/response that my burton diode provides me. It does however go perfectly with my NS Proto HD


----------



## ekb18c

Matty_B_Bop said:


> Would you mind going into more detail about your experience with the Rome Katana? I've read good things about these as well.
> 
> What are your thoughts on those in comparison to the other bindings you've used, especially against the Cartel?


Well the first thing you will notice about the Katana is that they are canted foot beds, which I love because sometimes my front knee aches a little bit. The canting helps out a lot as I don't get the ache when riding the Katanas. I really like the toe strap / cap on the katana and it confirms to any boot really nicely. 

The ankle strap is a bit strange to me and I really don't know how to describe it. If i leave it just firm on my boot, it behaves like any other binding and it's pretty supportive. However, if i crank down on it and really make it tight the bindings behave differently. Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me. You can also position the way the ankle strap sits on the boot which will cause it to behave differently as well. I haven't experimented with that yet as i kept it in the default setting.

The flex is very similar to cartel if not just a little bit stiffer and it's not a unibody base plate so there is a little more adjustments that you can make. It only comes in 1 size though so make sure you can fit into it. It took me a few mins to dial everything in. 

I paired it up with last years Agent Rocker and it's a pretty good combination so far!


----------



## 79761

From what I've heard the heel straps are designed so that you can ride them a bit loser for a softer feel or crank them down for more response out of em


----------



## RIDERUK

Brewtown said:


> No I hear ya man. Nothing worse than spending money on new gear and not having it work out, which is exactly why reliability and comfort are huge (also why I buy last seasons gear on sale so Im not risking as much). *If you want something similar to the cartel just a bit more responsive the vitas are a safe choice. If ya want something that is a mellower/surfier feel to really switch things then go genesis.* Unless your riding a harder turning board it should be responsive enough but it will be a different feel and there will be more give in the highback and strap.
> 
> The union counterparts in my mind are the c pro and atlas but your right the footbeds are huge. L/XLs will probably have a bit of overhang on most reg width boards, not really a problem performance wise but I get it if it bugs you. Theres enough gear options out there, not all decisions need to be completely rational.


Are the burton flex ratings inaccurate? Isn't the cartel rated stiffer than the vita?



ekb18c said:


> I have the Genesis and ridden the Contact Pro often. I prefer the Genesis as it's more comfortable. The new ankle straps are awesome. While the Cpro are great too considering the sizing issue you have, perhaps you might want to stay with something familiar?
> 
> Another binding you want to consider might be the Rome Katana.
> 
> I have the 13 Cartels, 15 Genesis, and 15 Katana, 15 Force. Honestly I didn't really notice that much of a difference betwen the 13 cartels and the 15 genesis. It's just the genesis was a bit softer and a bit more comfortable.


Are you referring to the floppy looking ankle strap? I like the look of it but seems it may be liable to breaking. Is it to enable stepping in easier?


----------



## Zone

Do the contact pros have better response than the genesis?


----------



## Nivek

If you're looking to branch out but like your Cartels I'd peep the Rome Katanas and K2 Lien ATs. The Liens will have a similar theory to the Cpros but the 3 pods drive your forward and back energy better. And the Katana is just a chameleon binding. It feels howeveer you need it to.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

ekb18c said:


> Well the first thing you will notice about the Katana is that they are canted foot beds, which I love because sometimes my front knee aches a little bit. The canting helps out a lot as I don't get the ache when riding the Katanas. I really like the toe strap / cap on the katana and it confirms to any boot really nicely.
> 
> The ankle strap is a bit strange to me and I really don't know how to describe it. If i leave it just firm on my boot, it behaves like any other binding and it's pretty supportive. However, if i crank down on it and really make it tight the bindings behave differently. Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me. You can also position the way the ankle strap sits on the boot which will cause it to behave differently as well. I haven't experimented with that yet as i kept it in the default setting.
> 
> The flex is very similar to cartel if not just a little bit stiffer and it's not a unibody base plate so there is a little more adjustments that you can make. It only comes in 1 size though so make sure you can fit into it. It took me a few mins to dial everything in.
> 
> I paired it up with last years Agent Rocker and it's a pretty good combination so far!


Thanks so much man. My size 11 is the max it can handle, so we'll see. I was able to find the Katana LEs in the orange. I'm going to get the Genesis also and compare the two side by side. Just sucks I won't be able to ride them to really compare them since one of them will have to be returned.

If the Katana is stiffer than the Cartel, I might go with the Genesis because I want to be able to butter easily. 



Zone said:


> Do the contact pros have better response than the genesis?


I believe the Contact Pros will have more edge-to-edge response because they will be a bit stiffer than the Genesis. I don't have first hand experience, just what i've read:

try out thegoodride.com to compare them side by side.


----------



## Nivek

Well the goodride is full of shit sooo.


The Genesis are stiffer than the CPro's pretty much everywhere.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Nivek said:


> Well the goodride is full of shit sooo.
> 
> 
> The Genesis are stiffer than the CPro's pretty much everywhere.


why do you say that? just curious, since that's what I've been reading a lot. 

Do you recommend any other sites for research and reviews other than here?


----------



## Nivek

For bindings. Nope. 

I've ridden both and owned Genesis. The Genesis basically perform like the Cartel but on suspension. That's the kicker. People feel the suspension part and can't discern that from it feeling soft. CPros have the whole EVA under layer that the binding rolls around on. In some ways it's more responsive, but in general for most riders it's going to feel and perform soft. The way it CAN be more responsive is the fact that the boot and binding pairing is more solid. But it's loose on the board. It's a skatey and surfier feel. If you know how to work the board with that kind of setup it works really well. If not, it's gonna feel unresponsive.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Nivek said:


> For bindings. Nope.
> 
> I've ridden both and owned Genesis. The Genesis basically perform like the Cartel but on suspension. That's the kicker. People feel the suspension part and can't discern that from it feeling soft. CPros have the whole EVA under layer that the binding rolls around on. In some ways it's more responsive, but in general for most riders it's going to feel and perform soft. The way it CAN be more responsive is the fact that the boot and binding pairing is more solid. But it's loose on the board. It's a skatey and surfier feel. If you know how to work the board with that kind of setup it works really well. If not, it's gonna feel unresponsive.


makes sense. thanks for the insight. I just wish I had the ability to demo more bindings on the same board. 

have you tested the Rome Katanas at all? Any thoughts?


----------



## Nivek

Matty_B_Bop said:


> makes sense. thanks for the insight. I just wish I had the ability to demo more bindings on the same board.
> 
> have you tested the Rome Katanas at all? Any thoughts?


One of the most chameleonic bindings I've been in. Stiff when I needed them to be, soft when I wanted theme to be. Awesome.


----------



## StAntonRider

Nivek said:


> Well the goodride is full of shit sooo.


True. 

Also, look into the Burton Mission bindings. Back when snowboarding was "rad" all the pros rode these, and they've been vamped for the 14/15 season with a high back that is supposedly more responsive than the cartels. And Ryan Kapton uses them, so there's always that


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Nivek said:


> One of the most chameleonic bindings I've been in. Stiff when I needed them to be, soft when I wanted theme to be. Awesome.


i have the Katana LEs on order. Someone must have returned them because it was the last pair I could find anywhere, and they were originally sold out when I checked a couple days ago. 

So you think Katana > Genesis for all mtn aggressive freestyle?



StAntonRider said:


> True.
> 
> Also, look into the Burton Mission bindings. Back when snowboarding was "rad" all the pros rode these, and they've been vamped for the 14/15 season with a high back that is supposedly more responsive than the cartels. And Ryan Kapton uses them, so there's always that


really? i haven't heard much about these since the Cartels have been around.


----------



## Nivek

Matty_B_Bop said:


> i have the Katana LEs on order. Someone must have returned them because it was the last pair I could find anywhere, and they were originally sold out when I checked a couple days ago.
> 
> So you think Katana > Genesis for all mtn aggressive freestyle?


Absolutely.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Nivek said:


> Absolutely.


i will check them out when they come. The katanas seem bulky from the pics, but we'll see. 

by the way, planning on pairing these bindings with a mid-flex Ultrafear.


----------



## F1EA

Matty_B_Bop said:


> i will check them out when they come. The katanas seem bulky from the pics, but we'll see.
> 
> by the way, planning on pairing these bindings with a mid-flex Ultrafear.


No, Katanas are not bulky at all. Pretty light, the highback is super thin and the ankle strap is almost a thin film. The toe strap is possibly the slimmest profile out there. The Genesis are lighter, but not by much.

Katana, Genesis, Contact Pro, Ride Rodeo, Now Select .... would all go well on that board.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

F1EA said:


> No, Katanas are not bulky at all. Pretty light, the highback is super thin and the ankle strap is almost a thin film. The toe strap is possibly the slimmest profile out there. The Genesis are lighter, but not by much.
> 
> Katana, Genesis, Contact Pro, Ride Rodeo, Now Select .... would all go well on that board.


good to know. I have the Contact Pros in my possession right now, but not sure if I'm going to keep them. they're pretty huge (l/xl), too, albeit light. 

I'm leaning towards the Genesis or the Katanas because the orange would be pretty rad on the Ultrafear . . . and all of my other bindings are black. 

I hate not being able to try before i buy.


----------



## zackmorris

Didn't read whole thread - You don't have a local shop that will let you demo?


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Nope. I wish. I would be demoing all the time if there was. I rely solely on reviews and user feedback


----------



## cobaasta

*Burton if you need Re:Flex, otherwise Union!*

I ride both of em, Union Contact Pro 2014 and Burton Genesis 2015.

I have two boards i currently ride: Libtech Travis Rice HP 157 and Unity Whale 160.
But I had only one good binding: Forum Shaka (Split-Disk Design).

I bought the Union Contact Pro because i needed a second binding.
I ended up with the Shaka on the (softer, rocker between the feet) Libtech and the Union on the (stiffer S-Rocker) Unity.

I was happy unitil I broke the Forum Shaka. Unfortunately not only my binding, but the hole company is dead... So I started looking for an alternative to the Forum Split-Disk Design. And there is currently only one: Burton Re:Flex Design.

I propably would have bought a Union, if I didn't already had one,
I wanted two different bindings, one or the other will fit my future board...
And I wanted a Binding that has the kind of "split" design like Re:Flex or Split-Disk.
Thats why I bought the Burton Genesis (despite the 20% sale).

I am happy with both bindings, but there are a few things to mention:

Union pros:
+ Adjustment: Length adjustment via hiback loop, good quality screws.
+ No time to get used needed: mount, strap on, ride. Nothing fancy, everything is uncomplicated and works reliable as it should be. You forget that you ride new bindings...
+ Lightweight, but still feels very stable and durable due to quality materials

Union cons:
- The minimal contact design (only 5% on the Contact Pro) with lots of padding is great, but there is no "wow" effect riding it the first time as i had it with the (award winning) Split-Disk Design from the Forum Shaka. Its a rather traditional flex pattern. 

Burton pros:
+ Re:Flex (for me personnaly this is a big plus)
+ The Hiback Hammock makes a difference too, it's better than expected!

Burton cons:
- Adjustability: No real length adjustment, just centering via 3 different holes in the disk. This means that the preasure points of the binding are not always at the same 'right' spot. Shifting the Gaspedal isn't real length adjustment too. Some of the screws feel cheep, like the ones used to mount the hiback. You need a smaler screwdriver for them, the screw head gets fucked the first time you try to tighten them hard. Upon the manual, the hiback should be mounted with 'snug fit' in the hiback loop. Unfortunately there is a gap as soon as you activate the hiback forward lean, and the hiback starts moving in the loop with an ugly scratching noise. Othe companies do more do prevent screws getting loose than just a dip of cheep chineese loctite.
- Straps and Buckles: The anckle strap is the most comfortable thin type of strap i ever had, but it is still a thin strap, so the feeling depends more on the boots than with thick straps. I have a little bit the new binding with old shoes issue. The kind of 'hinge' to let the strap remain in the open position is nice unless you do some one-footing and stand accidently on it. The buckles do not convince me. You need to get used to them to opperate them effortless. The buckle from the anckle strap can not be replaced, and other straps dont fit. If anything breaks, you need to replace it with original parts. There are some slots/spaces where the strap gets stuck when he's pushed in by mistake. The sound from the buckles when tighten is not very precise, a bit like too much plastic. When releasing, my pants gets sucked in and stuck in the buckles pretty often. The toe strap can only be positioned on one side of the binding. If he is in the front, he is therefore slightly crooked, which is sad for an 3D formed strap.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

cobaasta said:


> I ride both of em, Union Contact Pro 2014 and Burton Genesis 2015.
> 
> I have two boards i currently ride: Libtech Travis Rice HP 157 and Unity Whale 160.
> But I had only one good binding: Forum Shaka (Split-Disk Design).
> 
> I bought the Union Contact Pro because i needed a second binding.
> I ended up with the Shaka on the (softer, rocker between the feet) Libtech and the Union on the (stiffer S-Rocker) Unity.
> 
> I was happy unitil I broke the Forum Shaka. Unfortunately not only my binding, but the hole company is dead... So I started looking for an alternative to the Forum Split-Disk Design. And there is currently only one: Burton Re:Flex Design.
> 
> I propably would have bought a Union, if I didn't already had one,
> I wanted two different bindings, one or the other will fit my future board...
> And I wanted a Binding that has the kind of "split" design like Re:Flex or Split-Disk.
> Thats why I bought the Burton Genesis (despite the 20% sale).
> 
> I am happy with both bindings, but there are a few things to mention:
> 
> Union pros:
> + Adjustment: Length adjustment via hiback loop, good quality screws.
> + No time to get used needed: mount, strap on, ride. Nothing fancy, everything is uncomplicated and works reliable as it should be. You forget that you ride new bindings...
> + Lightweight, but still feels very stable and durable due to quality materials
> 
> Union cons:
> - The minimal contact design (only 5% on the Contact Pro) with lots of padding is great, but there is no "wow" effect riding it the first time as i had it with the (award winning) Split-Disk Design from the Forum Shaka. Its a rather traditional flex pattern.
> 
> Burton pros:
> + Re:Flex (for me personnaly this is a big plus)
> + The Hiback Hammock makes a difference too, it's better than expected!
> 
> Burton cons:
> - Adjustability: No real length adjustment, just centering via 3 different holes in the disk. This means that the preasure points of the binding are not always at the same 'right' spot. Shifting the Gaspedal isn't real length adjustment too. Some of the screws feel cheep, like the ones used to mount the hiback. You need a smaler screwdriver for them, the screw head gets fucked the first time you try to tighten them hard. Upon the manual, the hiback should be mounted with 'snug fit' in the hiback loop. Unfortunately there is a gap as soon as you activate the hiback forward lean, and the hiback starts moving in the loop with an ugly scratching noise. Othe companies do more do prevent screws getting loose than just a dip of cheep chineese loctite.
> - Straps and Buckles: The anckle strap is the most comfortable thin type of strap i ever had, but it is still a thin strap, so the feeling depends more on the boots than with thick straps. I have a little bit the new binding with old shoes issue. The kind of 'hinge' to let the strap remain in the open position is nice unless you do some one-footing and stand accidently on it. The buckles do not convince me. You need to get used to them to opperate them effortless. The buckle from the anckle strap can not be replaced, and other straps dont fit. If anything breaks, you need to replace it with original parts. There are some slots/spaces where the strap gets stuck when he's pushed in by mistake. The sound from the buckles when tighten is not very precise, a bit like too much plastic. When releasing, my pants gets sucked in and stuck in the buckles pretty often. The toe strap can only be positioned on one side of the binding. If he is in the front, he is therefore slightly crooked, which is sad for an 3D formed strap.


thanks for the in-depth write up!

I decided to stick with the Contact Pros. I got them for a killer deal, so why not ($145 brand new). I rode them yesterday and they felt great. I landed flat a few times and the footbed was super comfy and shock absorbent. 

For the first couple of runs my upper straps didn't feel comfortable or tight. Once I adjusted them, they were great. I'm used to Burton toe straps, but liked the CP's toe straps almost equally. 

Very sturdy binding, light and seemed to meet my needs. I'd lock them down hard when I wanted aggressive riding, and then loosened them a bit when I went to the park. They performed well in both instances. 

I have them on a softer board than i'm used to, but it seemed like buttering was relatively easy on them. 

as of right now, I'm a fan of the 2015 Union Contact Pros.


----------



## Phedder

Curious what board you've got the Cpros on?


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Phedder said:


> Curious what board you've got the Cpros on?


2015 Capita Ultrafear 

flat with little rocker at the tip and tail


----------



## Phedder

Matty_B_Bop said:


> 2015 Capita Ultrafear
> 
> flat with little rocker at the tip and tail


Hmm, similar stiffness to the K2 Happy Hour. I'm tossing up between some Restricted Cartels and Contact Pros, currently I think the Burton Toe Caps and reflex disk are winning it for me.


----------



## Nivek

Not similar at all. The Ultra is a mid flex flat rocker and the HH is a mid stiff lifted camber. Very different rides.


----------



## Matty_B_Bop

Phedder said:


> Hmm, similar stiffness to the K2 Happy Hour. I'm tossing up between some Restricted Cartels and Contact Pros, currently I think the Burton Toe Caps and reflex disk are winning it for me.


i wasn't sure if i was going to like the toe straps on the CPs. However, I thought they were great, and seemed really strong. I have 3 pairs of Cartels, and I really like the CPs so far. 

The mini disc on the CPs didn't seem to do much for me, but I didn't have any problems with them either. 

The main reason I went with the CPs was because I got a killer deal on them and I wanted to try something different. Have you ridden anything other than Burton binders?


----------



## Phedder

Nivek said:


> Not similar at all. The Ultra is a mid flex flat rocker and the HH is a mid stiff lifted camber. Very different rides.


I was just looking at the stiffness values, which I know don't really tell much of the story. 



Matty_B_Bop said:


> i wasn't sure if i was going to like the toe straps on the CPs. However, I thought they were great, and seemed really strong. I have 3 pairs of Cartels, and I really like the CPs so far.
> 
> The mini disc on the CPs didn't seem to do much for me, but I didn't have any problems with them either.
> 
> The main reason I went with the CPs was because I got a killer deal on them and I wanted to try something different. Have you ridden anything other than Burton binders?


Only Burton and M3 for any length of time on the hill, lots in my lounge over summer haha, been scanning second hand sites a lot and have built a small collection. I've mounted Ride Rodeos on the HH currently, but think I want something a bit stiffer on it just from playing around. The Cartels are the easier buy anyway, and if I don't like them on the HH I've got other boards they can go on.


----------

