Binding Review: 08-09 Raiden Eris

Location: Keystone, Colorado

Snow Conditions: Snowing with hard groomed to packed powder conditions on the runs.

Setup: I rode the Nitro Eris on the Nitro Wiig snowboard with Vans Omni and Vans Omni Focus boots.

Time to set up the binding: Average time

Fit: The Eris bindings were adjusted to fit my Vans Omni Focus boots so when I demo’d the Vans Omni boots it wasn’t the same fit. When I rode with the Vans Omni, there was some space between the width of the binding but when I rode with my Vans Omni Focus I didn’t notice it as much. Even with it, I didn’t feel my boot slide around in the binding. The ankle strap fit snug while the toe strap I should have made an adjustment on.

First Impression: Lets see what Raiden has to offer and damn I hope this combo of the Wiig turns out right.

Appearance: I checked out the Raiden bindings at SIA, they definitely look good in person. They aren’t too flashy but keep a simple design with good colors. It just looks good and rides good. That’s what a binding should be.

Comfort: Raiden changed up the highback for 08-09 giving the Eris a new women’s asym type S highback bringing in the highback molded to a women’s calf while offering a natural feel and fast response. I had no pressure points on any pieces of the bindings. The ankle strap molded fine with my boot even with a narrower profile. The toe strap worked fine in comfort, but to have it grip the boot I had to crank it down.

Functionality: My only gripe was the toestrap which might have been that I rocked it regular strap instead of cap strap on the mountain. I didn’t crank it down that tight, so it would slip off my toebox of my boot. Seth told me later that you definitely need to crank it down tighter if you have a rounded off toe box. I wish I had tried the strap as a cap strap to see if that was a better option for my boot. No problems with the new aluminum buckles and ratchets.

Flex: I had been riding softer highbacks most of the day so by the time I got to the Raiden Eris, I enjoyed the stiffer highback that offered a quicker response when riding. Even with the stiffer highback, it offered up a stiffer lateral flex to the binding.

Response: I could really lean on my heelside edge to make each turn and feel the stable control with the highback. The ankle strap offers good support without any pressure points and allows you to respond to each toe side carve without any restrictions.

Toe Strap: I think the toe strap needs work, maybe something to make it grip the boots better if you plan to rock it regular on the mountain. Overall wasn’t a bad toe strap but with my boot combo, I would need to tweak it around more to get it perfected. Next time I’ll have to try the toe strap as a capstrap.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed riding the eris even with some toe strap difficulty. I thought the binding definitely offered something to women’s bindings without making it something it’s not. It’s a lightweight binding, offering good response and flex without paying a high cost for it. I definitely see some improvements to be made with the Eris toe strap but everything else with the binding rode fine and impressed me.

On Snow Photos
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Raiden Eris Description

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