2009-2010 Binding Review

Now that my site is a bit more organized with the reviews, I still felt I should bring back the review list but expand on it with a collection of overall & honest opinions so it’s easier to see the whole collection and get a feel for how I liked each one.  This year I rode the least amount of bindings for early season demos because I was more focused on snowboards but come November I’ll be adding to this list with even more 09-10 bindings.

This review will be updated throughout the season as I demo and test more 09/10 bindings. Each review is judged by the same standard and for the majority of reviews I used my own boots (some exceptions).

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If you have a specific binding you would like to be reviewed please request it in the comment section.

About me as a snowboarder:

• I’m coming up on my 16th season snowboarding.
• I am a freerider (I ride trees, powder, steeps, groomers, natural terrain) and I ride halfpipe.  I now occasionally venture into the park, riding rails.
• I am 5’6″ and typically ride a 158cm for my all mountain board, my powder board is a 161 or 164cm and my park board is a 155cm. I weigh about 200lbs give or take.
• I am a regular rider with a 22 inch width, +15, -15 stance angles.
• I wear size 8 womens snowboard boots and feel comfortable riding both men’s and women’s bindings.

My opinion is only my opinion…of how these bindings rode. Take it as you want. If you are looking for more binding reviews, go here

2009-2010 Binding Review

This list goes by brand alphabetically, to read the full review click on the name.

09-10 Burton Molotov EST

Overall Impression: You get added calf support with the wings, but it also took some adjustment to get used to something there that you could lean against. Responsive, good comfort and good support with the ankle strap.
Honesty Box: Do I need wings? It was interesting to try out but I wouldn’t like it all the time. I preferred the scribe EST bindings over these, very similiar bindings with some small differences.

Women’s
Retails for: $259.95
Best for: A rider wanting added calf support and response.

09-10 Burton Scribe EST

Overall Impression: I enjoyed the scribe’s, very similiar and reminded me of a mix between the lexas and escapades. Responsive, good comfort and good support with the ankle strap. Between these and the new molotov’s I preferred the scribe’s, the main difference I noticed is the highback and ratchets between the two bindings.
Honesty Box: I liked them, I’d buy them…but I don’t like that I have to have them on a burton ICS board. Maybe eventually I’ll buy a burton deck so I can rock the bindings but it’s hard for me to justify buying a board for bindings.

Women’s
Retails for: $219.95
Best for: A rider wanting EST with a very comfortable supportive ankle strap.

09-10 Flow NXT-ATSE

Overall Impression: The special edition NXT-ATSE’s that I rode had an improvement that I liked, not having ratchets on the medial side of the binding where they could catch on something and just having that be less of an issue. Ratchets on the one side where you could adjust easily. Another addition is the new baseplate for the NXT series, a forged aluminum baseplate with rocker which was something I was iffy about how it would ride and with a rocker board but I didn’t notice it being something I disliked, just wonder how it’ll do on other boards. It’s flow’s answer to a more natural flex of the board to binding.
Honesty Box: Flows are definitely quick to get in and out of once you have them dialed. I’m lucky that during demos they get set up perfectly by the rep (awesome Greg) and I don’t have to worry about them being off when I’m riding. At the same time, Flows aren’t really my style of riding. I enjoy riding in them but I’m also quicker at regular bindings and feel more comfortable in regular binding, just my preference. I also think it’s just getting used to one binding over time.

Men’s
Retails for: $299.00
Best for: Easy access in and out of the binding.

09-10 GNU Agro

Overall Impression: There’s definitely a market and I can see how in the future it can be dialed more to be more consumer friendly to people like me needing to set it up without someone who works for GNU doing it. Very responsive binding and for the first part of the binding I was happy with how it rode and handled. Towards the end though with the forward lean I was ready to call it a day. I want to try it again, so I completely haven’t given up on it…I just think it could be a better fit and easier to figure out.
Honesty Box: Between the time to adjust it for me, the tiny pieces involved and the having to ride with insane forward lean…I wasn’t impressed but I also recognize that it didn’t fit my boot the best either and I’m taking that into account a lot. However I think it’s still needing to be dialed, I expected some of the ratchets to crank down tighter and they didn’t. Let alone my god I was in pain after that much forward lean with the highback, my own fault but ouch.

Men’s
Retails for: ?
Best for: Super responsive quick entry binding.

09-10 Raiden Eris

Overall Impression: It’s getting improved each year which is great to see the tweaks to make it as good as possible. This year the new addition was the airbag dampening which makes it even better than last year, added comfort and the dampening really helps with going over choppy terrain and not feeling it.
Honesty Box: It’s a good progressive binding, I liked it for that it was lightweight, responsive, and a great combo with the Carrara. I just don’t like the animal print.

Women’s
Retails for: $209.95
Best for: Progressing female rider

09-10 Ride Bandita Contraband

Overall Impression: I didn’t hate them, but I wasn’t comfortable in them either. They were comfortable, pure comfort on the boots but it was a different feeling binding to adjust to which was interesting. Definitely for a park, easy quick into binding these are it…no bells and whistles other than the adjustments and supposed to be strong, I just still wonder about them. I’d definitely like to spend a whole day on them on harder runs than groomers.
Honesty Box: Do I trust them, I don’t know honestly. I only rode them for the couple runs in the afternoon on groomers. Definitely a binding that I’d feel more confident about trying in a variety of conditions like pipe or trees, but then at the same time I’d have a fear of flying out and hitting objects I shouldn’t. I wish I had more time to really try them in light of the fear of flying.

Women’s
Retails for: $219.95
Best for: Female rider wanting a soft park binding that only you ride.

09-10 Technine Nines

Overall Impression: Technine definitely makes some soft comfortable bindings, the Baltimore toe strap though bulky does it’s job on the mountain and offers a toe strap that can work with a variety of boots and keep you in the binding when riding. If you want a women’s park binding that is soft and comfy, this is it.
Honesty Box: This was definitely a case of where the board and binding combo didn’t match, the extre-eco would have been better with a more responsive binding and the nines would have been better with a softer park board. But the Nines did have a lot of padding and made for a really soft comfy ride but I wouldn’t ride them everywhere on the mountain.

Women’s
Retails for: ?
Best for: Super comfortable binding for women

09-10 Union Forces

Overall Impression: The Forces are a solid binding, good for wherever you want to go on the mountain for whatever board you pair them with. They aren’t too soft, they aren’t too stiff.
Honesty Box: I own them, paid for them and rock them since I got them…what more can I say.

Men’s
Retails for: $199.00
Best for: A rider who wants a binding to handle the entire mountain.

09-10 Union Trilogy

Overall Impression: Fit for a women’s binding without losing the response and being too soft. They are rideable anywhere on the mountain, light and easy to get into.
Honesty Box: I like the trilogy’s, good binding for women. Call me crazy I like the white simple colors but It’d be rad to see the women’s binding get some fun colors like the men’s.

Women’s
Retails for: $219.00
Best for: Excellent all around women’s binding