Location: Mammoth Mountain, CA
Snow Conditions: Hardpacked to icy groomers.
Setup: I rode the Burton Escapades on the Burton Fortress with my Vans Ferra Boots size 8.
Time to set up the binding: This setup took the longest time because of the demo guy not knowing how to properly. Halfway through I noticed the bindings were set up on the board for a goofy rider (I’m regular) so I let him know but he didn’t change it, instead saying it would be fine if I rode the board that way. I let him finish, then walked over to the tool bench and changed out the bindings to be properly on the board as a regular rider. It took way more time because he wouldn’t change his work and fix it, rather than make sure a board went out right.
Fit: I received the Escapades in the size large which fit really good with my boots, good room for adjustments and very comfortable.
First Impression: The Escapades are always a favorite, consistently comfortable and responsive.
Appearance: The Escapades I tried out were the reflex version with the Circus Party colorway. It’s a really fun perky design and mix of colors. I really like the look of the binding, it’s bright and fun without being too serious looking.
Comfort: Once strapped in, I never felt any pressure from the binding and the padding was exactly what suited the binding. Pure comfort throughout the binding from the baseplate to the highback to the straps.
Functionality: The Burton Escapades feature the Canted Living Hinge highback to help connect you with the board with natural alignment and B3 gel cushioning to soften the riding. The AutoCANT bullbed cushioning system softens the bumps on the mountain and gives you more board control. The Escapade binding straps feature the React Strap Air with a superstrap construction and is 3D curved with a triple axis spine and the Gettagrip Capstrap is 3D curved with a triple axis spine and ultra minimized capstrap construction. The baseplate is built for a consistent and responsive feel, the re:flex baseplate reduces weight and increases board flex (to be comparable to the EST but for other boards). The buckles are a women’s specific true fit design with dual-component smooth glide buckles.
Flex: The Escapades offer up a stiffer more responsive ride. The highback has some give to the top of the highback but the lower portion and mid-portion of the highback are stiffer without much give and take to them. The ankle strap is comfortable with just the right amount of flex so it’s not overly soft.
Response: They are the most responsive Burton women’s binding and it shows in the handling. As soon as you put pressure on the heel or toe of the binding, you are turning into the heel or toeside turn. It’s quick and a great binding for a stiffer more responsive board.
Toe Strap: I’ve ridden the gettagrip capstraps on other Burton models and they always do the job right. They cap the toe without creating a pressure point. I rocked it over the toe without any slippage and it kept my boot locked in.
Overall Impression: These were the last bindings of the day and despite the set-up fiasco, once I had them dialed to my expectations…they were the always incredible Escapades. Responsive for freeriding and quick for your handling but also comfortable and padded so you feel the ride but don’t feel every single part of the snow. I thought the Escapades were a great fit to the Fortress board.
Shay’s Honesty Box: The re:flex is an interesting concept to give the natural board flex and feel of the EST to bindings that can go on non-EST boards with a similar feeling. The Escapades have always been a favorite binding, responsive and comfortable while still handling the whole mountain and charging it up. The re:flex is just a bonus.
Ready to buy? Head over to evo for the Burton Escapades or shop their full line of Burton snowboard bindings
On Snow Photos
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Burton Escapade Description
Review Disclosure: I demoed this binding at a Burton demo day.
