Mount Bindings to a Snowboard

Even if you are not planning to mount your binding yourself, it is a helpful skill when you are on your ride and your binding loosens up. If you fail to tighten it, you will not be able to transfer your energy to the board efficiently, and your turns will suffer.

Steps

  1. Check for boot-binding compatibility. If you mix Burton bindings (3x3 holes), with a non-Burton snowboard (4x4 holes) you may need a special plate that comes in the box with Burton bindings. Burton uses a 3-hole pattern, while other brands use a 4 hole pattern. The plate will make sure your gear will mount correctly.
  2. Measure your stance width. Typically, you will want to have your feet shoulder width apart. For the average male, this is around 1/3 of your height or 20 inches (51 cm).
  3. Choose your stance style: Stances includes the duck, alpine, or forward stance. This article assumes you are using a standard, regular stance.
  4. Place the bindings on the board. Locate them your measured stance width apart. While most people will want the bindings centered, you may modify this as you see fit.
    • On a powder day, you may want to move your bindings back towards your rear foot so that your nose tilts slightly up allowing you to float above the powder without needing to lean back.
  5. Set the front binding in the direction you are riding at an angle. For example, if you are riding regular (i.e. right foot in back), you can set the front (left foot) binding facing forward to an angle usually 15-20 degrees. The rear (right foot) binding is usually set to 0 degrees.
  6. Screw the bindings in hard. Tighten the screws. Return to tighten all the screws again. Loose screws will give you a hard time or even cause an accident.
  7. Set your forward lean on the highback. In order to do so, you have to play with the tab at the base of your binding. While there is no rule how to set this, forward leans of 10-15 degrees are common. Use trial and error to find an angle comfortable for your knee and that still lets let you bend enough to keep your balance.
  8. Strap your boots in. Check your straps for safety. Tighten your straps to ensure that your boots don't move. The goal is to tighten the straps as much as possible without constricting your blood or hurting your feet. You are now ready to ride.

Tips

  • Forward lean is one of the most important, and especially for beginners least used, settings. Set your forward lean to a mid to aggressive angle. This forces you to bend your knees and lowers your center of gravity. It also prevents you from locking your knees, a common problem with novice riders.
  • Make sure your boots fit to the binding. Bindings look almost the same. Because of this, it is recommended to buy the boots first and then the bindings.
  • Binding screws have a tendency to work themselves loose, especially after hard aggressive riding, and therefore need tightening throughout the day. To slow or prevent this wrap each screw with a couple layers of Teflon tape. This will make for a tighter fit and the loosening process will take longer.
  • You usually will mount the binding to the inserts in the center of the row, unless you are planning to ride in a big snow. Then you will have to move the binding one or 2 rows back to allow a better floating. Do not move them back if you are riding on the slopes, it will ruin your balance.
  • Before you go out to the slopes or to the mountains, make sure you have a snowboard repair kit.
  • A good way to determine your binding angle settings is to stand behind the board, look straight ahead, not at your feet, and jump straight up. When you land your feet will be at something close to your natural stance. Make the angle settings match your feet. For most people this will be in the neighborhood of 10 degrees for BOTH feet.
  • In case you do not know your riding direction, you have 2 options: ask someone to push you with the leg you put out first as your riding direction, or set your bindings to a small angle left to left right to right--this will allow you to go both ways. Another way to tell your preferred stance is to run up to a soccer ball and give it a good hard kick. The foot you plant with is your dominant foot and should be your forward leg.
  • Strap yourself in and have a friend hold a rope at your shoulder, just above the armpit. If the rope dangles outside your knee the bindings are to close. The rope should dangle either over, or preferably just inside, your knee.
  • The strap snowboard binding is built to be tied to a flexible boot for those who like alpine boarding. For those who like to climb, a loose strap makes the climbing easier. For those who like to board on the slopes, it would be better to go with the step-in.

Warnings

  • Never ride with improperly mounted bindings.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowboard
  • Binding
  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Philips head screwdriver

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