What are Snowboard Bindings?

• Snowboard bindings are crucial in order for your boots to fit snugly and tightly into your snowboard. Do not attempt to ride a snowboard without snowboard bindings. Different snowboarders prefer different kinds of binding, depending on the type of riding they do. Some binding types include:
  Strap Bindings, the most popular and standard for everyday riding, Step-In Bindings, for freestyle riders who do not attempt tricks,
  Flow-In Bindings, for skilled snowboarders,
  Baseless Bindings, for stunt snowboarders,
  Plate Bindings for racers.
  If you are just starting out, it's best to purchase or rent standard Strap Bindings until you are more comfortable on your snowboard.
  
  

The Fit and Angle of Snowboard Bindings

• Snowboard Bindings come in small, medium and large. Do not follow these sizes according to your foot size, but instead the size of your snowboard boots. The key is to keep your feet snug in your boots and on the snowboard without feeling like you're going to slip. When you adjust the straps to fit your foot, there should not be a large amount of strap flopping around your feet. If you are experiencing this, your bindings are too large.
  The angle of snowboard bindings depends on your comfort. The highback, which is the long plate on the back of the binding, provides heel and leg support. The base of the snowboard binding should be 90 degrees, or flat against the snowboard, and the highback should run perpendicularly to the base, between 90 and 100 degrees. Some highbacks are more flexible than others, so make sure that your calves and heels are fully supported by the highback for standard snowboarding.
  Use a more flexible highback for tricks and stunts, where more leg flexibility is required. If you are a stunt snowboarder, you will want to allow your legs and ankles to have a high range of motion. Purchase Snowboard Bindings with no highback, like Baseless Bindings, for the most flexibility.
  
  

How to Purchase Snowboard Bindings

• Snowboard bindings are available at ski stores and other stores where sports equipment is sold. Always rent snowboards, boots and bindings before you purchase in order to get the feel of them. You may decide snowboarding isn't all it's cracked up to be, so try out the equipment before investing heavily in it. Once you decide you're in it for the long haul, be honest with yourself about what type of snowboarder you are. Do not purchase Baseless Bindings for stunts if you haven't mastered the slopes yet. Inexperienced snowboarders can get hurt trying to learn tricks too quickly, so if you haven't had a lot of practice, stay with the strap bindings or flow-In bindings until you're fully comfortable.