Binding Leashes

[Gleb]

Must... resist.... off-color... coment.

don't fight the urge, its human nature!!!!!!

[two_ravens]

A few years back at Snow King I saw a board come flying down the hill from about 400 vertical feet up, having come off the foot of someone riding the lift. The base of the lift I was at is tucked in under the hill, next to a warming hut. The board just missed the building and came rocketing into the lift area, missing the lifty by less than a foot at neck level. He would have been very dead had it hit him. I am a big advocate of safe handling of snowboards on the hill, including use of leashes.

[newcarver]

Have had a board shoot out from under me when I was trying to latch the front foot toe bail. I had rear leg on the center of the board and my feet went up in the air and my board took off. :o Luckily I was at the bottom of the hill getting ready to go up the lift. Wish I had a leash then.

[Gecko]

I never "need" to adjust my front boot during the day so I'm not likely to even touch the release...I usually have to unzip my pants leg to even find it. My rear is connected to a pants integrated strap so even reading down to touch my board is a rarity

[Radial]

I was riding this morning. Very wet new snow which was balling up on my boot. I thought I was clicked in to my Intec/TD2s. Cranked into the first turn on steep run and BAM my back foot was out..... I guess I wasn't actually in...

Maybe this leash idea isn't so bad.

[KingCrimson]

That's very much the case here in SoCal. Snow that gums up bindings, sticks to everything, and is generally a PITA.

[Fleaman]

I use a leash but leashes are only good when the person is clicked into their bindings.

If the person is not clicked in and he lets go of the board by accident or maybe slips and lets go, depending on the outcome, the board might fall base down and become a rocket. Nothing you can do to prevent that other than ban Snowboard.which would be detrimental to our sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Coloradoking]

useless... it ticks me off that resorts think that all snowboarders are so incompetent that we cant hold onto our own boards. the probability is so negligable of breaking 2 bindings at ONCE that it should not even be considered by anyone. it's a stereotype.

[Steve Prokopiw]

my long leashes.They allow me to carry the board slung over my shoulder.Great for hiking and holding the board still while clipping in.I'm a bit surprised to read what a sore issue this is.My resort requires them anyway.

[KingCrimson]

useless... it ticks me off that resorts think that all snowboarders are so incompetent that we cant hold onto our own boards. the probability is so negligable of breaking 2 bindings at ONCE that it should not even be considered by anyone. it's a stereotype.

Oh really? Explain to me the snowboard rocketing down Mt. Baldy today. The rider took a hard carve, locked into a mogul, and snapped his top straps. The board promptly descended the double black with ease, and disappeared.

Think it was a POS? Brand new Morrow deck with carbon fibre/fiber glass rear plate bindings. They were things of beauty.

I rode my Speed today without leashes, never again after seeing that guy.

Fleaman, why is a leash no good if you're not clicked in? That's the whole point. If you're not clicked in and the board decides it wants to finish the run without you, the leash holds the board.

[ecnalubma]

About umpty odd years ago, I was trying out a new set up at Snoqualime Pass and sufferd the double ejectulation. I hadn't bothered with a laesh yet 'cause I figured I'd be making some adjustments. I made a couple easy turns, cranked a heelside and....... "POP" The board looked like a missle locking on target, and I took off after it in my very speedy Flexon comps. As i'm doing my best Forrest Gump downhill after it some, %$@^ grommet on the lift decides to tell me all about the latest advancements in leash technology, so I thank him kindly with a great big NJ flip off, being that I was wearing mittens I'm not sure he really got the message. The moral of this story?................ I shoulda worn gloves! ( and maybe a leash)

[KingCrimson]

Now THAT is comedy! :lol:

Yeah, my bails were real tight, I just don't want to take any chances after seeing that board disappear. I'd imagine the guy was bothered by loosing a brand new board. However, he's lucky. He'd be significantly more bothered if it had taken out one of the many ski prodigies on the slope.

[Fleaman]

Fleaman, why is a leash no good if you're not clicked in? That's the whole point. If you're not clicked in and the board decides it wants to finish the run without you, the leash holds the board.

if the snowboard is let go at the top of the mountain it will go to the bottom. Skis have brakes and can be left unattended. I have never seen someone walking around with their board in hand and leash attached to their foot or leg.

If I throw my board down the hill it will go until it flips over onto its bindings. The leash does nothing. unless it is attached to the person and the chances of the bindings breaking together is extremely small.

If I throw a pair of skis down the hill, it will be stopped by the brakes.

In my experience, runaway snowboards are always let go by the user on purpose, not by bindings breaking.

[KingCrimson]

I still don't completely understand what you're saying.

In your case, the leash doesn't stop the board, despite the fact that it's attached?

There's no reason not to run a leash. If that guy had spent 10 bucks on a leash, he'd still have his sled, regardless of how it got away. They are cheap insurance. Would you remove the safety on a firearm, and say it's okay just because you're a competent marksman? In my mind, that's a fair comparison. Both can badly injure, and easily kill a being. So what if it takes you an extra 30 seconds at most to fiddle with a leash before unhooking both feet. You know what's a real pain in the ass? Getting nailed with a board.

[Fleaman]

In your case, the leash doesn't stop the board, despite the fact that it's attached?

runaway boards almost never happen with binding failure, they are sent down by accident or sometimes on purpose.

people walking around with or unattended boards are not attached to their rider.

eg:I ride halfway down the hill, take off my leash and put my board against a tree to take a piss. I turn around and bump the board and it falls over and begins to rocket down the hill. I had a leash on it but why didn't it stop? This is the point I am trying to make.

Yes the leash will save the board during a failure but that is only if the baseplate stays on the board. If you rip the bindings out completely it is gone.

[KingCrimson]

Ah, sorry about that, didn't understand what you meant. People are so consistent about leaving surfboard leashes on, I think it's silly that it can't be the case with snowboards. Who says you have to unclick to piss? I never have.

Heck, if you're a girl and you've got really good balance, you STILL wouldn't have to unclick.:D

[NateW]

There's no reason not to run a leash. If that guy had spent 10 bucks on a leash, he'd still have his sled, regardless of how it got away. They are cheap insurance. Would you remove the safety on a firearm, and say it's okay just because you're a competent marksman? In my mind, that's a fair comparison. Both can badly injure, and easily kill a being.

You'd probably be amazed to learn how many handguns don't have safeties these days. For example:

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-2491.html

In Blackhawk Down there's a scene where one soldier says to another, "hey man, your safety's off." The other soldier points to his own head and says, "this is my safety."

Opinions differ, of course. I'd rather have safety, and I use a leash, but I can see why some people don't.

[pokkis]

If i have to take my board off on slope, to walk or to lay it down for any odd reason, i will make loop of leash around board so if it will start to glide down slope, then leash will slow down speed and guide it to side of slope. Clearly this does not stop board in deep slope but anyway it will limit speed, and possible damages to board and by standers.

I wear always leash, it is also mandatory in most Nordic resorts.

[KingCrimson]

Opinions differ, of course. I'd rather have safety, and I use a leash, but I can see why some people don't.

I don't fully understand why someone wouldn't want one. I could understand that you wouldn't want to be told to have a leash because you're incompetent and can't put your binding on without shooting a missile down the slope, but 10 dollars, to possibly save a life?

That's a portrait of Alexander Hamilton I'm glad to see go.

[Gleb]

today we heard this from a guy on the side of the trail:

"Oh s**t. OH f***. OH F***!! NOOOO!"

as his board torpedoes down. I wonder if it ended up hitting anyone, but I really wonder why he had his board off too.

[KingCrimson]

At Baldy, I frequently had my board off, but only when I ended up sitting in rocks and dirt when I hooked a carve, thought "WOW!" and then didn't switch over.

Then again, boards don't go fast in dirt.

[pebu]

First off, I almost never have my board off anywhere but at the bottom of the hill. I find no reason for it. Then again I'm more comfortable ON my board than I am anywhere else. If I do have to take off my board (the one time I helped an old lady get out of the pow) then I ALWAYS put it slippery side facing UP.

[KingCrimson]

I ALWAYS put it slippery side facing UP.

Just as anyone with a half decent brain would, but in our sport, there tends to be people who aren't fortunate enough to think in that capacity..such as bindings will dig into snow.

[KingCrimson]

Well, the only way a leash could kill a person is if... You ran bonsai style at someone, managed to jump 6 feet in the air WITH the board attached to your foot, and wrap it around their throat, and stood there with your leg all the way up whilst the board slowly strangled them.

Now a lack of a leash could be a different story.

[Dan]

Well, the only way a leash could kill a person is if... You ran bonsai style

From Merriam-Webster: <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonsai">bonsai</a>

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural bonsai

Etymology: Japanese, literally, tray planting

Date: 1900

a potted plant (as a tree) dwarfed (as by pruning) and trained to an artistic shape; also : the art of growing such a plant