Rob Stevens Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 ... and for soft boots, besides. With that in mind, some might want to look away. If you're still here, it's a back binding baseplate that twists when you ride. The highly rotated, rear binding heelside is so great. There's nothing like it. I sure would like to have it again, but only when I want the hip down in the turn effect. The rest of the time, it would be defaulted (like a spring of some kind would hold you there) to a low angle position. It would be stiff, rotation-wise, because it should want to hold you in one spot that only a reasonable(?) amount of effort could overcome. You'd probably never go past the angle of your front foot, so that binding could be fixed, especially if you ride in the high 30's like me. I really want the stability of low angles. That's why, after a bunch of years dedicated to hardboot riding and high angles, switched back to softboots with low angles. That heelside, though... It is the thing i miss the most about that stance. That position and turn just can't be done without the stance. Now that I'm riding without bindings more than anything, I have found I can do this in powder and it feels pretty cool. I'd really like to do it strapped in, but I have an engineering (and possibly minor brain damage) problem. Is this ****ed, or what!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbootsurfer Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I tested this out recently when one of the two bolts that hold my Mission bindings on a Burton channel Supermodel sheared off and allowed my back foot to spin like a lazy susan... I think for Pow and with some practice it could be interesting... going 30 mph on groom and having it happen unexpectedly was plain scary... I know Tom Palka has some theories about this as well...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjl Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 No, I don't think it's stupid; I've pondered this before as well. Actually, I was thinking of having both bindings be free to rotate, and not stiffly, but freely. The positioning of your feet/knees/hips would be enough to put the angles of the bindings where you wanted them. I think it would be hard to get used to, but a pretty awesome, smooooth butter ride when you got used to it. It would finally solve that whole "toesides easier on flatter angles and heelsides easier on steep angle" issue. The engineering issue would be of course how to get smoothly, freely rotating bindings that are still strong in all the other directions. I don't know anything about engineering, but I'm pretty sure that involves a bunch of ball bearings. Also fun to imagine: freely rotating teleboard bindings :) I think that would be useless, as you're completely negating the toeside at flat angles with tele bindings. But funny to imagine riding anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6022040.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I once had the TD2 rear foot bolts get loose and it was funky to make turns with 50 deg on the heelside and then the whole thing rotate down to 20deg for a toeside. It felt good and comfortable, except for my concern about loose bolts. Last week I rode a swallowtail with the rear foot out (soft bindings), just driving the board with the front foot and moving the back foot around. That felt great, and I plan on riding more like that. It was a bit of noboard feeling but with more control (for me) and still legal at the ski resort. I think the idea could be very fun and interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbootsurfer Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I once had the TD2 rear foot bolts get loose and it was funky to make turns with 50 deg on the heelside and then the whole thing rotate down to 20deg for a toeside. It felt good and comfortable, except for my concern about loose bolts. Last week I rode a swallowtail with the rear foot out (soft bindings), just driving the board with the front foot and moving the back foot around. That felt great, and I plan on riding more like that. It was a bit of noboard feeling but with more control (for me) and still legal at the ski resort. I think the idea could be very fun and interesting. Pushing the Parameters... Maybe try the reverse as well Back foot in binding and the front foot loose? :) This is in Pow ? or on groomed too? My own experiences here are few, however Seems to me that one foot locked is needed to give enough leverage for the other foot to spin freely ?The lazy susan idea has been around a long time...should just take some serious practice to enjoy that ride... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted April 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I don't know if I'd want it to rotate freely. I'd worry about it spinning when I hit something minor and I wanted to stay in a certain position. I'd also think, like SBS said, that having the front foot fixed would give you something to lever against. tpalka... Nice! half No is better than no No at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Maybe try the reverse as well Back foot in binding and the front foot loose? :) This is in Pow ? or on groomed too? My own experiences here are few, however Don't mean to threadjack here. I need the front foot in to initiate the turns, I think it'd be super sketch with just the back foot clicked in. I rode in powder, 4-6", but then was able to do gentle carves on the groomer as well. Very low angle carves, very soft and smooth -- but that's partly what appealed to me, how delicate the balance and input. Say yes to the half No! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call me jack Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 people do it on skateboards all the time. I don't see why the theory wouldn't work on a snowboard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbootsurfer Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Don't mean to threadjack here. I need the front foot in to initiate the turns, I think it'd be super sketch with just the back foot clicked in. I rode in powder, 4-6", but then was able to do gentle carves on the groomer as well. Very low angle carves, very soft and smooth -- but that's partly what appealed to me, how delicate the balance and input.Say yes to the half No! That would be sketchy...maybe a different stance and foot locations would work though? How delicate the Balance and Input... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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