Soft Boot/Binding Recommendations for Carving?

[barryj]

No fears..............I'm not totally gone to the dark side ( I'll still ride my hardboot setups on my time on the weekend)........but part of my job has me on the mountain most afternoons M-F under a time constraint and time to put on hardboots and or drive with hardbootsis even the short 5 minutes to the mtn. is a problem.

So I bought a set of power plates and am looking for suggestions from soft boot riders who carve on what boots and bindings I need for all Mtn. riding and carving.

I'm looking for a high performance easy access, easy  to tighten rear entry bindings   and I assume I would use a stiff Softboot

 

What do the masters say???

[svr]

Barryj,

Based on what you are looking for, my recommendation is to check out slopetool's setups as they would probably suit you best.

 

check here as well: 

 

[drschwartz]

Flow NX2- GT hybrids. Stiff, but easy to get in and out of, particularly when you get buried in the deep stuff.

[drschwartz]

For boots, the D.C. Judge and scout boots are both pretty stiff and yet I find them comfortable.

[JRAZZ]

 

I'll second the Flow NX2 recommendation.

Last week I mangled my bindings (nother story) so instead of missing a day on the mountain I went to my local used gear store and found a pair of Flow NX2 for $30.  Figured what the hell.  I was really impressed!  The were plenty supportive but the best thing was stepping in and out.  

 

That being said, I would invest in boots.  Good stiff boots like Burton DriverX or Malamutes would pay dividends in control.

[barryj]

THey! thanks for all the info guys! 

So why the Flow NX2 GT Hybrid over the standard NX2 GT ?? 

How does the K2 Cinch TX rate??

Also I read you guys are concerned about the total combined weight with using power plates ?   Surely the combined weight of board/binding and power plate is still much much less than combined TD3 SW SI + Track 700 + Fintec Heels + BTS.... I ride that all day..........but dragging it to the Mtn. every day is a load!

[lordmetroland]

1 hour ago, barryj said:

So why the Flow NX2 GT Hybrid over the standard NX2 GT ?? 

I'd go the opposite direction, with the standard over the Hybrid. My experience was that the cap strap made it nearly impossible to take advantage of the much-desired, keep-your-butt-dry, ease of entry, which is the whole point of the Flows. But if you want to be the subject of a slow motion slapstick routine at the top of the hill every time you buckle in, the Hybrid would be my obvious choice. As far as the Cinch goes, I'm not sure I'd be all that excited about the plastic chassis.

[softbootsurfer]

there never has been a reason to sit on ones butt when strapping in or out, ...I have strapped in and out for years without my Butt ever touching the ground... just sayin  

Edited November 21, 2016 by softbootsailer

[lordmetroland]

13 minutes ago, softbootsailer said:

there never has been a reason to sit on ones butt when strapping in or out, ...I have strapped in and out for years without my Butt ever touching the ground... just sayin  

Like I said, try that maneuver with the Flow Hybrid straps and you may find yourself slowly sliding down the mountain toward certain injury/embarrassment, while feverishly trying - and failing - to actuate the rear lever. All day long. This may just be (and was) my own personal experience, because I'm well known as an idiot and a rube, but I don't have to sit to click into my El Hefes or Cateks. And I'm assuming that moving to the Flow standard straps will be an improvement, but I haven't been able to test them yet.

[Mig]

21 minutes ago, softbootsailer said:

there never has been a reason to sit on ones butt when strapping in or out, ...I have strapped in and out for years without my Butt ever touching the ground... just sayin  

Yeah, never sat down to strap in with over 37 years of riding.

[Mig]

As far as boots go, I like'em stiff. The Burton Driver X are the ones that work for me. But I do not ride them stock. I switch the liner for a moldable powerwrap style one, and add a custom powerstrap.

Edited November 21, 2016 by Mig

[JRAZZ]

28 minutes ago, lordmetroland said:

Like I said, try that maneuver with the Flow Hybrid straps and you may find yourself slowly sliding down the mountain toward certain injury/embarrassment, while feverishly trying - and failing - to actuate the rear lever. All day long. This may just be (and was) my own personal experience, because I'm well known as an idiot and a rube, but I don't have to sit to click into my El Hefes or Cateks. And I'm assuming that moving to the Flow standard straps will be an improvement, but I haven't been able to test them yet.

I did notice a general movement when trying to bind in on one of the runs.  Turns out the run itself was much shorter as well.  Interesting.

[xy9ine]

1 hour ago, Mig said:

As far as boots go, I like'em stiff. The Burton Driver X are the ones that work for me. But I do not ride them stock. I switch the liner for a moldable powerwrap style one, and add a custom powerstrap.

i love my drivers out of the box. really impressed with the support they give - so much so i didn't touch my hardboot setup last year (though mig's kickass board had a lot to do with that as well). also love the (much) lighter weight of the softie setup. not to mention comfort. ease of walking, etc. been on hardboots exclusively for a bunch of years; coming back to (modern) softies was a bit of a revelation. the current crop of light & stiff highbacks rock as well.  

the seasonal stoke is coming on strong for me... 

Edited November 21, 2016 by xy9ine

[Mig]

2 minutes ago, xy9ine said:

(though mig's kickass board had a lot to do with that as well)

Thanks for the props @xy9ine!

Greatly appreciated!!!

[softbootsurfer]

also a personal note on Malamutes...had 3 pairs, 4 o 5 seasons ago?, each broke down in 2 weeks (14 days) with my 3 straps...each pair had these stringers to stiffen the top to ankle flex and I snapped them and then the bottom part turned to mush...bought 1 pair the other two were warranty replacements, they would not go for another pair, though they saw the damage done...they may have changed the design since then however?

[Sasquatch_Surfer]

I'll second the others on the Burton Driver X for boots. I use Burton bindings too, the Cartel's are probably the stiffest, but since you want rear-entry, the recommended Flow bindings seem to be the ticket. The Cartels are nice, but I ride low angles and when that heel cup touches down, it seems to end in a slide out situation. Guess that could be solved with more angle, but ... Was considering trying the Flows for just that reason.

[Eric Brammer aka PSR]

Dee-Lux Sparks for boots. Technine, btw has some nice 'powerwing' highbacks at a good price; low profile to the heel, and adjustable ramping at the toe thru the insole, plus straps that ratchet with two clips, allowing for centering of the ankle/toe straps in relation to the boot (nice if you use differing boots in different snow!). Not rear-entry, but, I don't sit to buckle up with these usually, and, I don't wait too long on days with Freshies; for anyone, except my kids...

 

 

[SnowFerret]

Ride Insanos are a pretty stiff boot. Only 2 complaints: 1) Some ingress/egress difficulty 2) Cosmetic wear is faster than expected.

[AJCdice]

I second PSR on Sparks.  Stiff, quality and support the company still making hardboots for the majority of us.

[barryj]

Thanks for all the info guys!  

Before the power plates arrive it sounds like I've got shopping and testing to do these next few weeks!!

[carvedog]

19 hours ago, Eric Brammer aka PSR said:

Dee-Lux Sparks for boots. Technine, btw has some nice 'powerwing' highbacks at a good price; low profile to the heel, and adjustable ramping at the toe thru the insole, plus straps that ratchet with two clips, allowing for centering of the ankle/toe straps in relation to the boot (nice if you use differing boots in different snow!). Not rear-entry, but, I don't sit to buckle up with these usually, and, I don't wait too long on days with Freshies; for anyone, except my kids...

 

 

 

Very interested in both of these items. I really don't like that heel cup on Burton binders, not interested in the flow so much. Which Sparks boot are you happy with? And which Technine binder?  They use terms like Single scrub or double Scrub = I am not sure what. Translation? Also in the spark when I click on the 8-10 stiffer flex rating there is only the Spark Summit and Spark XV both in 'backcountry' that come up. 

For reference I ride well more than 50% in HBs, and still do most lower level teaching in Burton SI. I have a couple of pairs of newer soft boots to try out. Both Solomon and Burton for a 'regular' binding, but not sold yet on the arch crushers. Thx. 

 

[Eric Brammer aka PSR]

With the Spark, the one with the tongue insert was what I tried last season (Summit?). It had seperate lacing for toe/mid-foot(which was a Boa cable), and cuff, plus a velcro power wrap. Ran a bit long at the sole, but with my size 27 Mondo, I didn't boot out.  It looks like T-9 isn't doing the Bradshaw anymore?! Oh well. That binding had the thin heel cup, good toe strap (and you could fit a non-cap-strap to the toe easily), Powerwing type highback with a solid foward lean, and you could rotate the highback within the horsehoe.

For this season, it looks like the Carbon is the only one left for riding on edge, and it has the thicker plastic base, which protrudes to the sides when you mount above 24* of angle. The wrap-around highbacks in the rest of the line seem not to have a forward lean adjust, and are using metal tube bars bolted across the back of the horseshoe? Yikes... I'm not sure I'd like what's offered now, looks iffy to me for '017 models of T-9...

[JRAZZ]

Slight aside...  What angles are you running with soft-boots?

I'm running 27-9 which gives me great control but makes it hard to align my shoulders across the board.  Should I be running steeper angles?

[slopestar]

Flow NX2-GT standard not hybrid

add power plates from Bomber!

put them on a Donek saber or flux.

Add stiff softies like Flow Talon...

ride it like you stole it! 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by slopestar

[Eric Brammer aka PSR]

With Softies, I run what fits the board's width, as I do in hardshells  (although, with plates, there's the luxury of being just a bit 'inboard' of putting the toes/heels right above the edge).  But, I look, too, at the board's mission. If it's like my Rad-Air World Wide (which, I have a 'small' size, 153cm; they made them up to 165cm), I can kinda pick how I'll ride it, but for Park/Pipe/freedoggin' , 15 F, -3 R is common for me, but it can go up to 33 F and 18 R for Carving/BX/powder freeriding. I stay close to 21" of stance width, though some boards I own are narrow (like vintage Sims/Burton/Barfoot-18" or so).

On skinnier boards like the Volkl Cross, it's limited to being only 'directional', prefers a lift-plate, and is for Freecarving/Speed/BX, not really for deep+fluffy, nor much switch. That'll run angles in the upper 20's thru upper 30's, usually up front, and no less than (boot-drag limited, with a lifter) than 15 at the rear. My 'Splay', or differential of angle from front-to-rear stays in the range of 21 degrees (using a Duck stance) to 9 degrees (using 3rd-straps or Gnu Tongues, at pretty high angles), and the variance is also due to how 'tail-happy' or 'slidey' a board is. Some boards really don't like to be tossed around at the tail (Cross, as example), while boards like my O-Sin 4807 Swallowtail demand a straight-across back foot to 'swish' the back end in fluff. Park type boards tend towards being 'slidey' and less 'directional', thus also having a more-across-the-board stance (often I'll go 24 F & 12 R, my old Pipe stance).

I rarely exceed 39 F, though with Torque bindings, that can work up to 45 F. The steeper angle, though, requires upper support that most highbacks cannot provide, going into heelside turns. Thus, power-wings do good things above 21 F, on up to 36+-F in increasing leverage into heelside turns. This, btw, is 'why' changing where your highback's hinge point anchors to the baseplate can be crucial; You want that highback to be as close to in-line with the board's edge as you can, to project power into the heelside turn sooner! One thing I am consistent with is that my heels are not going to catch until the board is WAY up on edge, 75* or more. I hate landing on my rump due to Binding/booting out!!

Toe ramps are part of my setup, unless pressing on rails/boxes/logslides, where then I'll back off to flat+padded if needed. My toes are usually not going to catch unless the board gets up on edge past 60* of tilt, and if I can, I'll keep the toes just-over-the-sidewall to allow a deep carve. One thing, though; You can FEEL when your toes start to scrub, and React! Heels, not-so-much! I also fall more gracefully when 'tripping' over my toes than falling backwards onto my bum...

Most of my softboot boards are wider than 24cm at the waist, most are less than 170 cm, and usually have upturned tails. 3  notable exceptions in the current Quiver are the two Big Tankers (200cm, and 182cm, and a 186 Nitro Diablo, and one that got away, was the 205cm Safari (and two M8's, 3 Racerooms, and a Comp 3, oh, and a Sims 1800; all from way-back-when). Of course, old Swallowtails get a more straight-across stance, as they DO NOT go Fakie!  My fave softbooting board is still my '94 Gordo FF 151 Sym-Asym. It's FAT, has a ridiculously tight sidecut set, Floats Great, is stiff, buttery, and HEAVY like a tank (or 60's vintage Saab!). With it, I can usually let people downhill of me pick out the base graphic while I turn.