PRO TIPS

Solving the top 5 Snowboard binding issues

Bindings get some serious abuse and it’s really frustrating when things go wrong. Here are a few tips to help make your holiday as stress free as possible when strapping in.

Iced up footbeds

It can be very easy for the snow to slowly build up on your base plate and start to give you grief during the day. I always clean the footbed before I strap in, but even with that snow can slowly build up. If that does happen you can use the racket from your heel strap to dislodge the snow.

Getting into your bindings while standing up

Not particularly a binding issue, but a lot of people struggle with this skill. I aim to never sit down to put my board on. It’s way too much effort to get back up. To solve this problem I end up strapping in standing up. This however can be a drama for some as they try to balance on one edge. One way to help you achieve a graceful binding entry is to create a small shelf in the snow.

Just make sure you cut into the snow at right angle so your board will not slide away when you balance on one foot. 

Screws loose?

Bindings have to deal with so much stresses on them that its not surprising that something will eventually work loose. You’ll need to get into a habit of checking your kit on a regular basis to avoid something dropping off when you least need it.

Screws coming loose is a common thing. To help avoid this you can scrape a small amount of snowboard wax on the threads of any suspect screws or use a small amount of plumbers tape to help create a little more friction and reduce the loosening effect.

Broken Straps - Cable ties

It doesn't happen often, but every now and then something will break on your bindings. One way to save on a major slope drama is to have a few heavy duty cable ties in a pocket or rucksack. That way if anything does happen you can at least make it to the nearest rental shop or lift tower where you may stand a better chance of getting things sorted. The most common is a ladder cracking in very cold temperatures after you step on it strapping in.

Iced up ratchets

In the depths of winter if your board is coming in and out of the cold there will be some residual moisture within the ratchet. This can sometimes result in the racket not gripping on the ladder and you cannot do them up. The key with this is to do the binding up while keeping pressure with one finger on the plastic grip that slides over the face of the ladder.

The other extreme is bindings not undoing. Someone might have done them up really tight and they just do not want to release by hand. I find a sturdy kick of the ratchet upwards in the direction of release would often release it.


Hopefully, you will not encounter too many of these issues, yet if you do you'll stand a better chance of dealing with them effectively.

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