Bindings Bindings Bindings

Bindings are somehow the most important and least important part of my set up. My take on purchasing them is usually to invest extra money to get the nicest ones, so I don't have to buy new ones for as long as possible. As long as they hold my feet to my board, I feel they are doing their job, but after demoing a few at Mammoth last week, I realize how important it is to invest in the right ones and not just what costs most or looks coolest.

The first pair of bindings I ever had were Ride Vixens. They lasted a really long time, but that was about 10 years ago, so they're probably a bit irrelevant.

From there I moved on to Rome Madison's. These were my favorite bindings of all time. The toe caps blew my mind and the straps were super comfortable. The only issue I ever had with them was that they had metal ratchets and when it was extremely cold, they had a tendency to lock up. Luckily, Rome has toolless micro adjusting and I could easily get myself out from the other side if need be.

My original Madison's in the gold/brown color way.

This year, going with my non Burton route, I purchased some Union Legacy's. They are the highest end in the women's line and the prettiest ones. I was pretty hyped on these before I used them a lot of times. In all fairness, they are light and durable and look sweet, but the ratchets on the toe caps lock like crazy! And unlike Rome, they have a screw in them, so I find myself standing in front of the deck at Bear looking like an idiot far too often. Once these bad boys lock up, there's not too much one can do to get them undone.

This year's Legacy's. They certainly are pretty.

When I got to Demo Days, I decided I was going to try the new Rome Madison's. Mine are about 6 years old now, so I was excited to see the upgrades. I would say I was pleasantly surprised, except for that I wasn't surprised at all. I figured these bindings would deliver and they definitely did. They somehow even managed to make the best toe caps ever even better! The ankle straps are squishy and comfortable and they added canted footbeds. Canted beds add a bit of an angle under the foot to help align your knees and legs properly. Although, I have talked to people who prefer a traditional footbed, I'm all about the cant! They come with traditional beds as well, if you want them. The two color ways are awesome! One is black with some iridescent highlights and the other is Marie France Roy's pro model with brown leather. Thank you Rome for making the best bindings ever.

This is the 2014 MFR color way. Still cool, but nowhere near next season's.

When I purchased my Unions, I almost got Burton Escapade's instead. I had a chance to try these with the Burton boards I tried and although I didn't like them quite as much as the Rome's, I still enjoyed them! The heel hammock feature helps for extra grip and dampening (shock absorbance), the colors look good and the ankle strap is as good as they come. My favorite feature is how the ankle strap has a flex in the side of it so it just flaps open when you're strapping in to avoid stepping on it.

This year's Escapade. Next year's black color way is quite similar.

All in all, I feel like I got a well rounded experience with a few of the biggest binding companies on the market. Personally, I would stick with the Rome Madison's, but for those of you going EST, the Burton Escapade's are killer as well. I still have faith in Union, but I think it might take them a couple more seasons of upgrades to really tweak them to perfection.

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