I'd been observing the evolution of the softboot binding since jjue first tested the Rockerbinding last season, but didn't like the 4 (rubber?) riser cylinders in the second iteration of the Rockerbinding and didn't see any first generation bindings for sale.
There was another option on the market (excluding the plastic alternative tossed up by Doc): the GGO binding. It appealed to me; everything kind of exuded "industrial strength": aluminum highback, riser, and base snowboard binding.
http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forum...ad.php?t=12326
So I hounded bee to let me buy the setup, then hounded him some more, because I knew I didn't want to skiboard again in hardboots.
My setup: 2009 Ride LX bindings, GGO's Middle Man riser & Spine highback on Summit Custom 110 Woodies, and Salomon Malamute boots (one of the suggested "stiff" snowboard boots for this off-prescription use).
Additionally, I experimented with "duckfoot" from reading recent reviews on this forum, as well as pointing my toes in 3 degrees "pigeontoed", I guess?
I found that traditional orientation worked better than duckfoot, and pointing my toes in 3 degrees, "pigeontoed" worked slightly better. Going duckfoot, I wasn't able to "grip" the slope as well and was more likely to skid the back end of the skiboards out as opposed to carving. Regardless, I appreciated the ability to adjust the orientation of the skiboards via the bindings to fit me, as opposed to me having to adjust to the skiboards.
The skiboards got on edge as easily as they did in hardboots, and I don't know whether they were confidence-inspiring or I was just getting cocky, but I found myself being (even) more playful on the slopes than normal.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the technology, and will soon get rid of my hard boots.
Thanks for getting them to me prior to my trip, GGO!
There was another option on the market (excluding the plastic alternative tossed up by Doc): the GGO binding. It appealed to me; everything kind of exuded "industrial strength": aluminum highback, riser, and base snowboard binding.
http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forum...ad.php?t=12326
So I hounded bee to let me buy the setup, then hounded him some more, because I knew I didn't want to skiboard again in hardboots.
My setup: 2009 Ride LX bindings, GGO's Middle Man riser & Spine highback on Summit Custom 110 Woodies, and Salomon Malamute boots (one of the suggested "stiff" snowboard boots for this off-prescription use).
Additionally, I experimented with "duckfoot" from reading recent reviews on this forum, as well as pointing my toes in 3 degrees "pigeontoed", I guess?
I found that traditional orientation worked better than duckfoot, and pointing my toes in 3 degrees, "pigeontoed" worked slightly better. Going duckfoot, I wasn't able to "grip" the slope as well and was more likely to skid the back end of the skiboards out as opposed to carving. Regardless, I appreciated the ability to adjust the orientation of the skiboards via the bindings to fit me, as opposed to me having to adjust to the skiboards.
The skiboards got on edge as easily as they did in hardboots, and I don't know whether they were confidence-inspiring or I was just getting cocky, but I found myself being (even) more playful on the slopes than normal.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the technology, and will soon get rid of my hard boots.
Thanks for getting them to me prior to my trip, GGO!
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