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Anyone ridden the Now IPO bindings (with backs off)?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've just bought a completely new set up inc Now IPO bindings. The guys at the shop advised my to remove the high backs but I'm not sure at this stage, I think I'll go old school first before trying anything 'exotic'

This is partly because I've just got a new (stiffer) board, new (stiffer) boots and new bindings, so don't want to go too far with 'new' techniques at the same time.

Has anyone had any experience of these bindings?
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've not tried them.

Out of interest if you didn't want to go too far with 'new' techniques why did you choose such unusual bindings? The whole no-back thing to my mind is going to impact on your heel edge control considerably.

(waits for someone to arrive and say it's not going to matter if you've great technique, I can snowboard on a 4'x8" timber with two bits of burlap nailed on etc.)
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
rogg wrote:
I've not tried them.

Out of interest if you didn't want to go too far with 'new' techniques why did you choose such unusual bindings? The whole no-back thing to my mind is going to impact on your heel edge control considerably.



Good question - the short answer is I got drawn into the sales pitch. The guy spoke with so much passion about being at one with the board and having greater control / more response and Now IPO's winning awards etc that I fancied a piece of the action, especially as I really really want to improve / progress my riding.

The longer answer is that I would describe my riding as moving from beginner to intermediate, on my last trip I progressed from doing reds to doing a few blacks (not very gracefully I must say) including "Le Face" and Val Di. As my speed started to increase and I got onto steeper pistes, my current board (Bataleon Whatever 159) didn't feel stiff or big enough to support me (16 stone, 6 foot 1 and 10.5 feet) so I went board shopping for something that would help me progress my riding - after a lot of web research I chose the Bataleon Goliath 161.

In tandam to that, I also needed new boots as my existing ones had packed out (heel raising, feet moving around) so bought a pair of Salomon F2.0s which are stiff.

New boots, new board, what not go the whole hog and get new bindings especially when the sales pitch was so good?

When I got home and thought about it, I probably realised I'd bitten off more than I could chew - a stiffer board, stiffer boots AND new style bindings with a different feel to them.

I'm off to Hemel next week to try the new board, new boots and existing bindings (Burton Custom). If I get on with that set up, then I will change the bindings to the Now IPOs. If I get on with that, then I 'may' take the backs off.

We'll see!
ski holidays
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
The board change was definitely the right move for you, that will help. IPO's not so sure about yet but would be interested to hear how you get on!
If you want to really improve you need to get some decent coaching, ideally 1on1. Work on your head and body position, peripheral vision which will help keep your head and body in the correct position. Try taking off your goggles and placing them on top of your head for a few hundred metres, if you can ride without them falling off you will be we'll centred!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Riding without highbacks isn't a big hassle, but does require an adjustment in technique. You need to engage the muscles around your shins a lot more to generate edge angle when on your heel edge.

I can ride sans highbacks at probably 90%+ of my usual performance level, but heelside carves and long heelside traverses do become tiring.

If you ride like that all the time and your shin muscles get stronger, that probably becomes less of an issue.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I got some of these bindings and have been trying to find some reviews on them beyond press releases and sales pitch because i am really struggling with them. they are ok on groomers, fresh snow and can absorb some chatter and vibration and in some turns are really nice but once evrything gets bumpy and chopped up I can't deal with them at all ? Tried them on a 56 banana, a longer powder board but it seems every time i want to really stomp an edge down it does n't work. Don't know if anyone else is finding this ?
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
hsdee, 90% rider, 10% equipment... wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
My advice would be:

1) Leave the highbacks on.
2) Stop being such a sucker and believing what sales and marketing scumbags tell you.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
What Mr Piehole said Laughing

I haven't seen any contest winners or extreme BC riders running sans highback as yet, but then I havent seen anything for a while. Plus, Im not sure i would ride one footed with a loose front binding down a drop rail just because JJ does it Laughing So ignore that whole sentance!

I have to ask though; why ride with less control of the edges? Even if you have awesome technique etc etc, if highbacks help, why NOT use them?
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The best rider I know rides sans highbacks... I know quite a few top-level instructors and BASI trainers who've gone this way.

Highbacks don't necessarily help all the time. Lifting your toes to get heel-edge angle should actually pull your calves away from the highbacks, so they're not really doing much a lot of the time.

Overall, I'm hanging on to mine, but it really makes much less difference than you might think.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
stevomcd wrote:
hsdee, 90% rider, 10% equipment... wink


100% Wink

but i have been trying these bindings on a few different boards and comparing them with some burton diodes and cfx and i currently prefer the burton in difficult snow conditions just trying to find out if anyone else who has these has any issues with them. They do look good though.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
These bindings aren't really that weird, the whole kingpin pivot thing doesn't really do that much other than reel in customers. That said, they're great bindings. I've been riding them for a couple of years and like them a lot. I don't really know why Hsdee above is having problems in bumpy conditions as the bindings absorb shock better than most...

No-highbacks is a good exercise and helps with edge awareness. Whether you leave them off is up to you but give it a chance, it takes some getting used to. I alternate but mostly leave the backs on.

I don't know if it's a beginner/intermediate thing or a forum thing but I reckon not getting super-focused on your gear and whether its exactly right or slightly wrong is a good way to go. Most setups are going to get you there if you relax and get a feel for them. Conversely, the best gear in the world perfectly tuned to your particular skill level and riding style is going to fail you if you obsess over it being wrong. It's 95% in the mind.

I've been riding with people who gave up because they bought the wrong board out, who went home 'cause they had the wrong wax for the snow and worst of all, a friend who knocked it on the head BECAUSE THEY HAD THE WRONG COLOUR LENSES on the same powder day my more psychologically robust mate had already lost his goggles and carried on by squinting a bit.

The industry feeds gear paranoia, I guess it has to. But don't be a mug, strap into whatever and get out there.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Why don't you try this site guys it might be useful to you
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Just come back from testing and reviewing next years kit with 5 others, out of the 6 of us none were that fussed by the Now bindings and none of us picked them as are favourite bindings in our reviews. The idea of the No Backs is to get a more surfy feel when riding which in powder does work but on piste it will require a tad more work especially when using a tbt snowboard. Personally I prefer a locked in feel when riding rather than a loose feeling.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@francium., what did you guys like the most for next year?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Gainz, boards or bindings?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@trainee snowboard jedi, Sorry I'm resurrecting an old thread here, did you ever try the Goliath with Now IPO bindings? Just picked up a Goliath and considering this combo although I've heard the feeling of the Now's pivot is similar to tbt so a bit pointless possibly. Any feedback appreciated, be keen to know how you got on with your Goliath either way Very Happy
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
The Now pivots do absolutely @#%§-all. Comfy, supportive bindings, but the pivot is a gimmick. Hope this helps.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@stevomcd, ok thanks! Ended up with some nitro ramblers, hopefully some uk snow centres will re-open in not too long so i can have a blast!
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Been riding Now drives for 6 years. Like them a lot. Not sure what the kingpin thing achieves, but as stevomcd says they are super comfy (and responsive). Changing the bushings makes a definite difference in response.

The other thing I really like is the tool less system for mounting - NOW sell the extra baseplates with the kingpin mount, so it's easy to run one set of bindings on multiple boards, with a quick change with angles and stance already set up. Makes a big difference for me, because I usually switch boards half way through the day.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@hang11, Nice, yea that sounds like a good feature. This is my first board / binding set up I've bought myself, but when I come to look again I'll check them out. Hopefully we'll be able to get to the mountains this winter? Bloody hope so...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

I know quite a few top-level instructors and BASI trainers who've gone this way.


How many pros are riding without highbacks? Of course none. When they start I will maybe consider it.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:


Quote:

I know quite a few top-level instructors and BASI trainers who've gone this way.


How many pros are riding without highbacks? Of course none. When they start I will maybe consider it.


You'd be surprised. DCP, Halldor and plenty of others have done the no-highback thing at times. It goes in cycles. It was all the rage 10 years ago (which is about the age of this thread....) then it was out of fashion, now it's coming back again a bit, especially with the noboard thing being pretty popular right now. It's a fun thing for pow and rails rather than a high-performance thing though. I use highbacks on all my boards and I'm in no rush to take them off, but I've tried it and it makes surprisingly little difference on the heel edge, as well as giving that fun, loose, surfy feel.
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