jsil wrote: Tue Mar 04, 2025 9:06 pm
This didn't shear the screw off. The cleat actually ripped off the back of the boot completely. Boot and all.
Yeah, zooming in it looks like the screw actually stayed in the boot and the cleat broke around it (the pant clip is still hanging there and uses the same screw). Either way, the point stands. Obviously not every rider cruising groomers will encounter that, but I'm not reaching for them on a pow or park day, personally.
IMG_7771.jpeg
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Look at the end of the video he shows the back of his boot. It's exploded.
It's not normal, but failures happen on all gear. Me and my buddies have ridden them on countless pow and park days and it's fine, but we also aren't sending cliffs more then probably 15 feet. Either way, I still stand by having more equipment failures on standard bindings than these... But half of the my standard binding failures have likely been because I let screws get loose.
jsil wrote: Tue Mar 04, 2025 9:06 pm
This didn't shear the screw off. The cleat actually ripped off the back of the boot completely. Boot and all.
Yeah, zooming in it looks like the screw actually stayed in the boot and the cleat broke around it (the pant clip is still hanging there and uses the same screw). Either way, the point stands. Obviously not every rider cruising groomers will encounter that, but I'm not reaching for them on a pow or park day, personally.
IMG_7771.jpeg
IMG_7770.jpeg
IMG_7772.jpeg
Look at the end of the video he shows the back of his boot. It's exploded.
It's not normal, but failures happen on all gear. Me and my buddies have ridden them on countless pow and park days and it's fine, but we also aren't sending cliffs more then probably 15 feet. Either way, I still stand by having more equipment failures on standard bindings than these... But half of the my standard binding failures have likely been because I let screws get loose.
Jesus Christ. You're like a battered woman who won't press charges on her abusive husband.
Spenser wrote: Tue Mar 04, 2025 7:12 pm
*For the record, I'm not posting this to imply anything about stepon, just sharing it
Mitch and I are gonna rip some laps tomorrow so I'll get the full deets from him and see if I can get a photo of the back of the boot so you can all
see what it looks like
SLC, UT - Cardiff Snowcraft - Union - Spark R & D - AK457 - DC - Dang - Milosport -
would like to hear more info for sure. that kind of impact could've done similar damage to a strap bindings, cracked the board, or done some knee damage, so needing to replace some boots/bindings may not be the worst case scenario here.
coleslawed wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 11:58 am
would like to hear more info for sure. that kind of impact could've done similar damage to a strap bindings, cracked the board, or done some knee damage, so needing to replace some boots/bindings may not be the worst case scenario here.
ah....doubt it. straps working are a completely different mechanism.
straps are used to stop the boot from lifting. any force down on the boot is absorbed by the footbed and most modern bindings have a lot of foam in the footbed, which soak up the shock from heavy impact.
step-on use the cleat (attached by a single screw) to the back of the boot and 2 hooks in the front of the boot, to stop the boot lift off the binding. but because the cleat has to stay put when stepping in, it is limited also to any downward movement of the boot. when the cleat bottoms out on the highback slot, that force is transferred to the boot heel. (as in this clip the force ripped the cleat out of the boot)
also straps a pliable, compared to the hard, rigid cleat. so are more forgiving when there is a lot of boot movement.
coleslawed wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 11:58 am
would like to hear more info for sure. that kind of impact could've done similar damage to a strap bindings, cracked the board, or done some knee damage, so needing to replace some boots/bindings may not be the worst case scenario here.
ah....doubt it. straps working are a completely different mechanism.
straps are used to stop the boot from lifting. any force down on the boot is absorbed by the footbed and most modern bindings have a lot of foam in the footbed, which soak up the shock from heavy impact.
step-on use the cleat (attached by a single screw) to the back of the boot and 2 hooks in the front of the boot, to stop the boot lift off the binding. but because the cleat has to stay put when stepping in, it is limited also to any downward movement of the boot. when the cleat bottoms out on the highback slot, that force is transferred to the boot heel. (as in this clip the force ripped the cleat out of the boot)
also straps a pliable, compared to the hard, rigid cleat. so are more forgiving when there is a lot of boot movement.
just saying.....prove me wrong
NB: this does not hating on step-ons.
Anything can break, but I agree with you. At the very least, assuming you didn't get hurt, your boot for sure isn't going to break. I have definitely seen bindings baseplates crack though and the disc stays attached while the binding rips off while you're boot is still strapped down.
I'm pretty sure it's the Jones boards fault. Wonky SOB shot weak vibrations right out the back of his boot.
jk. Can I speculate (due to how confidently he ripped off that cliff pretty) that this is likely the result of many hard landings and that the heel cleat/screw should be inspected on regular basis same as any binding hardware.
I will concede that in a BC environment this particular failure is no bueno. Hopefully his toe clips worked well enough. Could probably use an touring strap in a pinch if you had one.
I wonder if it would make sense to have a din setting release thing like ski bindings? Not even joking here. The above situation is perfect case where it would be better if the bindings disengaged on impact rather than breaking.
Kevington wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:51 pm
I wonder if it would make sense to have a din setting release thing like ski bindings? Not even joking here. The above situation is perfect case where it would be better if the bindings disengaged on impact rather than breaking.
that would be so heavy....
or you could stick with 2 straps bindings like most advanced riders that do heavy cliff drops
Kevington wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:51 pm
I wonder if it would make sense to have a din setting release thing like ski bindings? Not even joking here. The above situation is perfect case where it would be better if the bindings disengaged on impact rather than breaking.
that would be so heavy....
or you could stick with 2 straps bindings like most advanced riders that do heavy cliff drops
Well yes, that would be one solution.
I was more suggesting that if Burton/Step-on are trying to make their system the industry norm then some sort of release mechanism that activates under the heaviest of impacts might make sense. Something that kicks in before your boots break would be nice.
