BINDINGS

[scrub]

Today I rode a set of Burton Reflex bindings after only riding ESTs for a few years and they worked great except the soles of my feet were sore (Burton Photon boots). I was pretty lucky on getting them centered fore/aft but I’d like a wee bit more stance width adjustment so I’m likely going to look for another set of bindings for my Jamie Lynn.

My current bindings are Malavita hi backs, Cartel straps and Mission baseplates and response wise they felt spot on. Thinking about a set of Union Atlas or Bent Metal transfers.

[pow_hnd]

Step-ons are here to stay, Supermatic is here to stay.

FASE.

I give it 3-4 years. Now that industry on snows and regional trade shows are done. The reports I’ve heard are not good. Buyers are extremely skeptical after some real days on them.

Here’s the general consensus.

They work, for sure. On flat ground and very low angle slopes, they are easy to use.

Anywhere else shit.

If you’re on a steep slope you would normal kick your heel edge into the snow to make a little spot for your board to rest to put your foot in your binding. Well with the FASE when you kick your foot in you knock your whole board out from under you. Multiple people said some version of this and these are people who ride at basically low tier pro levels. It was the same thing trying to strap/kick-in, in pow. Even said he had to sit down twice to get the back foot in, said he couldn’t remember the last time he sat to get into

The majority also said they had to have the toe strap tighter than they prefer. One person said the toe strap killed his toes all day long, but if he loosened it then there was no point to FASE because he had to strap both toe/ankle.

Speaking of the ankle strap, everyone said it’s huge, and nobody said it was comfortable. They didn’t say it was junk or big box store bad, but compared to the industry leaders in bindings, substandard.

Hopefully some of this can be improved in future gens, strap comfort, etc, but there is nothing they can do to improve the physics of having to kick your boot in.

One buyer had said he was hyped on them in the initial intro and when they saw the samples in meetings. After real life use, not so hyped, he will buy some, but in quantities smaller than he had originally anticipated.

Honestly, I’m not surprised. As I said when we initially started talking about this binding on here. There is absolutely nothing new on the FASE bindings. All of these features have been in the market before and disappeared. They weren’t necessarily all in this combo, but they didn’t really make it.

I think the Nidecker group bit off a bit more than they can chew here. I haven’t a clue who’s getting paid what to ride them, but there’s no way people were lured away from products they were on and loved for pennies on the dollar. Molds are fucking expensive, so making a whole bunch of changes to this would just make it even so much more of a money pit.

Every idea that went into these is great in theory with sound reasoning. But after talking to probably more than 20 people who’ve ridden them, I don’t see them surviving. I had 3 people today at Brighton on the lift saying hell no, these won’t make it, these aren’t step-ons or even close in ease of use.

As one buyer said, “ I’ve been riding for 20+ years if I have a problem kicking my boot in on a slope without my whole board coming out from underneath me on a mellow slope at Snowbasin, how do they think beginners and intermediates are going to be able to do it, what about the east coast where it’s always icy and quite often a sheet of ice?”

I could eat crow, but I don’t see these being long for the world barring some super huge crazy changes to improve the ease of use everywhere, not just a perfectly flat area when you get off a lift.

I asked well did you tell the reps they sucked? Nobody said they had the heart to really put it to them like that.

[dpartridge7]

Step-ons are here to stay, Supermatic is here to stay.

FASE.

I give it 3-4 years. Now that industry on snows and regional trade shows are done. The reports I’ve heard are not good.

and now back to the real world........i have seen the order numbers

where the hell did you get a report from that the numbers are not good was it from elon musk.

[pow_hnd]

Step-ons are here to stay, Supermatic is here to stay.

FASE.

I give it 3-4 years. Now that industry on snows and regional trade shows are done. The reports I’ve heard are not good.

and now back to the real world........i have seen the order numbers


where the hell did you get a report from that the numbers are not good was it from elon musk.

Re-read.

I said nothing about numbers being good or bad. I said nothing about a report. I said nothing about 2nd hand info.

I said after the on snow several buyers I know said verbatim to my face they are going to dial it back from what they initially thought they were gonna do. Also. That they did’t think they reinvented the wheel. All said they would ride Supermatics or Step-ons over FASE.

If the numbers are in your opinion, that’s great. And now back to the real world, huge orders don’t necessarily translate to huge sales at the retail level, been, there and done that unfortunately early in my buying days.

But maybe those numbers really aren’t compared to legacy brands.

Not one buyer or shop person I’ve talked to who’s ridden them, plans to ride them. They all literally said I’ll stick with my old tried and true trad two straps. As a former industry person on multiple levels, that’s not good, shop kids sell what they are hyped on personally and ride. Not one person that I have spoken to who rode them is stoked on them enough to ride them themselves.

Do they have a place? I’m sure they do, will the actual sales and sell through in 3-4 seasons justify keeping on the market?

We’ll see.

Multiple people had concerns about beginners/intermediates being able to strap/kick in on a slope of any significant angle

Maybe it’s some weird Utah thing, the market here is quite different than basically any other local in the US.

It’s possible in other locals where the general snowboard population are much more recreational snowboarders they could be a hit.

SLC is unique where here it’s a lifestyle and our bad riders would be at many places would be considered the best riders on the mountain and with such a huge amount of pro’s here that you can see pretty much every day at Brighton/Bird the consumer and retailers here are also solidly locked in on what they ride, cause kids see Sage, JP, Jeremy, Griff, Grenier, etc, etc in person and then emulate them and buy what they ride

[dpartridge7]

Step-ons are here to stay, Supermatic is here to stay.

FASE.

I give it 3-4 years. Now that industry on snows and regional trade shows are done. The reports I’ve heard are not good.

and now back to the real world........i have seen the order numbers


where the hell did you get a report from that the numbers are not good was it from elon musk.

I said after the on snow several buyers I know said verbatim to my face they are going to dial it back from what they initially thought they were gonna do. Also. That they did’t think they reinvented the wheel. All said they would ride Supermatics or Step-ons over FASE.

sorry dude....didn't realise you had that wealth of data.....will pass this onto nidecker, so they know to reduce the FASE production numbers.

also appreciate how influential jp and jeremy are, as they rode for a snowboard company i set up. but this is the same with any territory. go to whistler and blackcomp, and you have a total different set of pro who influences rider purchase for that area.

BTW: i also help with the supermatic development, so great to hear that it is going to be a big seller

[casjcade]

Well the forum is for sharing experiences more than promoting product, so you can't really expect everything to be positive.

Did you start Forum snowboards @dpartridge7 ?

[dpartridge7]

Well the forum is for sharing experiences more than promoting product, so you can't really expect everything to be positive.

Did you start Forum snowboards @dpartridge7 ?

am fully aware that FASE isn't for everyone.

rev snowboards. watch the bombhole whitey eposide to get a better history of 90's snowboarding.

[Dave T]

DefensivePartridge7 - many valid points were made. You could address them, take the feedback… or rattle off your past accomplishments as if that impacts the functionality of FASE?

[casjcade]

Well the forum is for sharing experiences more than promoting product, so you can't really expect everything to be positive.

Did you start Forum snowboards @dpartridge7 ?

am fully aware that FASE isn't for everyone.

rev snowboards. watch the bombhole whitey eposide to get a better history of 90's snowboarding.

Yeah but it was kinda underexplaining the namedropping;) Involved in Jeenyus too then?

[dpartridge7]

DefensivePartridge7 - many valid points were made. You could address them, take the feedback… or rattle off your past accomplishments as if that impacts the functionality of FASE?

the reason i got involved with this forum, is to hear riders point of views, and to info any misinformation.

i can either just read your opinions to help me with future design.....or i can also give some feedback.....your guys call....i really don't care if you guys would rather just reiterate misconception.