How to Set Your Snowboard Bindings

You've purchased new snowboarding equipment and now you need to set your bindings. Whether it's a new board or new bindings, you'll need to figure out where the bindings will be set on the board and mount them appropriately.

Things You'll Need

• Snowboard binding mounting hardware
• Phillips head screwdriver

Instructions

1. Determine which direction the bindings will face. Are you regular or goofy footed? Regular is left foot on the front end, right foot on the back and vice versa for goofy. Still not sure? Stand with your feet together and have someone give you a gentle push from behind. The foot you land on should be in front.

2. Gauge your stance width. Width is generally equal to or a little bit wider than your shoulder span. A wider stance will allow for more control and stability but will also make you inflexible and make turning slower and more difficult. A narrower stance will allow for quick, reactive turns but will be much less stable. Try getting into stance and find what feels most comfortable.

3. Line up the bindings on the board, based on your stance and width. Generally you'll want them centered, but you can move them toward the tail if you plan to do a lot of freeriding in deep powder.

4. Determine the angle that you'd like to use. Bindings can be rotated toward the front or the back. If they are perpendicular to the length of the board, they are set 0 0. A duck stance is one in which the front binding is angled forward and the rear binding is angled backward--this can be useful for freestyle and beginners. A forward stance, which is common among most riders, generally angles the front binding around 15 to 20 degrees forward and the rear binding 5 to 10 degrees forward. Again, determine what will be most comfortable for you and set accordingly. Also ensure that your boot doesn't hang over the edge, and use a greater angle if needed. The angle can easily be fine-tuned later.

5. Mount the bindings. With all your preferences set, you can now mount the bindings using the included hardware (mounting disk, screws and washers).

6. Set lean. The backs of bindings can be completely straight or leaned further forward depending on preference. Some amount of forward lean is generally preferred for increased performance and carving. Lean is a simple adjustment, often using a lever system that doesn't require any tools, so it can be fine-tuned easily while riding.

7. Ride. If you feel uncomfortable or lack performance, adjust bindings accordingly.