Strapping into a snowboard is a fundamental skill that every snowboarder needs to learn pretty much right away. Luckily, it’s a simple task that only takes a few minutes to master. And once you learn it, it’s basically like knowing how to tie your shoes.
I’m a lifelong snowboarder with experience as an instructor. I’ve helped many people learn the basics of the sport over the years, and I have a few tricks to help teach riders how to strap in.
This post will show you how to strap into a snowboard. I’ll explain the simple steps to make this happen quickly and provide you with a few other tips to ensure you are properly secured and ready to ride.
Let’s get started.
Why You Need to Know How to Strap In
You need to learn how to strap into your snowboard to ride down the mountain. While you might be able to slide down the slopes a bit without bindings, you can’t control your board at all without them.
Strapping into your snowboard bindings allows you to stop, slow down, and turn your board. Bindings are basically the steering wheel of the snowboarding world, and the straps connect your feet to your board.
Knowing how to strap in correctly allows you to get the best performance and capability out of your equipment. It also helps you stay safer by giving you the proper control to navigate down the trails.
How to Strap Into a Snowboard
Here are the steps to strapping into a snowboard. While these steps will outline the basic way to get properly secured to your board, there are other ways you can do it as you get more familiar.
Step 1: Put Your Boots On and Tightened
Before you strap into your snowboard bindings, you need to make sure that your boots are on correctly so that they are snug and secure.
Place your feet into your snowboarding boots in the lodge or car before heading out into the snow. Make sure the laces or other tightening systems (like BOA) are snug and secure. You want them to be firm but not cut off your circulation.
Step 2: Prepare Your Board
Once your boots are on, you need to get your board ready to strap into.
Place the board on a flat section of snow or make sure that it is perpendicular to the downhill slope, so it doesn’t slide downhill.
Loosen up the straps or bindings so that you can slip your boots inside of them in the next step. Clear any snow out of the base plate of the binding, so you have a clear area to step into.
You’ll also want to fold up the highback if it’s folded down so the bindings are in their natural shape.
Step 3: Step Into the Bindings
Once the board is prepared, it’s time to step into your bindings.
You’ll want to step into your front binding first, which means whatever foot your lead with. This will be the right foot if you are goofy or the left foot if you are regular.
Make sure your foot is flat, and your heel is completely down and stable in the binding. Also, check that the heel and back of your boot are snug and secure against the highback.
Step 4: Secure and Tighten the Straps
With your front foot inside the binding, it’s time to secure and tighten the binding straps.
Make sure the straps are connected through the ratchet buckle, and then pull both the toe and ankle straps tight. You can do this with a gloved hand. Simply grab ahold of the end of the strap and pull it through until it is tight.
You want each strap to be pretty tight and secure. So give them both a good tug and make sure they are properly in place.
Step 5: Step Into and Secure the Back Foot
If you are getting on the chair lift, you don’t need to get both of your feet strapped in at once. Wait until you are at the top of the lift, and then repeat steps 2 through 5 above with your back foot.
With both feet properly strapped in and the bindings tightened up, you are ready to ride.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions relating to how to strap into a snowboard.
Where do I put my toe straps on my snowboard?
Regular snowboard bindings have two sets of straps – the toes straps and the ankle straps. The toe straps sit over the front of your feet and keep the front of your boots in place as your ride. You want to make sure the toe straps are in the right place.
Do snowboards have straps?
Yes, snowboards have straps. Most types of bindings have toe straps and ankle straps. You need both of these straps to maintain proper control and power transfer when you are on the snow riding.
Can you snowboard without toe straps?
You can’t really ride a snowboard without toe straps unless the bindings are step-in style or another style that doesn’t require straps. Toe straps are essential to providing you with control and power, and riding without them is never a good idea.
Final Thoughts
Strapping into a snowboard is a simple task that every rider needs to learn how to do. If you follow all of the steps mentioned here, you’ll be able to get your feet attached to your snowboard in no time.
Not all snowboard bindings have straps, so you don’t need to worry about strapping in if you have a step-in style setup.
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