$159 Beginner to Advanced Freestyle The Union Flite is new for 2011 and basically the Union Contact with a different softer and wider high back and slightly better ankle strap. It's a super soft and playful binding that we are glad to see compete in the $159 price range. Despite the ultra soft flex of the high back the Flite still has better response than expected. One thing to mention about all Union Bindings is they have really only one angle to have the ankle strap where most bindings have 2 or 3 positions. Another small issue with Union is the straps we have used seem to have issues if you crank them down all the way. If you like to crank your straps super tight then you might not be happy with the Union. The flite works very well with softer rocker snowboards. This is close to the softness you will see in the K2 Hurrithane but not quite there. It was interesting to see how easy it was to bend this back. It's not as easy as the Urethane bindings we mentioned above but it's really on the noodle side of things. If you are someone who just likes to, take your bindings out of the box, put them on your board and ride then the flite is a good choice. You will sacrafice a bit of adjustability but get a binding with great response for its softness. For 2012 not much has changed and this is still a good choice for anyone looking for a noodle binding to go with a noodle board.
The Good Ride Take on Capita and Union (same parent company)
Union- Union really lead the charge with the concept of eliminating the dead spot bindings create on snowboards. Because of that they have some of if not the easiest turn initiation out of any binding we have tried. The bindings with the Force style base plate really shows this and can make a stiff snowboard turn easier than most bindings out there. The bindings with the Contact style base plate have a more mellow turn initiation. The last few years many companies have picked up on this design style and Union isn't alone any more in this category. Still Union makes some of the best bindings in the industry. One of the only complaints we have is the buckle on the toe strap is very difficult to undo when it’s cranked down. We would like to see something like the ankle strap buckle that releases with little effort. Another complaint is the adjust-ability of their bindings. You can make some minor tweaks to make the bindings work for you but Union pales in comparison to Burton when it comes to adjust-ability. If you aren't that into adjusting and want possibly the best turn initiation in the industry the Union's are your choice.
Capita- Capita knows how to make a good sturdy park and all mountain board. They even have a good Pow board that’s priced appropriately for the amount of times you’ll use it a year. As you start to look closer in the tech of Capita you can see little issues like some of their boards still have an extruded base instead of a sintered base. You won't really see this on their high end boards like the Black Death but you will see it on their mid to entry level boards. Because of this style of production you can sometimes find a Capita snowboard for $100-$200 less than some of their competitors in that class range. If you are willing to put up with low tech in some places but still receive good performance Capita might be a good choice for you.
