Burton Malavita and Malavita EST Snowboard Binding Review
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The Good Ride TakeThe Burton Malavita EST, Re:Flex and Traditional Disc Snowboard Binding Review by The Good Ride
The Malavita EST
We tried the 2012 Malavita EST's with a few park focused Burton Boards and all of us couldn't get over how springy they were. At first we thought is was the board but then trying the same boards with a different binding told us what was really happening here. The marketing hype is pretty accurate here. We weren't sure how the hinge tech would play out on edge to edge transitioning but it felt pretty responsive and could do ok on the mountain. Despite our love for these bindings we still wouldn't throw these on the Burton Custom X but we loved them on the Burton Joystick. The only issue we have is an unanswered question about the longevity of "The Hinge" system on these bindings. Since no one knows we can't say it will give out or not but time will tell and pretty quickly because these are going to be popular this year. On top of the new hinge tech the bindings still has pretty much the same ankle strap, toe strap high back and foot bed which we really liked in 2011.
If you are like us you won't care that much if they only last for 100 or so days because it's pretty awesome tech that truly improves your game. If you are a frugal snowboarder who only blows a wad every few years on new gear then I'd wait a year to get more user feedback.
The Malavita Re:Flex The Malavita Re:Flex and Restricted Malavita Re:Flex are pretty awesome bindings but they are missing "The Hinge" Tech that makes even lifeless boards have some pop. Still the Malavita Re:Flex models will add more flex under foot and definitely improve the ride of any 2, 3 or 4 hole board out there. We found the Malavita to be an great freestyle binding and it is one of the better bindings for freestyle boards from any company.
The Re:Flex system makes this very close to an EST binding and gives you a lot of natural flex under foot. It's also more comfortable than the old Disc Bindings due to a softer but still just as responsive toe. It's up to you to decide if you want a Malavita with a ring or not.
The 2011 Malavita EST and Disc Review We tried the EST and Non EST bindings. Although the EST definitely has better flex under foot the choice for us was the regular Malavita so we can ride other boards. We'll be looking forward to the upgrade to Re:Flex tech which should happen in 2012. The Malavita feels very much like the Burton Cartel but has a bit more of a freestyle ride. You get a good amount of support if you decide to ride around the mountain at higher speeds but we still like other burton bindings better for this. You do get great response for a freestyle binding. The high back is unique looking and also does a good job giving you extra control when you are leaning out of the binding. That being said it has a similar flex to the Cartel. We love the asymmetrical ankle strap and feel it really helps you get a good flex out of any board that you want to. The Malavita is very comfortable as any high end Burton binding. They also made a very comfortable heel pocket that has excellent shock absorption. Instead of a hard plastic/fiberglass plate around the ankle it has a rubber like bottom that has EVA foam and gel on top of it so it allows more flex with the binding and more comfort. The Adjust-ability for both bindings is the same as every Burton binding which is excellent. We have to say we'd like to see every binding have the ability to adjust the high back angle like Burton allows with all bindings. The toe straps have also improved a lot over last year. The 2010 toe straps had a lot of complaints of coming loose and being hard to adjust. They just didn't seem to grip the toe very well compared to previous toe straps and this was not like Burton to release something like this to the public. This year they were fixed and do a great job like the old 2009 bindings did. There aren't many bindings that have the ability to flex a board laterally like these. So if you are looking for a bit more freestyle board control than the Cartel then this is a good choice.
Summary If you are deciding on getting the 2011 Malavitas or the 2012 Malavitas there isn't much debating. The 2011's are great bindings but the 2012's, especially the EST's, are really the call. You get a little bump in freestyle response with the winged high back that comes with the 2012 Restricted Malavita EST and Re:Flex. Also if you are looking at bindings for a non-burton board then the Malavita's are up there as one of your best freestyle binding options.
Our Take on Burton EST Bindings A Good Ride Take on Binding Tech This is a Goodride breakdown for all you that are having a tough time choosing your bindings and what to make of the material you are looking at. Most bindings are Metal, Plastic or some combo of the 2. Metal Bindings have a lot of great aspects. Almost all-metal bindings are made from aluminum. Aluminum is great when it come to weight to stiffness ratio and also pretty durable. There is one key issue with metal/aluminum bindings; they transfer all the vibrations from the board right into your feet. This is the same principle that pelage “bass-less” bindings, your feet got totally tired or fatigued. The newer generations have much better/damp bases so this problem has been minimized and in some cases eliminated. There are some companies that make great bindings despite the vibration issue with Aluminum. Some that come to mind are Ride and Rome. Plastic Bindings also have many great features but let’s address some technical stuff first. Most plastic bindings are really hardened glass plastic mix. The high-end stuff tends to have a more carbon, and carbon fiber added for extra stiffness and weight savings. Plastic bindings really dominate the market right now and most top bindings these days are mostly or all plastic. They can be really stiff and react well to your commands. The new bindings finally dialed in the carbon/ fiber integration to the point that the bindings will perform with the stiffness of metal and absorb more chatter. Most industry leaders have limited or completely eliminated metal from their bindings and we feel that with the materials used right now this is the future. Some mostly plastic companies that we feel rock are Burton, Flux and Union. What kind of binding should you buy? It’s a tough call. Both Plastic and Metal bindings offer freestyle, freeride and all mountain styles. At this point we feel that plastic bindings are edging out metal bindings when it comes to the very high end $300+ category. However it is a tough call in the below $300 category as to which material has the advantage. The Good Ride Take on Burton Burton is huge. They have developed or acquired most of the technology that we use today. Burton is one of the only companies that can provide you with everything you need to snowboard from boards to beanies. Burton even owns arguably the best surfboard company Channel Islands because Jake likes to surf. They are like the Yankees of snowboarding because they can always outspend their competition to win. The positives- Burton provides more products for each gear/clothing/accessory category than any other company. Burton has possibly the best customer service in the snowboarding industry. Burton continuously spends more money than almost any company to develop new tech or just make what they have better. Burton sponsors more pro’s and get’s more high level user feed back than any other company. They have some of the best boots, bindings and boards in the industry. They also have great clothing.
Company Info & SpecsBurton Malavita EST 2012Burton MALAVITA EST Not just raising the bar, but bending it completely.
The Malavita doesn’t mess around and neither do the guys who ride it. Nicolas Müller, Keegan Valaika, Mark Sollors, Charles Reid, to name a few. Introducing tech by the truckload, it’s the ultimate in free-flexing, gripping, canting performance. The NEW Hinge on the heelhoop flexes laterally for natural roll and added ollie, while the cushioning automatically tilts you into a more relaxed position. The NEW Hammock locks around your heel, eliminating the need to over-tighten your straps.
Ridden by: Nicolas Müller, Keegan Valaika, Mark Sollors, Jack Mitrani, and Charles Reid
Features + BASEPLATE: NEW Dual-Component EST Featuring The Hinge with 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Spar and 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Lower + HI-BACK: NEW Canted Living Hinge™ Zero-Lean Hi-Back with DialFLAD™ and NEW Heel Hammock + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap™ and Gettagrip Capstrap™ + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: NEW Removable AutoCANT SensoryBED™ Cushioning System with B3 Gel + Rides Exclusively with Burton Boards Featuring The Channel + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste
Colorways: Violent Sulfur Stone Black
Sizes S M L
Response: 6
Burton Restricted Malavita EST 2012Burton Restricted MALAVITA EST We’ve killed a lot of bindings to get here.
You know the rage that builds up inside when you get snaked in the liftline, or when that lady in front of you orders a hundred different coffees? Well, what if a binding created an equally vivid feeling, an all-around rage that made you ride harder? All new with a dynamically flexing EST™ baseplate with The Hinge, heel sucking Hammock, and AutoCANT cushioning, the Malavita EST does just that. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Icons EST The Hinge Heel Hammock AutoCANT GMP
Features + BASEPLATE: NEW Dual-Component EST Featuring The Hinge with 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Spar and 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Lower + HI-BACK: NEW Canted Living Hinge™ Winged Zero-Lean Hi-Back with DialFLAD™ and NEW Heel Hammock + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap™ and Gettagrip Capstrap™ + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: NEW Removable AutoCANT SensoryBED™ Cushioning System with B3 Gel + Rides Exclusively with Burton Boards Featuring The Channel + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste
Colorway: Blackness
Sizes S M L
Response: 7 Burton Malavita Re:Flex 2012Burton MALAVITA When push comes to shove, punish everything in your path.
In case you were wondering, yes, we do make the best park binding in the world. By adding the cradle-like grip of the NEW Hammock to this beast, we’ve created heel hold previously unseen in binding design. Add the uninterrupted flex and enhanced feel of Re:Flex™ and the transfer of power between board and binding has never been smoother. To put it bluntly, the Malavita hits the park harder than a bum with a tall boy.
Ridden by: Mark Sollors
Features + BASEPLATE: NEW Single-Component Park Blend Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Re:Flex + HI-BACK: NEW Canted Living Hinge™ Zero-Lean Hi-Back with DialFLAD™ and NEW Heel Hammock + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap™ and Gettagrip Capstrap™ + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: NEW Re:Flex AutoCANT FullBED Cushioning System with B3 Gel and Under-Baseplate Dampening Pad + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste
Colorways: Violent Sulfur Stone Black
Sizes: S M L
Response: 6
Burton Restricted Malavita Re:Flex 2012Burton Restricted MALAVITA A happy beginning, middle, and ending.
Outside of Amsterdam, you won’t find many places more comfortable to put a booted foot than the Malavita. The suction-like heel hold of the NEW Hammock combined with the wing, plus the double-jointed mobility of Re:Flex™ make this legendary park binding at least twice as tweakable. Factor in cushioning that automatically puts you in a more relaxed position, and you get a level of comfort that’s only available underneath the underground
Icons NEW Re:Flex Heel Hammock AutoCANT GMP
Features + BASEPLATE: NEW Park Blend Single-Component Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Re:Flex + HI-BACK: NEW Canted Living Hinge™ Winged Zero-Lean Hi-Back with DialFLAD™ and NEW Heel Hammock + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap™ and Gettagrip Capstrap™ + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: NEW Re:Flex AutoCANT FullBED Cushioning System with B3 Gel + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste
Colorway: Blackness
Sizes S M L
Response: 7
Burton Malavita 2011MALAVITA Feats of strength indeed. The Malavita™ is built for those dedicated souls murdering handrails in the rain, scraping ice shavings all summer, and selling off possessions to get their next fix. Like skeletor on steroids, this no-bullshit binding features an indestructible baseplate with FullBED EVA and B3 Gel cushioning along with a burly, tombstone hi-back. The Asym Superstrap™ can be flipped, letting you choose between increased support or mobility. When push comes to shove, the Malavita punishes whatever’s in its way.
Features + BASEPLATE: Single-Component 11% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite + HI-BACK: Single-Component Canted Hi-Back with MicroFLAD™ and NEW Air Pad + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap and Gettagrip Capstrap™ + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: FullBED Cushioning System with B3 Gel Heel Cushioning + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste Colorways: El Noche CS Blue Feats of Strength Sizes: S M L Response: 7
Burton Malavita EST 2011Burton Malavita EST BindingBurton MALAVITA EST The first faction of freestyle. The Malavita EST™ is a man’s binding and Danny Davis can grow a mustache. Together they can tweak a mean corked 10, land flat in the Midwest, and manhandle some serious rails. The gelled-up SensoryBED II™ underfoot combines with an air-padded hi-back for total impact insulation. Asym shaping of the ankle strap puts more torque in your spork, while the Gettagrip Capstrap™ gives you more spring off your toes Features + BASEPLATE: Park Blend Short-Glass/Nylon Composite EST + HI-BACK: Single-Component Canted Hi-Back with MicroFLAD™ and NEW Air Pad + STRAPS: Asym Superstrap™ and Gettagrip Capstrap + BUCKLES: Dual-Component Smooth Glide™ Buckles + CUSHIONING: NEW Removable SensoryBED II Cushioning System with Dual Zone B3 Gel and Dual Zone EVA Cushioning + Rides Exclusively with Burton Boards Featuring The Channel + Features Re-Ground Materials in Baseplate and Hi-Back to Reduce Waste Colorways: El Noche CS Blue Feats of Man Sizes S M L Response: 7 boots/bindings sizes
Burton Exile Binding 2010The greatest revolutions begin in Exile. Whether getting blunted on a downtown ledge or tweaked and twisted at your local hill, this workhorse is all about pure, unadulterated shred. The new “tombstone” hi-back is simple like snowboarding’s supposed to be, while the NEW Asym Superstrap™ focuses lateral support for legit presses and better butters. Impact-absorbing B3 Gel and EVA beg you to break one off the top rope.
Hi-Backs
Cushioning
Straps
Buckles
Response
Other Features
PicturesBurton Malativa EST 2012
                           Burton Restricted Malativa EST 2012
     Burton Malativa Re:Flex 2012
                Burton Restricted Malativa Re:Flex 2012
Burton Malativa 2011
               Burton Malativa EST                  Burton Exile 2010
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