$129 Beginner All Mountian Freestyle A great Beginner Binding that has alot of industry unique tech from their higher end bindings. This is a watered down version of the Union Contact for beginners. You still get a lot of the tech from Union that makes for a great ride for beginners. You get pretty easy turn initiation over most beginner bindings. You basically get the same binding as the cadet but it doesn't have the padding along the base like the contact. Some of our riders really crank their straps down to the point of pain and they seem to have issues with all Union Bindings they try. The straps seem to get stuck or loosen up a few notches. If you don't crank down your bindings then don't worry about this.
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.
Lightweight and durable material allows for true board flex.
Extruded Anodized Aluminum Heelcups
Anodizing process adds 30% strength— completely indestructible
Stage I Base – Lifetime Warranty
Lightweight, freestyle-oriented design.
Injected Aluminum Buckles
Fast in, and fast out. Union Aluminum is second to none.
Union Cadet DLX 2011
01 Stage I Base—Dupont™ Zytel® ST
02 Multizone Dupont™ Zytel® ST Highback
03 Injected EVA Bushings
04 Extruded, Anodized Alum. Heelcup
05 Quick-Adjust Forward Lean
06 Direct-Connect Strap System
07 Tool-Free Size Adjustment
08 Aluminum Buckles + Steel Cage
09 Universal Discs
10 Grade 8.8 Hardware
Union Cadet DLX 2010
Waste Not Want Not
The first environmentally conscious binding in the Union's line, the Cadet Reunion utilizes recycled EVA, as well as the excess pieces and byproduct material created by the production of our other bindings. Basically, we've created a kick ass binding and simultaneously almost completely eradicated all nylon waste from our production process. Two birds with one stone!
I was looking for some low budget bindings and got these in the 2012 green color, which is actually lime green unlike what the picture shows. When I used them on the mountain the other week, they performed amazingly! The EVA pad in the back of the base made the ride feel smoother in icy snow then it did back in my old bindings. They are true to their size- I'm a tall guy in size 14 boots, and they fit with no problems! The highbacks are soft, but not too flexible, and performed well in both powder and in the park! (The highbacks are actually the same as on the Contact bindings, but without the two holes in the center.)
So far the straps haven't come loose at the screws, because when they rotate the screws don't, which I like, and the ankle strap is more padded than it looks in the image.
I'd recommend these bindings to anyone -they're more than just beginner bindings!
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