I'm finally buying my dream snowboard that I've wanted since I was a kid (GNU skidder) but don't know shit about snowboard gear these days... What bindings and boots should I look at?
I grew up snowboarding in the early 90s so I'm used to very soft jibby boards even on groomed runs and powder and backcountry they feel best to me. So I assume a softer binding would work for me, but I don't know. Also, don't know what the current "trend" is. I've never tried rear entry bindings, are they good? Anything else I should look for? I'm ordering the board online, but I maybe will go look at bindings in person and certainly boots I need to try on. I'm not rich, but rich enough to consider snowboarding as a hobby.
Any advice would be swell.
Most manufacturers make decent bindings and boots these days. Even RIDE, haha ( they had the worst baseless bindings back in the day).
But everything will be stiffer than you remember. Even the soft stuff. But it’s better that way, you’ll have much better response.
Very solid go-tos for boots would be low-end Burtons or 32 lashed, whichever fit your feet better.
I use Rome bindings, but Burton make perfectly good ones in all ranges of stiffness. The ‘freestyle’ is still economical and functional. Missions are a step up.
Unions are OK, but I found you really have to crank on them to get a good fit.