Binding-free snowboards surf wave of interest
Powder surfing represents a journey backwards for Luke Rieker – a de-evolution of snowboarding to a simpler, purer, more intuitive ride.
At first glance, powder boards look like snowboards except for key differences. Powder boards have no bindings and they are made to do only one thing.
“It’s the closest thing to (ocean) surfing I have ever felt,” said Rieker, who owns Strongwater Mtn. Surf Co. with KB Brown in Missoula, Montana.
“The snowboard evolved into a big giant ski with concave bottom, metal edges and the same kind of technology, all because of the ski resort and being able to ride on hard pack,” he said.
“We design the powder board specifically for powder. You need at least 4 inches of powder, or moveable snow. They do not work on hard pack at all. They will not work on groomed runs. It’s backcountry only and designed to be ridden without bindings.”
When snowboards were invented, they were called snow surfers. Made of wood and lacking a binding, riders held a leash attached to the tip of the board and used balance and weight shifting to maneuver their way down a mountain.
It’s much the same with powder boards, except the front leash has been eliminated. Riders still use a tether to keep the board from becoming lost during crashes.
Rieker credits Jeremy Jensen of Grassroots Powdersurfing in Logan, Utah, for starting the movement.
It’s been around for more than a decade but has remained a niche sport, perhaps because backcountry skiing and snowboarding, where there are no chairlifts and participants largely rely on human power to gain elevation, is also a niche activity.
But Rieker said as the popularity grows – and more and more companies manufacture the boards – many are again starting to evolve them back to the future. Some companies make boards with metal edges or polyethylene bases. Some even have mechanisms akin to bindings.
Strongwater has resisted. Rieker said the company’s boards are handmade of wood by “master woodworker” Craig McCollum.
Although they look simple, he said there is a lot of design and craftsmanship that goes into them.
“The things are little shreddable pieces of art,” he said. “Most of our boards, if you never rode them and put them on a wall, people would be like, ‘That is a beautiful board.’ ”
Not having bindings means people don’t need specialized boots to ride powder boards. Most people use a pac boot, but any waterproof, winter boot with a high cuff will work, he said.
“It’s just really nice. You can leave town in the same boots you hike and ride in.”
Most boards have pads made of various materials that help increase traction between the boot and board.
“Your feet stay on it really well,” he said. “Speed and momentum keep you on the board. The faster you go, the more the board sticks to your feet.”
Powder surfing is challenging, but also intuitive.
“It’s really user friendly and easy to do,” he said. “We can take somebody who has never done it before and get them down our run we do every day.”
“We call it adult sledding. Some of our lessons start with ‘stand on the board and go.’ ”
Going binding-free has changed the way he looks at mountains. Terrain that he might have scoffed at as boring or not challenging is now enticing.
“You end up riding stuff you would never strap on a snowboard or skis to ride,” he said. “It really opens up a lot of terrain.”