StepOn Bindings Are Alright Says Terje Haakonsen

StepOn Bindings are back thanks to Burton’s new tech. If it’s good enough for Terje Haakonsen, then it’s good enough for us.

We all remember the old-school non-traditional bindings from the 1990s. K2 had the Clicker Bindings, Switch had their version, and Burton had the “StepIns.” The idea was sound enough, but the execution of those product missed the mark. The issues ranged from being too stick, to not stiff enough. Some offered solid heel-to-toe feel but no lateral flex. The others were just clunky and a pain to use. It was hard to get your boot in with constant jamming and clogging with ice and snow. The whole initiatives eventually was abandoned industry-wide.

Fast forward to December 2016 and Burton unveils its new “StepOn” product at Vail. The prototype was designed at the Craig Facility in Burlington, Vermont, just next door to Burton’s main HQ. Led by VP of Product, Chris Doyle along with colleague Chris Cunningham, the new StepOn product is legit and was received warmly and went on sale in the 2017-2018 season. 

The jury was out, however, as to whether the new Burton StepOn bindings could perform. Whether they offered the lateral flexibility crucial to freestyle riding. Who better than to test it and confirm their value proposition than Terje Haakonsen. We don’t to speak for the man so we’ll let him do the showing and telling. 

In his own words: 

“Clickers, StepIns or StepOn Bindings. Call it what you want. It’s been around for a long time and never really went away. It’s not a concept that is new for Burton Snowboards either. But we decided to take everything we learned with our boots and bindings that are pretty much the best out there and create a new system that is comfortable, convenient and performs at the high level that for me makes it good times.”

Check out Burton’s StepOn Bindings collection.