Straps and Highbacks

The talking piece with these bindings is the straps. The Kaon Plus feature a super wide ‘Exo Kush’ heel strap that’s connected to one corner of the toe strap by a diagonal cross piece. There’s a double benefit here: it spreads pressure over more of your foot (and yes, these feel suuuper comfy) and it gives you even more locked-in hold. OK, it’s a little harder than a standard two-strap to bone stuff out, but if pure edge control and maximum support are your priorities then welcome to the future.

Like several other brands on the market, Nidecker is licensing ‘AuxTech’ for the toe straps. It looks a bit like a honeycomb pattern, but each cell is cleverly hinged so that the whole piece expands evenly around the end of your boot without having to stretch the material. Lovely. Aluminium ratchets throughout lend the package a premium feel and are buttery smooth to operate.

Rounding things off is the highback. It’s pretty stiff for a nylon design, with tools free forward lean (natch) and an asymmetrical shape for a better fit. Indeed Nidecker promise their bindings boast a glove-like match with any of their ‘Flow Fit’ boots, and though we couldn’t put that claim to the test (none of our riders were running Nidecker footwear) we found them to be plenty snug, with minimal gappage around the sides or back. If you really want to coordinate your set-up, though, you can even purchase the Kaon Plus in an ‘Instinct’ colourway to go with your Helios APX boots (in ‘Instinct’) and your Alpha/Beta board from the new Instinct range. Grrr, baby. Very Grrr.

“We’re tempted to call it the ultimate freestyle/freeride hybrid”

Roundup

If you like an aggressive binding but you don’t want the cost – or equally eye-watering stiffness – of a full carbon model then the new Kaon Plus could be right up your street. While it’s not exactly built with rail tricks and tweaked out japans in mind, powerful freestyle riders will appreciate the extra support this innovative design offers when you’re stomping the crap out of big jumps. It’s out on the trails and in the backcountry, though, that it really comes into its own thanks to a winning blend of solid response and all-day riding comfort. We’re tempted to call it the ultimate freestyle/freeride hybrid.