Interviews

Transfer of Power – Jones’ New Bindings Promise To Change The Game

Mercury and Apollo models combine the best of surf, skate and snow

When it comes to snowboard bindings, genuine breakthroughs are few and far between. Responsive highbacks, ergonomic straps and tool-free adjustment are all par for the course these days, so it can be hard for newcomers to stand out from the crowd.

“Skatetech has taken the disk out of the equation and put power to the edges. And that’s where we need power – right on the edges”

Jeremy Jones, though, is more discerning about his equipment than most. Having shaken up the board market 10 years ago with the launch of a range of progressive powder shapes he soon set his sights on developing some binders that shared the same freeride credentials and cutting-edge design philosophy.

As a former racer, he knew instinctively that the key lay in maximising edge-to-edge performance. So when, at the turn of the last decade, former pro JF Pelchat unveiled a pivoting baseplate he christened ‘Skatetech’, Jeremy was at the front of the queue to try it out.

“JF’s a longtime friend of mine, so before there were NOW bindings I got to get on some prototypes and I fell in love,” he recalls. “Basically his design has taken the disk out of the equation and put power to the edges. And that’s where we need power – right on the edges.”

So impressed was Jeremy that he joined the fledgling NOW team and rode the new system until the launch of Jones’ own bindings last year, which combine the same patented Skatetech with a few twists elsewhere. So how exactly does it work?

“We’ve been refining highbacks and straps to get exactly what we need, which is really a binding to go top to bottom in all conditions and not have your foot fall asleep”

“There are beams that run on the side of the binding and then go to these four bushings,” he explains. “Not only does it put power to the edges, but when you have chatter it hits those four bushings and dampens those vibrations.”

The Skatetech chassis works particularly well in combination with Jones’s proprietary board design, which places a strong emphasis on carving performance. While 3D base contours enhance glide, edge control is heightened during each turn thanks to a feature they call Traction Tech.

“It’s these three subtle bumps,” says Jeremy, “and the bushings in the corner of each binding line up perfectly with those bumps, so it adds power to the edge.”

“Surf mode is just this looser feeling. It’s really fun – it’s easier to tweak”

So far, there are two models in the Jones binding range: the medium-stiff Mercury – aimed at all mountain riders – and the more aggressive Apollo, which offers uncompromised response to powerful freeriders.

“We’ve been refining highbacks and straps to get exactly what we need, which is really a binding to go top to bottom in all conditions and not have your foot fall asleep,” he says. “We wanted something stiff enough to maximise that power to the edges, but with no calf bite from the highback.”

Both the Mercury and the Apollo feature two different settings, dubbed ‘freeride mode’ and ‘surf mode’. Essentially, switching out the bushings in each post and flipping around the heel strap radically alters the binding’s performance.

“I believe in variety,” says Jeremy. “Depending on the day and my mood, I drastically change my stance, I change how I lace my boots, and I change my bindings. Freeride mode is a more powerful mode, and then you go into surf mode and it’s just this looser feeling. It’s really fun – it’s easier to tweak. When I’m riding in that style I like to have my knees closer together, and surf mode gives you that extra flexibility.”

“If you change your bindings, change your stance, and change the way you lace your boots, you can take a hardpack mountain and turn it on its head”

This search for flow is part of the same journey that saw Jeremy Jones join forces with world famous surf shaper Chris Christenson on a series of innovative board designs. In fact, used in conjunction with the exciting snow craft they created, ‘surf mode’ has the potential to blur the line between the mountains and the ocean more than ever before – and not just in deep snow.

“I’ll lace my boots only to my ankles and put my bindings in surf mode”

“That’s what’s interesting,” explains Jeremy. “When we first started doing these Christenson designs I was like, ‘they’re for pow’ but no – I go out on groomer days when it hasn’t snowed for a while on a surf shape. If you change your bindings, change your stance, and change the way you lace your boots, you can take a hardpack mountain and turn it on its head. To put it into an example, my normal freeride stance is 21.5 inches wide, 21 degree front foot, +3 back foot. My surf stance varies but I’ll go out on a 142 Storm Chaser with a 17.5 inch stance, 35 degree front foot, +15 degree back foot. I’ll lace my boots only to my ankles and put my bindings in surf mode. And I’ll do that when we’ve been in a three week high pressure – just screw around. I’ll be thinking, ‘Did I lose my mind?’ and at first my friends are like, ‘You’re a freak!’ Then they see the smile on my face and they’re following me and they’re like, ‘I need to try that!’”

Find out more about the Jones binding range at jonessnowboards.com