Guide to Setting Up Your Snowboard Bindings for Carving

Father holding his son during snowboard lesson. — Daniel Milchev/Getty Images

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Updated on 05/24/19

Whether you've decided you want to start racing or just want to freeride with more power, setting your bindings in a proper carving stance will give you that extra boost you need. The best stance for carving is forward-facing with both bindings at positive angles. More drastic angles are used for a racing setup, but if you’re just looking to improve your carving for freeriding, a more subtle forward stance will do the trick. This is an easy process that takes only 20 minutes. Here's how:

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First Things First

Snowboarding in Africa, Oukaimeden Ski Resort — Christian Aslund/Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images

Set your board on a soft, flat surface. You’ll be standing on it to test your stance, so make sure the base isn’t resting on anything that could damage the board.

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Positioning

Step onto the screw holes on your board. If you have a freeriding board, you’ll notice that the screw holes aren’t exactly centered on the board; they’re a little further toward the tail. If you have a freestyle board but want to use it for carving, move your feet an inch or two toward the tail (instead of centered on the board). This new positioning is known as stance setback, and it will help you carve deeper into the snow.

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Making Your Stance

Place your feet shoulder-width apart. You should have a slightly narrower stance for carving than you typically use for freestyle riding. If the shoulder-width stance causes your knees to lock up, slide them an inch or two further apart. Set the bindings on the board exactly where your feet were (measuring tape may help with this part).

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Angle Adjustments

Now adjust the angle of the mounting disk in each binding. A recommended starting point for your new forward stance is between 30 degrees and 12 degrees on the front binding and 12 degrees and 0 degrees on the rear. Play with the angles until you find a setup that feels comfortable and doesn’t cause any significant discomfort, especially on your knees and ankles.

The angles for a racing setup can be much greater. Alpine racing boards are typically thin, which means the binding angles have to be larger so your toes don’t hang over the edge of the board. Alpine racing setups usually range from 70 degrees to 35 degrees on either binding, so it’s necessary to choose a setup that’s comfortable as well as suitable for the width of the board.

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Tighten Your Bindings

Use a snowboard tool (or Phillips head screwdriver) to tighten the bindings in place, and push and pull on them to ensure they won’t come loose while riding. Test your new stance and adjust the bindings if you feel any discomfort.

Tips

Keep your binding angles within 5 degrees of each other which will provide you more stability when carving at high speeds.
Try a stance of 21 degrees for your front binding and 6 degrees on the rear if you’re having a hard time deciding where to start.
Adjust your highback angle, also known as forward-lean, for a more aggressive carving stance. Forward lean systems vary with each brand of binding, so keep in mind that an increase in forward lean will force your knees and calves toward your toe edge. Some riders like forward lean and some don’t, so play with it and see if it works for you.
Carry a snowboard tool in your pocket whenever you ride so you can adjust your bindings whenever you feel the need.