Ask a Freebord Pro: Binding Adjustments & Presses

Rider Question:
I can’t ride freebord right now, but I can think a lot on Freebording, so I remembered this problem I have, with my feet often slipping out of the S2 bindings, so I wondered, what do you pro riders do to get your feet to stay in place in the S2 bindings? I also wonder if you can tell me something about how to do a manual on freebord, or how I can train to be better on doing it.
Thanks, Fredrik from Norway

Pro Answer: Daniel Vega

A lot of people have problems with binding slippage at first so you’re not alone. People deal with it in a number of different ways. Some people like to put something on the underside of the top of the binding for grip, like shoo-goo or a gel insole pad. Some people like to bend the metal binding plate down towards the deck. Some people like to add layers of griptape to the deck. Personally, I dont do any of these things.

Me and alot of other riders ride fine with the S2 bindings without modifications. Usually, if you have an equal amount of toe and heel overhang, your feet are really wedged tight into those bindings, and push your feet to the side walls of the bindings you should be good and secure.

But if that doesnt work:

First thing you should do is take a good look at your shoes and their shape. Compare that shape to the shape of your binding. Maybe its not such a good fit. Also take a look at the holes you’ve got your binding height set. Play around with these settings. And lastly, the angle at which your bindings are positioned. Most people like to ride with their bindings angled out like this: (____/). Try that out if you haven’t already. It feels much more natural than with your feet parallell.

For the manual, I’m guessing you’re talking about a press which is where you ride on the three wheels of one truck. Technically, a manual is when you’re riding on the two edge wheels of one truck. They are so
incredibly hard to balance. Watch sam do a gnarly nose manual @1:13: http://vimeo.com/7125500

But when you press, you want to shift your weight to the truck you want to stay on the ground. So if you’re doing a nose press lean forward and a tailpress, lean back. The leg you lean on should be bent while the leg attached to the elevated side of the board should be straight. Watch corey @:47: http://vimeo.com/8338282 Notice his legs and how he is leaning.

My advice to you would be to start with the nosepress. It’s pretty easy to lean too far back on a tail press, do a manual and slip out and get hurt. First try it on flat, then try ollieing into it on flat. Then
when you think you’re ready step it up to a curb, then a ledge, and so on.

Hope this helps, Fredrik!

Keep the shred alive in Norway!