We all have a different riding style and our board setup reflects this. But picking out the perfect deck is only half the battle.
To be fully ready to shred, we need to make sure our snowboard binding angles are also in the right place. Otherwise, we’re leaving gnar on the table.
And we don’t want that.
So welcome to my guide on the different types of snowboard binding stances and how to find your perfect angle.
Let’s get it.
What Are Binding Angles? (+ why should I care?)
First things first, definitions.
Snowboard binding angles, or binding stances, are the degrees you set your front and back bindings to.
Your binding angles are the degrees to which they point towards the nose and tail of your snowboard.
Front bindings are set to a positive degree (unless set to 0) and back bindings are set to a negative degree (again, unless set to 0).
Your binding angles are closely tied to your riding style. For example, park riders will have a totally different setup than boardercross alpine riders.
So let’s dig deeper on that point and look at why finding your ideal binding stance is important.
Why Snowboard Binding Stance Matters
The angles you set your bindings to matters. It influences your riding style and your comfort.
So if you’re curious why it’s so important, here are some top reasons:
- Comfort. Bindings that are set to an unnatural stance can cause strain.
- Control. The right angles support better balance and stability.
- Maneuverability. Binding stance and angle influence carving and turning.
- Riding style. Your binding angles impact how you ride and what you can do.
- The experience. Finding your preferred stance creates a better experience.
3 Types of Snowboard Binding Angles
There are a few main snowboard binding angles to choose from.
Which one you choose depends on your skill level, riding style and personal preference. So let’s explore these main stances.
Classic Binding Stance (+/0)
The classic binding stance is when the front binding is at a positive angle and the back binding has no angle (0º).
Most riders will benefit from having some positive angle to their front foot. A positive angle on your front binding allows you to turn more effectively and improves control.
This binding stance is ideal for beginners who primarily ride and carve forward in their normal stance (not switch).
Duck-Footed Binding Angles (+/-)
A duck-footed binding stance is when the front binding is at a positive angle (pointing forward) and the back binding is at a negative angle (pointing backwards).
Duck-footed stances can either be mirrored or non-mirrored. A mirrored stance is one where the front and back bindings are symmetrical and set to the same degrees.
A non-mirrored stance is asymmetrical.
For example, a 15-15 duck stance would be a mirrored duck foot stance. But a 21-15 would be a non-mirrored duck foot stance.
The duck-footed stance is perfect for freestyle riding in the park and for people who ride switch often. I personally ride duck-footed.
Tip: A slight duck footed stance is perfect for beginners to try. This setup will have your bindings in a duck foot position, but to less of a degree than 15-15 (for example).
Double Positive Snowboard Stance (+/+)
A double positive snowboard stance, or a posi-posi stance, is where both the front and the back bindings are set to forward, positive angled positions.
This binding stance is perfect for riders who want to carve aggressively, go fast or ride in deep powder.
The Best Binding Angles Based On Riding Style
If you know your riding style, then you can choose your binding angles based on this.
This is a great starting point, but don’t be afraid to tweak things until you find the best position.
Best Beginner Snowboard Binding Angles
When it comes to the best beginner binding angles, there are a few good options.
In fact, each of the main stances above could be a good option. So let’s explore why.
A double positive forward stance is good for:
- Learning turns
- Staying headed one direction
- Try +15-8°/+3°
- Doing the leafing technique
- Riders who aren’t sure if they’re regular or goofy yet
- Try +15°/-15°
Best Binding Angles for Park/Freestyle
Park riding requires a binding angle that allows you to ride front and back effortlessly. That’s why most freestyle riders will have a duck footed stance.
Personally, I ride at about +18°/-18°. But I’ve gone more extreme before also, pushing things past 20°+.
Again, it’s about comfort and finding a binding angle that works best for you. So in your search, you may be tweaking things a few times while out on the hill.
Best Binding Angles for Carving
If you’re looking to charge hills and carve more aggressively, your binding angles are an important consideration.
There are also a couple options that work for the carving life.
A double positive stance is great if you’re committed to carving in one direction and want to be aggressive with it. For example, +18°/+6° is a popular option to try.
A duck foot stance can also be a great choice for carving, especially if you’ll be riding switch a lot (more on this below). For this, a mirrored +15°/-15° could be a nice angle to start with.
Best Binding Angles for Powder
We can also optimize our binding stances for snowboarding in deep snow or powder.
The biggest difference with powder riding is your binding position. Having a more setback position works best for deep snow.
This means moving your bindings off center and backwards towards the tail of your board. This will distribute your weight towards the back, making it easier to keep your nose lifted above the deep snow.
As for binding angles, personal preference and comfort is a great guide. Many riders will rock a slightly duck-footed stance while others prefer a posi-posi setup.
So think about what’s most natural for you and your typical riding. Start there (plus the setback position).
Best Binding Angles for Riding Switch
If you’re looking to sharpen your switch riding, your binding angles are going to play an important role in your success (or struggle).
Comfortable switch riding uses a duck-footed stance.
This is very similar to freestyle riding, since park riders tends to do spins and maneuvers that often requires switch riding.
How to Choose Your Snowboard Binding Angles(4 tips)
Okay, now that we know the main binding angle options, it’s time to choose one.
Of course, you can always change things as your riding evolves. But here are some tips to choose the best binding angles for your snowboard.
Start With Your Riding Style
Every type of riding will require a slightly different binding stance.
So, you want to match your binding angles to the style of riding you’ll be doing. This makes sense.
So this first tip requires you to get clear on your riding goals.
Where do you want to progress and how do you want to ride?
If you’re not sure what type of rider you want to be (or you just want to keep things casual), I’d recommend going with a slight duck-foot or the classic stance.
These are the most neutral and versatile binding angles and perfect for beginners or all-mountain riding.
Do What’s Natural (the jumping trick)
Riding in a position that feels most natural to you makes a lot of sense. Everyone has a unique body, balance and preference.
But how can we find this position?
One way is to use the jumping trick (something I learned from my brother, who helps run a snowboard shop in my hometown).
Here’s how to do the jumping trick:
- Stand up, then bend down
- Now spring up and jump off the ground a bit
- Upon landing, land in a snowboard(ish) position
- Take note of the angle for how your feet landed (this is your natural stance)
Don’t Forget Your Snowboard Binding Width
When setting your bindings, you’ll have two options for width:
- A centered stance
- A setback stance
A centered stance is when both the front and back bindings are equal distances to the nose and tail, respectively.
This is the typical stance for beginners as well as all-mountain and freestyle riders.
A setback binding stance is when your back binding is set slightly back, shifting your weight to the tail of the board and giving your nose some extra lift.
This stance is ideal for powder riding and more intermediate-advanced snowboarders.
So unless you’re heading into some deep powder or have a specific style of riding in mind, the centered stance should do you good.
Experiment + Test
You’ll probably mess around with your binding angles a lot until you find what’s most comfortable for you.
This is normal.
Snowboarding, your skill level and your riding style are all pretty dynamic beasts. So your bindings setup will naturally reflect this progression.
Even if you’ve already got a solid grasp on your style of riding, testing out things and making small tweaks or adjustments is good practice.
Boards change, riding styles evolve and we grow as snowboarders. Sometimes, this means trying out new snowboard binding angles too.
So keep experimenting and testing until you find that perfect setting (even though it’s quite tedious changing your bindings so often).
Pro Snowboarder Binding Angles
Before wrapping things up, here’s a short list of pro riders and their respective binding settings (for a little inspiration).
All info was sourced from this Whitelines post, which has more riders on it (if you’re keen to learn more).
You’ll notice how the rider’s stances truly reflect their snowboarding style. For Xavier de le Rue is known for big mountain powder riding, and his double positive angle settings reflect this.
But the other riders on this list rock a duck-footed stance, which tends to be the most common and versatile stance.
- Chloe Kim Binding Angles
- Goofy
- Duck-foot → +15, -12
- Marcus Kleveland Binding Angles
- Goofy
- Duck-foot → +7, -3
- Max Parrot Binding Angles
- Goofy
- Duck-foot → +13, -13
- Silje Norendal Binding Angles
- Regular
- Duck-foot → +12, -9
- Xavier de le Rue Binding Angles
- Regular
- Posi-posi → +18, +3
- Hailey Langland Binding Angles
- Regular
- Duck-foot → +11, -9
Conclusion
Choosing your snowboard binding angles is an important step in getting your board totally ready to shred.
Your binding stance reflects and impacts the style of riding you’ll be doing. While a double positive forward stance is a solid choice for more aggressive carving, a duck footed angle stance (like +15°/-15°) is usually better suited for freestyle riding.
Beginners can benefit from neutral positions like +15°/0° or duck footed and directional stances as well (as long as the angle settings are more subtle).
But at the end of the day, what’s most important is your comfort and personal preferences.
So try out a few different angles and stances. Find what works for you and your natural stance.
