Nidecker Group unveiled its patented FASE Fast Entry System this week, promising to deliver a next-generation two-strap binding with a focus on performance as well as convenience.
“The FASE System is designed for riders who want the high performance of a two-strap binding, with an enhanced user experience,” said Erwin Knoester, engineer and marketing manager for the FASE brand as well as category manager and engineer at Nidecker.
The FASE System differs from Burton’s popular Step On binding because it maintains the two-strap feature, which is popular with more advanced riders.
For the 2025/26 season, the system will be integrated into the bindings of many of Nidecker-owned snowboard brands, including Rome Snowboards’ Katana, Jones’ Mercury, Bataleon Snowboards’ Blaster, and Thirtytwo’s first binding, the T32M.
Similar to Gore-Tex fabric or BOA lacing systems, the FASE Fast Entry System will be offered as a license to other brands as well. Knoester said, “The goal of FASE is to evolve the snowboard binding industry by making our technology accessible to brands that represent snowboarding and its culture.”
Burton also licenses its Step On technology to other brands. The company announced in late November that it had partnered with Union Binding Co. to bring its popular Step On boot-to-binding connection system to Union product for the first time. Released in 2016, Burton’s Step On bindings enables snowboarders to remain standing while stepping into the heel and toe cleats as they lock their boots into their board, making the sport more accessible and convenient to a wider range of riders. DC Shoe and Nitro also make some of their boots compatible with Step On bindings, and Flux also has a Step On binding offering.
With the FASE Fast Entry System, the AutoBack (highback) automatically closes around the rider’s boot as the boot is inserted into the binding while the Locked-In Toe Strap remains in place. The rider then bends down to buckle the FastStrap (ankle strap) with one hand to the preferred tension.
Developed over a six-year period, the original concept for the system came from David Partridge and JF Pelchat, with Nidecker supporting it as an independent project since the beginning.
“When I began snowboarding, we used bungee cords over our Sorels, then shortly after we moved on to a webbing material with buckles,” said Partridge in a statement. “Forty years later, the approach is still very similar but with more advanced gear. This led me to experiment with a method that improved upon strapping in while maintaining the performance of traditional straps.”
The system was refined by designers and engineers at Rome in Vermont, Bataleon in Amsterdam, and Jones in California, and at a later stage with designers at Thirtytwo in California. It was also guided by extensive feedback from pro riders. Jeremey Jones, Victor De Le Rue, Maggie Leon, Chris Bradshaw, and Pat Fava are all riding FASE system bindings.
The first patent on the FASE Fast Entry System covers the overall system, specifically the boot-actuated highback rotation of the Autoback, creating space for entry and exit. The second patent secures the toe strap buckle, locking it firmly in both directions as soon as ratcheting stops.
Knoester said that similar to the way prices are tiered with traditional two-strap bindings, licensing out the technology will enable the FASE Fast Entry System to be accessible for riders at a variety of price tiers. Pricing will vary by material use, brand specific features, and finish.
“We want to work with more like-minded brands to incorporate the system and evolve the snowboard binding category together,” said Knoester. “This will create a new level of choice for riders across the globe who love the feeling of strapping-in and value the locked-in hold that their favorite binding models provide.”
Nidecker-owned snowboard brands will begin selling the FASE bindings to retailers this season, with the product expected to hit the market for the 2025/26 season.
