Oh.  Ok, so I'm clearly not omniscient.  Dammit!

We all know that the plastic stock bindings on most models are prone to slipping and breaking, but what about the other kinds of bindings?  Snowboard bindings are better than stock, but does anyone have a clear idea as to which kinds of bindings are good for what?  I doubt that one kind is superior in all respects, but if there is one, it would be good to know.
Here's a list of all the different kinds of bindings that are out there (as far as I know):

Plastic ratchet

Snowboard ratchet

Magic Pixie Boot (How, exactly, does this one work?  Are there straps inside it or what?)

Fitted shoe

3 Velcro straps (Velocity Stilts)



If you have any mods that seem to work very well, feel free to talk about them too.

I'd have a hard time getting as technical as coachgeo, but here's my story: when I realized I was bouncing hunched and leaning forward and tried to correct it, my ache reduced dramatically.  Bocking has helped my posture a lot, because the increased stresses make small variations very noticeable.  It still causes a little soreness sometimes, but not nearly as much.  With your back vertical, the stress goes into you skeleton, but if it's tilted or curved wrong, your muscles have to take the force instead, so they get sore.

And if you're overweight, posture may not be the main source of trouble.  However, sufficient bocking will solve its own problem in that case.  What a way to whip yourself into shape!

[I'd love to go, but I'm not on the right continent for that to be convenient.]

I'd love to go, but I'm not on the right continent for that to be convenient.

"Then why the hell did you bother posting, you moron?"

"I'm not entirely sure...  I'll have to think about that."

 
   

ATTENTION!  THIS IS TRUE!  NO LIE!
Initiative Test is an odd place for non-fiction, but I think my experience with the itching affliction from hell is weird enough to go here.
Over the past few days, I have been afflicted by a mysterious itching affliction.  My skin was breaking out in these swollen, incredibly itchy spots.  The more I scratched, the worse it got, and the more it spread.  I was about to be overwhelmed by this mystery itch from hell, when I came to the conclusion that it must be a rare, skin-dwelling mold.  I pondered this for a while, and thought that if I had some disinfectant, the itch could be simply disposed of.  It is, after all, bacterial, right?  I did not have any disinfectant around, but soon thought: "Mouthwash is toxic to bacteria, right?  It better be!  So rather than go to a doctor and give him an exorbitant amount of money to confirm my suspicions and give me some nasty-smelling cream for another exorbitant fee, or go out and buy a bottle of disinfectant something-or-other, I grabbed a paper towel and swabbed myself all over  with MOUTHWASH.  Literally, every square inch apart from my head and neck, which it seemed to not like.  This required disrobing.  I smell incredibly toxic right now and my cat refuses to touch me.
The funny part is that it worked.  I AM POISONOUS!!!!  THE ITCHY MOLD FROM HELL IS DEAD FOR ITS FOOLISH ATTEMPT TO EAT MY SKIN!  You lose, mold!  I spit on your grave. 
Then I stomp and jump on it with
I cannot express how much anguish the itchy mold from hell has caused me...  Suffice to say that if it really had a grave, I would honestly do that .

Since they are made specifically for running, they probably don't flex very far and would break if put under the stresses that bocks go through.  Pretty cool, though. 
BTW if I am wrong about that assertion, someone please tell me.

Oh really?
really good
good day
day in, day out
out in the cold
cold shoulder
shoulder the weight
weight loss
loss of life
lifetime
time keeps on slipping
slipping away
away with you, beggar!
beggars can't be choosers
Nothing starts with choosers...

I'm wearing pants today!
...
Now I'm not!

[abrasion-resistant]

Anyone tried Gorilla Tape?  It's a lot like duct tape, but much stickier, stiffer, stronger, abrasion-resistant, thicker, and more expensive (about 2.5X the price of the good silver stuff).  I'd do it, but then I'd have to go out and buy more orange colored tape to redecorate my springs after the addition.  I'm all outta orange...

Hey Jono, your avatar is one of the most distracting .gif files I have ever seen.  One time I stared at it for about a minute, and now whenever I see it I can almost hear him yelling "Boom, Headshot!!!!" over and over again.
Just had to put it out there.  Anyone else get that or am I just nuts?

By the way, nice trick!

[great deal of fun]

Well.  Athoul IS the only italic user.  Or at least the only one who posts at all...  And I've seen his video too.

As for this topic, bocks are something you can pick up and go with whenever you want (more or less, within weather constraints).  As per your comparison with a skateboard, tricks take some practice, but I think simple bock tricks are a good deal easier than simple skateboard tricks.  And remember that if you want to skateboard to the local grocery store, you can still grab it and go just fine, not too hard to get the hang of rolling around town.  Bocks without a pivoting footplate can be a little awkward for getting around town, but the fun factor more than makes up for it.

The bottom line is that you will never do flips unless you're a serious, regular user.  But otherwise, there's nothing wrong with only taking them out for a bounce every once in a while.  You can have a great deal of fun without being like the guys  in the crazy youtube movies.  The investment isn't like buying an Olympic pole-vault setup or something along those lines.

Here's a tip: keep your back straight and vertical, use just your legs to jump.  Doing the superman thing with the arms helps a little, but don't do the thing where your torso goes from crouched to vertical.  It helps with normal jumping, but the forces involved in bock jumping are strong enough that you'll lose more energy than you gain from that habit.  Plus it makes your back sore as hell.

Was that really obvious?  I''m a bit of a noob and I discovered this fact just the other day.

All the information you seek can be found in older topics.  Use the search function to find specific info or just browse the info section.

Just pick the weight range that best matches your weight.  If you're right in the middle between two, go up, not down.

If you're going to run a lot, I suggest a model that has a pivoting footplate.  They are slightly harder to use, but everyone who has them says that they are great for jogging, running, and walking.

Powerskip (original German) or Velocity stilts (USA) are the absolute best, then 7leagueboots (Austrian), then PoweriSer (Korean), then all the Flying Locust brands, which are all made in the same factory in China  Watch out for PoweriZer, which is not poweriSer, but yet another Flying Locust brand.  PoweriSer is somewhat more expensive and lasts longer per dollar than Flying locust products, but has no models with a pivoting footplate to my knowledge.  I'm clueless about 7leagueboot and its selection and prices.

If you want more specific or more detailed information, wait for a more knowledgeable person to post or you can search for it on your own in the Information section.

edit: I meant to say "Knowledge section" when I said information section.

What Bill C. said.
   Let the energy go into flexing your arm at the joint, not in the bone.  Then let a bunch of energy go into your elbow pads (you do wear good, thick elbow pads, right?  If not, you earned it.)  If you think your elbow pad and elbow joint can't take it all, try to fall into a rolling motion with a heavy impact on the shoulder.  Keep a fairly stiff neck.  The only meaningful fall I've had I nearly knocked myself out through my helmet with whiplash.

I'm just tough like that, and I don't give a damn about the people who will be put off by me being sweaty.  It's about 2.5 mi/ 4.5 km.  I'd probably put them in my physics teacher's closet, he'd love to have them to look at.  And you don't need to tell me how tough of a commute that is.  I know.  I already bike the distance, even in subzero temperatures.  As for the pack problem, I'll do some modifications to my backpack to make it not move.  Maybe someday I will be able to call myself the inventor of the "bockpack".
This is not a rational decision, in case anyone is under that misconception.  I am most definitely mad.

And I'm sorry mairs, I derailed your thread.

Speaking of pivoting footplates, does anyone know of a place where I could buy just a footplate? I have PR2007s and intend on running to school with them every day once I get the proper musculature, and it would be very nice if I could Frankenstein mine to have the pivoting footplates.