Digging the Burton Cartels

I'm not sure which was worse: Rusty's decision to try their hand in the snowboarding business or my decision to try my hand at Rusty's new bindings. Less than two days and two mid-sized kickers later, and the Rusty bindings were toast. And so was my ankle. Whoops-a-daisy. After the binding frames exploded like a grapefruit in a microwave, I was left with a sprained ankle and more than half a day left on my lift ticket. Not exactly what I look for in a binding.

That was ten years ago. Since then I've returned a pair of Airwalk bindings and pawned off a pair of Burnt bindings (the sales lady said they "love them in Austria" and I was 17) on eBay. These failures have led to a commitment problem when it comes to bindings. But it was my fault: I was too determined to own "something different (and find a deal)," and I finally bought some Burton Freestyles. While relatively inexpensive and no-frills, the Freestyles and I made happy memories for several years until parting ways this winter. There was someone else. After Christmas, I finally gave in to the daily barrage of emails from backcountry.com and bought something from on of their never-ending sales: the Burton Cartels. The colors were hot and I jumped at Winterfresh.

To the right of the Freestyles, the Customs, and the Missions and to the left of the Triads, the CO2s, and the C60s, Burton's Cartels are mid-range price wise. And part of why I pulled the trigger on them is that I was able to get a low-range price on them ($109). So I screwed 'em on, and here's what I found:

-The Capstrap toe strap is the sh*t. As opposed to simply pulling my feet down into the bindings-as the old Freestyles straps did, the Cap Strap pulls my dogs down and back into the bindings. My boots are snug as a bug in these things and as a result, their response is excellent. They made me look good in powder and groomers, and did not seem to loosen/explode after a day in the park.

-Comfort: I have not had a problem with pressure points with the ankle strap adjusted to its highest position on the frame. Even when cranked as tight as can be, the straps don't cut off any blood supply. The gel foot padding is plush and does seem to absorb shock well...even when you land on the flats because you didn't get enough speed off the Rocking Chair. My only advise regarding comfort would be to buy the larger size bindings if your boot size falls in the high end of the size range for the binding (e.g. if your boot size is a 10 1/2 or 11 and the size range for a medium binding is 8-11, go with the large instead). This way the straps will be easier to fasten at the top of the mountain and your skier friends will have less time to throw snowballs at your helmet.

-The Team Skyback II highback (the back of the binding) rides higher on the calf than a traditional binding, which can be good and bad. As I spend most of the time freeriding in all kinds of conditions, I find the highbacks to be beneficial. The high backs are stiffer and seem to respond sooner when going heel-side and this fact did not take long to win my heart. They rock in tighter glades and powder and long walks on the beach. I imagine the downside would be on an individual basis. The high back might compromise the stance of someone who prefers a bit more freedom of movement or spends most of their time in the park. With a rounded top, the Skyback shouldn't dig in, but you never know. I will add, however, that the highback is easily adjusted to a wide range of angles. I would recommend trying a pair on if you have doubts about the highback and that these are probably better for more advanced levels.

-These bindings are super light and according to the rep I chatted with at backcountry, these bindings are solid. I was assured I would not have to worry about a Rusty repeat and that if for some reason I did have an issue, that Backcountry.com will back them up as it does with all their products- even if I've been using 'em for a while. For the record, I have found this to be true of the company in the past. I recently sent back a pair of DaKine gloves that I felt could fit better after using them-no problem.(Rest assured, I refrained from using the convenient nose wipe on the thumb before I returned them.) Burton is also known for good customer service.

-My only knock on the Burton Cartels was that the straps were not as easy to adjust as my spoiled childhood requires tasks to be. The same features that serve to secure nuts and prevent loosening also made it difficult to pop them out for strap reconfiguration. Thankfully, I had an awl, a mallet, and a jackhammer handy. No problem. It's possible it was just mine, though, and this wasn't a deal-breaker for me because I am not going to be needing to move the straps often.

Overall verdict: buy 'em if you are ready for a step up, and if you have been burned in the past. The Burton Cartels are bindings you can bring home to Mom and Dad.