Why We Chose The Blaster AW FASE
Bataleon’s best-selling AsymWrap binding keeps its proven surfy flex and FASE speed-entry system for another season – now joined by a dedicated women’s version.
“Its medium flex and surfy feel suit all-mountain cruising and creative park laps alike”
Who Is The Blaster AW FASE For?
In a nutshell – riders who like the low-profile feel of a traditional two-strap but fancy a faster way in and out. The Blaster also boasts Bataleon’s signature design touches that will appeal to the triple base crowd. Available in both men’s and women’s sizing (S to L/XL and S to M/L respectively), its medium flex and surfy feel suit all-mountain cruising and creative park laps alike, without demanding you buy new boots
Baseplate
The AsymWrap aluminium frame (also seen on Rome bindings) is the heart of the Blaster’s appeal. Connected to a nylon base, its asymmetric shape offers plenty of lateral freedom to bring personality to your turns and bone out those grabs. Heel to toe response is way firmer, so you can drive through hardpack turns just as easily as butter around. A 2-degree canted footbed sets your stance up correctly straight out of the box, backed by an EVA sub-base pad for a bit of extra cushioning underfoot on bigger impacts. Forward lean and the ankle padding are both adjustable, as is the position of the heelhoop/chassis – a rarity with speed entry bindings. It’s also worth noting that Tor’s pro model version comes with a carbon-injected base for full-on edge response.
“The Blaster remains one of the more convincing arguments for the ‘semi-auto’ solution”
Straps and Highback
FASE’s party trick is the highback: the AutoBack reclines out of the way for entry, then flips back into position the moment your boot’s in – echoing the popular Supermatic system but without needing a heel pedal. Once you’re in, the 3D AuxTech Cradle FastStrap stays connected across the ankle via an extended ladder, so strapping in is a one-handed job rather than a full re-thread every time. At the front, an AuxTech ToeStrap uses a clever auto-locking ratchet to hold its position, meaning you set it once and basically forget it. You’ll still bend down to tighten that ankle strap, but it’s noticeably quicker than a traditional two-strap, and light enough that you’d struggle to tell the difference from your favourite old binders.
Roundup
We rated the original Blaster FASE highly last winter, and nothing about the latest edition has changed our minds – indeed, the addition of a genuine Women’s model makes Bataleon’s take on the system easier to recommend. As a late addition to the fast entry party, FASE has some steep competition with Supermatic and Step On, but the Blaster remains one of the more convincing arguments for the ‘semi-auto’ solution: light, familiar-feeling, and quick enough for most. If you’ve got the chops to pull it off then we really dig the neon yellow colourway, though Bataleon’s design team are always wise enough to offer a safe option and you can’t go wrong with tone on tone black.
Tester Verdict
Ronan Thompson
I’ve ridden the Rome Katanas (which are based off the same baseplate as the Blasters) for a couple of seasons and I loved them. Super light, great support in the high back and I love the straps and the way they mould to your boot. After a couple of days on the Blasters, I actually think I prefer them. They’re just a little bit softer, but still with solid support in all the right places. It took a bit of time to set and get used to the FASE system, but once I had it dialled it was really impressive. It’s all about the back foot, you can sort it out so quickly and easily, even on the move.
