Baseplate

Union has garnered a reputation for making bindings that are next to indestructible. That certainly seems to be the case with the Ultra, and yet it still ranks as one of the lightest models in the range (which is great news for freestylers).

The chassis is not only light and strong, it’ll also bend and flex with your every tweak. Union’s signature extruded aluminium heelcup remains in force, and now features a redesigned washer that provides extra security for the screw that fixes the ankle strap to the cup (OK, no-one’s expecting you to get excited about a washer of all things, but it’s still good to see).

What Union are most stoked about is the new Molecular Bushing that sits directly underneath your boot. As well as being considerably lighter than Union’s usual fare, it’s also reactive to your movements, delivering a ‘spring-loaded’ feel upon take-off and some extra cushioning when you land. Underneath that is a layer of thermoplastic material that provides extra dampening, which is useful both during touchdown and when blasting across uneven terrain. For now, at least, you’ll only find all this on the Ultra.

“Union has garnered a reputation for making bindings that are next to indestructible”

“These bindings felt really nice to ride a little looser in the straps, really pliable and mellow flex-wise and they encourage you to really try and manoeuvre the board under your feet. I like a softer binding, and these are nice and flexy in the highback for jibby riding and playful park riding. They felt quite damp underfoot, you can feel the footbed doing its job when you’re slapping into landings but they don’t feel squidgy like some other models.

The only gripe I had with these was that the heel cup seemed weirdly small? I have a UK4 / EU37 boot and was riding the size Small and I had to try and stomp my boot into it. It was so tight width-wise that I’m not sure if it was a faulty pair or something. I have always ridden small Union’s and I rode the same size in the Trilogy and it was absolutely fine. So, word of advice if you’re on the cusp of a size, I’d say go up rather than down.”

“The all-new Ultra utilizes the latest in Union’s manufacturing capabilities and materials to redefine how a freestyle binding should ride and interact with your snowboard boots. Inspired by running shoes, Union’s new molecular bushing is the key ingredient to the Ultra’s super cushioned ride feel. In addition to the baseplate, we’re also using the molecular bushing in the Ultra’s highback to provide increased flexibility for freestyle riding. Tested and trusted by Union professionals Gigi Rüf, Scott Stevens and Jess Kimura.”