Some aspects include a ski binding system using controllable electromagnets, alone or in combination with permanent magnets, as means of attaching or releasing a ski boot to a ski during use. Some aspects include a ski binding system using a controllable solenoid. In some aspects, microprocessor-based control releases binding electronically based on input from sensors located in binding, ski and/or boot, as well as in other equipment or clothing connected to them or to skier, or binding releases when a mechanical threshold is overcome. In some aspects, sensor data are recorded for analysis of system performance and for adjustment and improvement of system parameters based on data analytics.

A steering system for a snowboard includes two binding interface pods, one of which may be active and one of which may be passive. Rotation or tilting of a top plate of the active binding interface pod in response to rotation or tilting of the rider's steering foot causes counter-rotation of a steering fin under the rider's steering foot. The passive binding interface pod is responsive via a linkage between the active and passive binding interface pods to cause rotation of a steering fin under the rider's non-steering foot. Coordinated counter-rotation of the steering fins causes the board to turn in the direction of rotation of the rider's steering foot when the steering fins are unaligned. Optionally, both binding pods may be active in steering, i.e. enabling two footed steering.

A highback for a snowboard binding, and method of creating same, includes a lower portion configured to couple the highback to a baseplate of the snowboard binding such that a proximal end of the first portion is proximate the baseplate. An upper portion having a first section and second section is formed from a uniform material. The first section is anchored within the lower portion and the second section extends from a distal end of the lower portion away from the proximal end.

A snow ski assembly is provided for use by an individual to slide across a snow covered surface, for example, under the force of gravity. The assembly includes a ski having a bottom wall for engaging the snow covered surface and an upturned peripheral region extending around a perimeter of the bottom wall. The bottom wall of the ski includes at least one control structure extending across at least a portion of the bottom wall, where the at least one control structure is configured to control a movement of the ski on the snow covered surface. The assembly also includes a mounting feature configured to couple a binding to the bottom wall of the ski, such that the individual can position a foot in the binding and use the ski to slide across the snow covered surface.

A snow ski assembly is provided for use by an individual to slide across a snow covered surface, for example, under the force of gravity. The assembly includes a ski having a bottom wall for engaging a snow covered surface and an upturned peripheral region extending around a perimeter of the bottom wall to help facilitate sliding movement of the ski across a snow covered surface in any direction, without preference to a particular direction, and to help inhibit the ski from digging into the snow covered surface when sliding across the snow covered surface. The assembly also includes a mounting feature for coupling a binding to the bottom wall of the ski, such that an individual can position a foot in the binding and use the ski to slide across the snow covered surface.

Splitboard binding systems including a binding that may be attached to either a left or right gliding board in a ski mode or to both gliding boards in a snowboard mode. The binding includes left and right bottom rails attached to the bottom surface of a base plate, which define channels for slidable attachment to pucks disposed on the gliding board in snowboard mode. Each rail has a circular bore at a forward end for attachment to a counterpart pivot pin on a ski mode toe bracket in a ski mode by a sideways movement. A securing lever is disposed on an upper surface of the toe bracket. When the securing lever is rotated into a securing position, an end of the securing lever prevents removal of the pivot pin from the rail bore. Rotating the securing lever to a removal position allows the binding to be removed.

A mounting device for snowboards and other snow glide boards that includes a puck assembly. The adjustment system can be adjusted with three degrees of freedom with respect to the snowboard: foot placement, foot angle, and heel and toe centering. The puck assembly can attach directly to the snowboard or can be built into the snowboard boot binding. The mounting device can include a slider block/snowboard binding base plate and a disk. The disk includes a series of projections. The slider block/snowboard binding base plate receives the disk in a recess indented in the slider block/snowboard binding base plate top surface. The recess is patterned with a series of detents sized and shaped to receive the projections from the disk. The detents arranged as a series of arcs, of equal radius, translated linearly on even increments. This combination allows for the foot angle and heel and toe centering adjustments to be made concurrently.

A mounting device for snowboards and other snow glide boards that includes a puck assembly. The adjustment system can be adjusted with three degrees of freedom with respect to the snowboard: foot placement, foot angle, and heel and toe centering. The puck assembly can attach directly to the snowboard or can be built into the snowboard boot binding. The mounting device can include a slider block/snowboard binding base plate and a disk. The disk includes a series of projections. The slider block/snowboard binding base plate receives the disk in a recess indented in the slider block/snowboard binding base plate top surface. The recess is patterned with a series of detents sized and shaped to receive the projections from the disk. The detents arranged as a series of arcs, of equal radius, translated linearly on even increments. This combination allows for the foot angle and heel and toe centering adjustments to be made concurrently.

A device for locking a binding to a snowboard, comprising a disc, having a base attached to the snowboard and housed in an opening of a base of the binding and a lever, which is hinged to the base and pivots from an unlocking position to a locking position, wherein the base is locked in any angular position relative to an axial direction of the base of the disc, the opening of the base being provided with a shoulder; According to the invention, the lever is a locking lever, overlapping the shoulder of the opening of the base in the locking position and transmitting a clamping force onto said shoulder, exerted by a clamping means, the lever fitting into the opening of the base in the unlocking position.

A device for locking a binding to a snowboard, comprising a disc, having a base attached to the snowboard and housed in an opening of a base of the binding and a lever, which is hinged to the base and pivots from an unlocking position to a locking position, wherein the base is locked in any angular position relative to an axial direction of the base of the disc, the opening of the base being provided with a shoulder; According to the invention, the lever is a locking lever, overlapping the shoulder of the opening of the base in the locking position and transmitting a clamping force onto said shoulder, exerted by a clamping means, the lever fitting into the opening of the base in the unlocking position.