Draft:FASE (Fast Entry System)

FASE

Company type	Private
Industry	Sporting goods, Snowboard binding system
Founded	2018 (2018)
Products	Snowboard Binding
Number of employees	15 (2025)
Website	www.fasesystem.com

FASE

FASE (Fast Entry System) is an independently developed snowboard binding step-in entry system designed to improve binding entry and exit speed while maintaining compatibility with standard snowboard boots and a traditional two-strap binding interface. Founded in 2018 and introduced commercially in the mid-2020s, FASE is positioned within the category of alternative snowboard binding entry technologies.

The FASE system is licensed to multiple snowboard brands and integrated into select snowboard bindings. Industry coverage has described FASE as part of a renewed interest in fast entry and step-in snowboard binding systems, following earlier generations of step-in bindings introduced during the 1990s and 2000s.

Since its public release, the FASE system has received multiple industry awards and has been included in several annual product recognition lists by outdoor and snow sports media outlets.

Binding system overview

The FASE system was developed amid renewed experimentation in snowboard binding entry mechanisms, as manufacturers revisited alternative designs following advances in materials, manufacturing, and binding ergonomics. Earlier step-in and rear-entry systems introduced during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the Switch system, Airwalk step-in system, Burton SI and PSI, and K2 Clicker, typically relied on proprietary boot interfaces or non-standard binding architectures. These systems were later discontinued, largely due to limitations related to boot compatibility, adjustability, durability, or rider adoption.

FASE was introduced with a different design approach. Rather than replacing the traditional two-strap binding interface, the system retains a conventional ankle strap and toe strap while modifying the entry and exit sequence. As such, FASE is classified as a modified two-strap binding system rather than a strapless, rear-entry, or boot-specific step-in system.

The system integrates a mechanically assisted highback assembly, referred to as the AutoBack, into the binding structure. In its open position, the AutoBack rotates rearward to increase clearance for boot entry. This movement is mechanically linked to the rider’s boot and does not require manual levers or external actuation.

To enter the binding, the rider inserts the boot into the open binding. As downward pressure is applied, the AutoBack automatically rotates forward into its riding position around the boot. The toe strap remains in a fixed, pre-adjusted position during this process. Once the boot is seated, the rider secures only the ankle strap, which uses a conventional ratchet mechanism and allows tension to be adjusted in the same manner as a standard two-strap binding.

To exit the binding, the rider releases the ankle strap and lifts the heel. This action allows the AutoBack to rotate rearward, opening the binding and enabling the boot to be removed. The toe strap remains in position, eliminating the need for repeated re-adjustment between runs.

The system is designed to function with standard snowboard boots and does not require proprietary footwear or modifications to existing boot designs. It is incorporated into binding models produced by multiple snowboard brands and preserves the adjustment features, flex characteristics, and riding geometry specific to those bindings. In situations where assisted entry is impractical due to terrain or snow conditions, the binding can be used in the same manner as a conventional two-strap binding by manually opening and securing both straps.

Media coverage has generally categorized FASE within a group of snowboard bindings described as fast-entry or quick-entry systems, which seek to reduce the time required for entry and exit while maintaining the riding characteristics of traditional two-strap bindings.

Snowboard binding using the FASE Fast Entry System shown with a snowboard boot in the closed riding position

FASE Fast Entry snowboard binding shown in the closed riding position.

Snowboard binding using the FASE Fast Entry System shown in the open entry position without a boot

FASE Fast Entry snowboard binding shown in the open entry position.

Snowboard binding using the FASE Fast Entry System shown with a snowboard boot in the open entry position

FASE Fast Entry snowboard binding shown during the boot entry motion.

Licensed brands

FASE is developed as an independent binding technology and licensed to multiple snowboard brands for use in selected binding models. For the 2025–2026 winter season, the system was integrated into bindings produced by Jones Snowboards (Mercury FASE Binding), Rome Snowboards (Katana FASE Binding), Bataleon Snowboards (Blaster FASE Binding), and ThirtyTwo (T32M FASE Binding). The system is incorporated into existing binding platforms and does not replace brand-specific designs or adjustment features.

Media coverage and reception

FASE has received coverage from snowboarding and outdoor industry media, including Gear Patrol, Snowboarder Magazine, Whitelines, Gear Junkie, and Boardsport Source. Coverage has generally focused on the system’s attempt to reduce entry and exit time while maintaining the adjustability, board feel, and riding characteristics of traditional two-strap snowboard bindings, rather than replacing strap-based designs entirely.

In 2025, the FASE Fast Entry System was included in Gear Patrol’s list of the 100 Most Important Product Releases of 2025, which cited its relevance within the evolving snowboard binding market. The system has also received recognition from product design organizations, including the FIT Sport Design Awards.

Media coverage and product reviews have referenced the system’s use by professional snowboarders across competitive, filmed, and backcountry riding contexts.

Rider involvement

Media coverage and product-related reporting have referenced testing and use of FASE-equipped bindings by professional snowboarders, including:

• Jeremy Jones
• Ståle Sandbech
• Victor de Le Rue
• Scott Stevens
• Marissa Krawczak
• Harry Kearney
• Jimmy Goodman
• Joe Sexton
• Garrett Warnick
• Iñaki Odriozola
• Danielle (Ellie) Weiler
• Tor Lundström
• Cody Warble
• Scott Blum

Awards and recognition

• Gear Patrol: 100 Most Important Product Releases of 2025
• Fit Design Award: Winner in Sport Equipment Design / Snowsports
• Angry Snowboarder: Top 5 Intermediate Bindings: 32 T32M FASE
• Angry Snowboarder: Top 5 Best All-Mountain Freestyle Bindings: Rome Katana FASE and Jones Mercury FASE
• Whitelines 100: Best Bindings: Rome Katana AW FASE
• Whitelines 100: Best Bindings: Jones Mercury FASE
• Whitelines 100: Best Bindings: Bataleon Blaster FASE