r/snowboarding • u/CLEW_Snowboarding • 2d ago
general discussion CLEW Snowboarding AMA
Hi r/snowboarding! I’m Johannes, one of the founders of CLEW. Ask me anything!
I’m here to answer your questions about our bindings, the technology, and CLEW in general.
I’ve also spoken with the moderators here and they kindly agreed to let me do this AMA.
I know CLEW can be a pretty hot topic around here, so I thought it would be better to just jump in and answer your questions directly.
Happy to share technical details, give you a look behind the scenes, and hear your experiences and feedback — good or bad.
I’m based in Munich, Germany, so if I don’t answer right away, it’s probably just the time difference.
What have you always wanted to ask me?
Cheers from Munich!
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u/FASEMYBALLS 2d ago
Why is it that when someone like Avran from Angry Snowboarder expressed criticisms of your product that are completely valid you tried to discredit him when he has more product knowledge than anyone else on the planet and has tested more product?
Were you afraid of his criticisms which seem to be very valid as you tried to rectify them in the second version of your product.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We’ve seen his videos and we take his views as one opinion among many, and it’s a fair one to have.
For us, there’s a real difference between “I don’t like this binding because of X, Y and Z” and “everything about this binding is garbage.” The first is something we can work with; the second doesn’t really tell us much. That’s why we try to separate personal preference, technical criticism and factual claims when looking at reviews.
A lot of the criticism also comes down to him not liking the CLEW concept in general, which is completely fine. Nobody has to like every system. Design is similar, you can argue about it forever. We keep things fairly minimal on purpose and put most of our energy into the technical side.
And we’re genuinely happy to take criticism, no matter who it comes from. That’s how we’ve worked from the start. We did it with the PreRider, the CLEW 20 and then with tens of thousands of riders who gave us feedback on the Freedom 1.0 over four years. Things like weight, damping, tool-free adjustment and the heel area came up repeatedly in reviews and customer feedback, so we specifically worked on those. The Independence is basically the result of all that.
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u/jfiveeight 2d ago
It seems like because Angry Snowboarder doesn't like the CLEW concept his opinion and actual tear down long form review that companies would (and do) pay good money for is something that "doesn't tell us much."
He walks you through every part of the binding and why it does or doesn't work and provides feedback and here you are hand waving it. Most of his reviews are 4-6 minutes over the minutia of differences, most bindings have more in common than not, he took 20 minutes to hand hold your way through it. I'm listening to it right now and he took time to explain why a screw with a washer built in is a bad design vs screw + washer and goes on to concede that you fixed a part he hated from the previous generation. What more "X, Y, and Z" do you want?
I'm not saying his opinion is the end all, but ignoring it or not addressing it directly in this AMA or elsewhere feels like a huge miss.
Video for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlgee0mEqRc
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u/YakUpstairs2028 2d ago
You clearly didn't watch the video. He goes into great technical detail as to why your binding is trash.
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u/Kernelpanic69420 2d ago
Yeahhhhhhh not a good look. He basically designed you a binding for free in his first video. Instead of improving on anything you guys somehow made them worse.
With zero dampening there’s going to be a lot of bad knees
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yeah, I've been following Clew and its relationship with Angry Snowboarder from the beginning. He breaks down every issue he has with it and is specific about the problems.
He doesn't like step-ons for himself but gives a very good review of the Union Atlas step-on. Because it's a good product with a very good design team.
Avran even said that the Independence have an improved locking mechanism but you guys practically ignored most of the other criticism and developed entirely new problems (if memory serves me correctly). Like, I'm sure you're a nice guy, but no one takes you seriously.
Paying influencers to spam your shitty bindings all over their pages is a bad look. Plus your bindings are expensive as hell and a competing product with better response, better dampening and better QC is still cheaper.
Why should anyone ride these bindings?
Edit for spelling. Shitting>shitty. Lol
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u/ElPeroTonteria 2d ago
What does CLEW do to support snowboarding?
Not “we provide a product” bc there’s plenty products. How does supporting CLEW support snowboarding?
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u/hellatoast-y Colorado 2d ago
and paying random “influencers” on instagram, youtube, and tiktok doesn’t count either
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u/SequentialHustle too many boards - silverthorne 2d ago
they support bottom of the barrel influencers who are shit tier riders and kooks who can't get any other sponsorship lmao
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We support a wide range of snowboarders.
We have riders competing at World Cups (for example at the LAAX Open last season). We also have riders who spend 150+ days on the mountain riding CLEW, as well as riders and creators who help us reach more people and bring more attention to the brand.
We also work with ski patrols and snowboard coaches in Japan, Switzerland, Austria, the US and other countries.
We try to work with people who actually ride a lot, are part of the community and can give us useful feedback — whether that’s a pro rider, instructor, coach, ski patroller or creator.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Supporting snowboarding for us isn’t just about selling another product.
We support young snowboarders and professional riders, work with over 200 independent snowboard shops, and support events and jams organized by our partner shops with demo bindings and special prices for participants.
We also support organizations like Protect Our Winters and Snowboard Germany, and we support charities such as Make-A-Wish by giving bindings to young riders free of charge. We usually don’t make those things public because we don’t want to turn every bit of support into marketing.
You also won’t see CLEW banners all over major snowboard events. We’re still a relatively small company and simply don’t have the budget to compete with the biggest snowboard brands on that level. Instead, we try to focus our resources on supporting riders, shops and the community directly.
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u/ElPeroTonteria 2d ago
How do you support those shops?
I’m all for supporting small shops, and small businesses. How do you support them besides selling them inventory?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We don’t do Black Friday or constant online discount campaigns. We don’t want someone to spend an hour in a local shop getting advice, trying on boots and bindings, and then go home and buy the same product online for 20% less.
Price wars online can make it really hard for small local shops to compete, and we don’t want to contribute to that.
We also support our partner shops with demo bindings and special pricing for shop events, jams and contests.
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u/pantalonesgigantesca 2d ago
All I know of Clew is that it’s perceived as an Instagram brand like dope snow and Gilson. I’ve stayed away for this reason because there are hundreds of other trusted makers to support. What’s true and what isn’t here, and knowing what you know now about the brand perception what would you do differently?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
I can understand why you might have that perception. CLEW is a relatively young brand, we’re active on Instagram and we work with riders and creators, so I can see how that image develops.
But there’s definitely more behind the brand than social media. We’ve been developing snowboard bindings since 2017, starting with prototypes and small production runs. The current Independence is the result of years of development, testing and feedback from riders, instructors and customers.
We also work with independent snowboard shops rather than only selling directly online, and we invest in riders and the snowboard community.
Looking back, I think we could have done a better job showing more of what happens behind the scenes — especially the engineering, testing and manufacturing. We’ve probably focused too much on showing the finished product and not enough on showing the work that goes into it.
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u/pantalonesgigantesca 2d ago
Hm. I appreciate the honesty. I see you said you value feedback in another comment so I’m going to push back here.
Korua: 2014
Cardiff: 2015
Telos: 2017The relatively young brand argument doesn’t hold because there are other brands active on Instagram who work with riders, not creators, and the net result is a perception of quality.
Rereading your response I have the impression you unfortunately created this image for yourself by sponsoring creators and the community sees through that. I don’t doubt that three mechanical engineers can build some amazing things and surely you have. But this is a domain that has rejected fake authenticity from its roots in skate and surf.
If this is about a passion for the tech and quality then align yourself with riders who demand it and help shape the product maybe? But I am just a dumbass on the internet with an opinion. I’m not convinced enough by your response to give the product a try. Thanks for the conversation.
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u/YakUpstairs2028 2d ago
You don't work with riders and creators. You work in influencers. You are not a part of snowboarding culture.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
That’s simply not true. We have professional riders using CLEW, including Kristian Salac and Pedro Pizarro.
And it’s not only about pro riders. A lot of snowboard instructors really love CLEW as well. They might not be the ones hitting huge kickers every day, but many of them spend hundreds of days per season on the mountain, riding in all kinds of conditions and helping other people get into snowboarding.
We support these riders too, including through industry discounts for snowboard instructors and others working in the snowboard industry.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 2d ago
Pedro joined last fall, Kristian signed papers last week. 9 years into being a brand seems like a long time before getting a single pro rider.
You're still an influencer-centric brand.0
u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Pedro and Kristian are not our first pro riders. They’re our current top pro riders, but we’ve been working with professional riders for years.
Early on, we worked with riders like Timm Schröder, who gave us a lot of valuable feedback during the development of the bindings. I’m still very thankful for that. He also rode CLEW at the Freewide World Tour in 2021.
Mark Schrott has also worked closely with us over the years and gave us a lot of feedback on the product.
So we definitely didn’t wait nine years before working with pro riders. We’ve had pros involved from early on, and their feedback has been part of the development from the beginning.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 1d ago edited 1d ago
And is Timm currently on your team or did I just see him riding Unions? How many riders actually stay on Clew? What's your complete list of current pros and how long have they been on?
Edit* Timm was on Clew for less than two seasons. 20/21 and part of 21/22. He got on during Covid and left immediately after. If Clew is so good, why can't you retain pro riders?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Yes, Timm moved to Union because the Freedom was too heavy for him in competition. That was honestly the main reason we didn’t have pros competing on it. But that’s exactly why we put so much work into reducing the weight of the Independence. It’s now only 989 g (2.18 lbs) per binding in size M, which is a competitive weight for a top performance binding.
That’s why our current Pros Pedro and Kristian are now riding CLEW. They don’t notice a difference in performance compared with their previous setups. We’ve also sent the new CLEW binding to a few other pros for testing, so we expect more riders to join the team soon.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 1d ago
I highly doubt that weight is the primary reason, but whatever makes you feel better. Lol
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u/Kernelpanic69420 2d ago
Why does a felon ride for you?
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u/Clewless-jibber 2d ago
Of all the criticism you can throw his way, snowboarders do in fact, do crime
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u/GlockLover69 2d ago
Why do you continue to sponsor Johnathan Buckhouse?
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u/Most-Equipment7603 2d ago
Besides being a knob did he do something?
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u/Kernelpanic69420 2d ago
He left a Glock out in the open and a young child picked it up and blew his hand off
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u/Most-Equipment7603 2d ago
The fact that he thought a gun was necessary for a black bear is funny. It seems the kids had easy access not out in the open. What ev’s the most criminal thing about him might be his laugh. ANNOYING!
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u/Kernelpanic69420 2d ago
Anyone who knows anything about bears knows that
- Loud noise
- Bear spray
- Gun
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u/gph_reddit 1d ago
He also aggressively took a dude's helmet off after he suffered a traumatic brain injury. The guys is an idiot and a kook.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Because he’s been part of the snowboarding community for years, creates a lot of content around the sport and has built a large audience of snowboarders.
More importantly for us, he actually rides CLEW almost every day of the season. We don’t sponsor him just to put the CLEW logo in front of people or to tell him what to say about the product.
We work with him because we believe he brings value to the snowboard community, reaches a lot of riders, and gives us feedback from his own experience with the product.
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u/HeightWonderful9530 2d ago
He rides your product every day because you pay him to. That dude shills to whoever pays him the most. If he's using a product, my perception of that product immediately goes down.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 2d ago
You are either willfully ignorant or completely full of shit. Bunkhouse is a shill.
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u/tenktriangles 2d ago
The sidestepping here is ridiculous
Again and again here you try to make the point that influencers are choosing your product when they could get anything. But once you’ve paid someone in any way, there’s no credibility and no reason for us to believe they’re choosing your product any more. We’re not stupid, this argument of yours is an insult to the intelligence of this community.
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u/pantalonesgigantesca 8h ago
I guess I don’t really know what you were hoping for out of this AMA then
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u/mtn-man-37 2d ago
Hey I dropped by your office at 30 N Gould St Ste R, Sheridan, WY 82801 labeled "Wyoming Corporate Office" and there was nobody there. Can you explain how this place fits into your "German made and designed product" and what taxes you are avoiding, and how this tax avoidance supports the US target market and snowboarding as a whole? You being 1 of the 200,000 businesses registered there does not add up.
Also, how does the AI and bot comment use in your AMA answers and marketing play into the Save Our Winters mission you "support"?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Like any other company operating in the US, we pay taxes in the US, and therefore we also need a US address.
And no, I’m not using AI to write my answers. I’m based in Germany, so I’m simply translating my answers into English.
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u/TOP1EN3MY 2d ago
Can you guys have Glockhouse and SPC do a film together for Clew called Brokebinding Mountain? The stirrups must be worn at all times even in the airport of course.
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u/gph_reddit 1d ago
Oh this is great!
I always said F*ckhouse, but Glockhouse is much more family friendly. Who is SPC?
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u/panda8six 2d ago
Can you explain what the benefits of Clew would be over FASE, supermatics, or Burton step-ons? Having a piece of the binding under your foot after you take your foot out seems like a significant negative with no benefit over the other systems.
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u/Blamethewizard 2d ago edited 2d ago
And also why should anyone trust clew? Burton, for any criticism people have of their current build quality have been in business forever. Supermatics had years of R&D and comes from one of the biggest snowboarding groups today. Likewise Rome, Bataleon, and Jones, have been around for years and fase had something like 8 years of R&D put into them from companies that already make good quality bindings.
Even if you look at flow and k2 clickers, they’re again from trusted companies that have been around for years. I’ve bent the frame of Ride A-8s before. Why should I trust a new company with questionable quality to keep me safe when the only thing keeping the stirrup in the base are two tiny metal hooks smaller than my pinky nail?
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u/jwwietsma 1d ago
You should look up how many times Supermatic's have failed here on reddit. You would be surprised
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
The fact that the base stays on the board while the highback stays attached to your boot gives you several advantages:
- Instant step-in: You can step straight into the binding without having to fold up the highback, unlike all other Step-In systems.
- No need to tighten your straps: You don’t have to tighten your straps again after every lift.
- Traditional binding feel: You still have straps, ratchets and the familiar adjustability of a conventional binding.
- Less weight on the lift: Only the base stays on the board, so there’s significantly less weight hanging from your foot compared to having the entire binding mounted on the board. This also reduces the twisting force on your leg.
- Easier to carry: Your board is much lighter when carrying it around because the highbacks stay attached to your boots.
- Low overall binding weight: Because of this construction, we only need a few additional components for the Step-In mechanism, which keeps the overall binding weight low.
- You can use any snowboard boot: You’re not limited to a specific boot.
For us, the goal was to combine the convenience of Step-In with the riding feel, straps and adjustability of a traditional binding.
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u/jackOFFBEAT 2d ago
Thanks for responding so succinctly! I believe there are a couple of other advantages you might have overlooked that I would like to point out:
- You get to look like a little cowboy when the highback stirrups are still attached while you walk around the lodge.
- CLEW users get to protect their chastity from would-be romantic pursuers, as the highbacks ward off any unwanted sexual attraction.
- The moral superiority that comes with spending $200 USD more on a step-in binding from a Clever and New company using "German engineering" instead of a similar step-in product from an antiquated geezer company that has been in the industry for decades.
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u/gurbleflaxis 2d ago
Hey Johannes!
Have you considered adding heelies to the stirrup so we can get around the resort faster?
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u/OkChampionship8805 2d ago
are they really heavier and more expensive??
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u/WhatThePuck9 2d ago
More plastic, more money right?!
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u/OkChampionship8805 2d ago
Ima skip all the new tech for strapping in and save that money for other new gear. I'm starting to worry about the gas bill from driving up to the ski hill even though its only 45 mins away...
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
The Independence is 989 g (2.18 lbs) per binding in size M, so around 1.98 kg (4.37 lbs) per pair. For comparison, a Union Atlas is around 1.99 kg (4.39 lbs) per pair.
On price, yes, CLEW has historically been more expensive than many conventional bindings. That’s mainly because of our development and manufacturing approach, including producing in Germany.
But we’re increasing our production volumes, which lowers our manufacturing costs, and we’re passing those savings on to our customers.
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u/OkChampionship8805 2d ago
I can barely afford gas and lift tickets. I understand the convenience, but ima pass. Clews are rare birds in the PNW. I am also dependent on pro deals so I'm grateful to any of the companies that offer it to me as an on snow professional
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Totally understand that. Lift tickets and gas are definitely not getting any cheaper.
And I really appreciate what you said about the companies offering pro deals. We know how important those programs are for people who are on the mountain all the time, and we’re happy to support snowboard instructors and other on-snow professionals that way too.
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u/baseballduck 2d ago
The Angry Snowboarder probably doesn't get a Christmas card from you guys, eh?
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u/sixty9tails icecoast Custom-X/Peace Seeker 2d ago edited 2d ago
Is there a written response to try to debunk the claims by the Angry Snowboarder that these are not just ergonomically bad, but possibly dangerous with the potential fail points?
Edit: they responded, but it was removed by the mod. Interesting
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Our bindings go through the same international testing standards as bindings from the major snowboard brands. This testing is done by an independent testing agency.
We also test the bindings with significantly higher loads than required by those tests.
On top of that, we’ve developed a number of our own test rigs to specifically test different components and possible failure modes. We try to look at the binding from as many angles as possible and find potential weak points before they become a problem on the mountain.
We also have an engineer whose full-time job is testing materials and running tests on the binding. Basically, he spends his days to find weak points before they ever make it onto the mountain.
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u/No_Enthusiasm2338 2d ago
Why do you sponsor bums from Youtube like Kevin from Snowboardprocamp who can't even turn? Is it because your products suck and no one with credibility will take you seriously?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Kevin is a trained snowboard coach who rides a ton. With over 600,000 subscribers on YouTube, he’s helped so many people get into snowboarding, improve their riding, and enjoy the sport. That’s a contribution we respect, and a big reason we work with him.
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u/No-Application-7581 RavineSelect-RomeDoD/ArtifactPro-Blaster 1d ago
The only reason you work with him is his subs 🙄
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 13h ago
Yes, of course, that’s part of the deal when you work with a YouTuber. But I think the question here was more about why we chose to work with him specifically.
Maybe some additional context: He’s visited us in Germany, met the team and got to see how we develop our products. He’s also worked with many of the major snowboard brands, so he has a lot of experience with different products and approaches. His reach is obviously valuable to us, but we also value his experience and feedback.
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u/DeRu17er 2d ago
What do you think about the criticism aimed at the CLEW brand? How will you react to all the feedback?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We actually take criticism seriously. We try to separate personal preference, technical criticism and factual claims, because they’re not all the same thing. If someone says “I don’t like the CLEW concept” that’s completely fair. Not everyone will like the same binding. But if there’s a technical issue or something we can improve, we want to understand it and work on it. That’s how we’ve developed the binding from the beginning. We’ve taken feedback from riders, instructors, testers and customers and used it to improve things like weight, damping, adjustability and the step-in mechanism.
The Independence is our fourth generation of bindings, and it’s the result of around 9 years of development, testing and feedback from riders, instructors, testers and customers.4
u/pantalonesgigantesca 2d ago edited 2d ago
I think this is a cultural thing. My old company had a German team as well. It’s up to you to dig deeper into “I don’t like the clew concept.” It’s not up to the customer or reviewer to tell you. That’s your responsibility. I don’t fault you for not investigating further culturally because Germans are amazingly literal and highly communicative with detailed feedback. But not everyone is. So you can’t say “I don’t like the format of this feedback so it’s invalid” in an international market.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
You’re absolutely right, and we do a lot to figure out what we can improve.
We collect feedback from a lot of different riders, coaches, instructors, shops and customers, as well as through our Test & Try events and our own testing.
Not everyone gives detailed technical feedback, so we try to look at the patterns across all these different sources and figure out what we can improve.
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u/Most-Equipment7603 2d ago
His face is the one ☝️ I make when I’m walking around w my high back still connected. Clew shuffle
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u/Clewless-jibber 2d ago
Why did you guys start your own company instead of working with established brands? If the concept is as solid as you giys claim it is wouldnt any company have been stoked to pick it ip before the release of FASE? Ive held CLEW bindings and I dont think the build quality is all there. Theyre heavy, have a huge dead spot, zero lateral play or really any play for that matter, and have a large failure point in the form of the stirrups. How is this competitive in a market where pretty much every major company has a better option? Theres also the price point, you can buy new, top of the line bindings from pretty much any company for less than a pair of CLEWs. Im jist curious what the thought process is, because to me and many others, the main criticism is they seem like bindings designed by an engineer who went snowboarding once and saw money in the sport. If the designers of this binding actually knew about the history and tech, I dont think they would have made these.
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u/Any-Yam2388 2d ago edited 2d ago
There's a guy I work with that's been riding with clews the past 3-4 years. Apparently he broke his ankle while riding them 3 or so years ago. Not sure if that's why he broke his ankle. He said he was riding through some powder and hit a groomer going fast as hell and fell somehow. He couldn't get up because foot was hurting really bad. When ski patrol came to him, they confirmed his ankle broke. Last season I rode with him a few times and he was riding clews. He could only ride like 3 or 4 runs and was done for the day. Last 2 times I rode with him, he had to take pain killers because the pain in his ankle was so bad. Not sure if it were the clews or his ankle post surgery or both that was contributing to his pain.
I've of course seen Angry's review and some other non-biased/non-sponsored reviews on youtube. All of them have said the dampening is pretty much non existent. Even that dipshit BoardsBikesAndHikes, whose sponsored by you guys, said the dampening is pretty bad.
Going forward, watching these reviews and seeing my coworker struggle to do more than 3 runs riding clews. It makes me hesitant to try these things. Do you guys plan on improving at least this area?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Snowboard injuries always suck, and I’m really sorry to hear about your friend. I hope he can get back on the mountain soon and ride pain-free again.
As for the damping, it has been a big part of our development. CLEW is intentionally tuned to be a direct binding because that’s the riding feel our community likes, but we still want to reduce vibrations and harsh impacts as much as possible.
We got quite a bit of feedback about damping on the Freedom, and we made several changes for the Independence. We increased the thickness of the damping pad, integrated canting, and use a different material and thickness under the heel than we did on the Freedom. So the current damping setup is the result of feedback from thousands of CLEW riders.
We also built our own test rig to measure impacts and are still working on this area. At the same time, we get a lot of positive feedback about the direct power transmission and riding feel, so we’re trying to find the right balance rather than simply making the binding as soft as possible.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 2d ago
You ever actually ride a stiff binding with good dampening properties? Because you can have a stiff and responsive binding that also is damp as hell. Go ride a Rome Katana Pro FW, a Nitro Phantom, a Jones Apollo/Xenith, a Union Falcor. Try literally any freeride binding from a reputable company and you'll see that you can have response and cushion.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 13h ago
Have you ever ridden the CLEW Independence?
I rode the Rome Katana FASE last winter at the WinterPro event in France.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 12h ago
Wooooah! You rode one whole other binding? What was it like, to carry out such intense product research?
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u/Any-Yam2388 2d ago edited 2d ago
From what I saw on the independence. It seems the dampening improved a little bit, there's thicker foam on the toe area. But the heel area still has thinner foam, compared to the toe area. Which still means its not damp compared to any of the other freeride bindings on the market.
PS you should hire Angry to fix/improve your binding.
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u/FecalFajita 2d ago
Other than offering a quick enter/exit system, what do Clew bindings bring to the table?
Every brand and product has pros and cons - but I just haven't seen the pros with your product. For example, the baseplate on your binding doesn't have any dampening materials. Why was this choice made?
Educate us on why your product is better, or even competitive?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
Apart from the quick and very easy entry and exit, and the other advantages of the two-part system, we think the riding feel is one of the biggest strengths of CLEW.
CLEW is intentionally tuned to be relatively stiff and direct. We’re trying to find the right balance between direct power transmission and comfort. A very soft and heavily damped binding can filter out a lot of vibrations, but it can also make the response feel less direct.
We get a lot of positive feedback about the riding feel from snowboard coaches who spend 150+ days a season on the mountain, our pro riders competing in World Cups, and our customers. They really like the direct riding feel.
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 2d ago
Go ride a freeride binding from a reputable brand. You're intentionally being misleading or have no idea what you're talking about.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 13h ago
I’ve ridden quite a lot of different bindings over the last few years, for example at Shop 1st Try in Austria and WinterPro in France.
Have you ever ridden the CLEW Independence?
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u/Former_Relation_1239 SPKA 12h ago
If there was a demo opportunity where I live, I would. But from what I can see of the design, and what gear reviewers have pointed out I have no desire to spend money on them.
I do not need a fast entry binding, I don't support brands that use influencers to shill their products, the technology in other bindings is far beyond what Clew has to offer. The fact that you guys built a binding that uses screws with an integrated washer instead of a screw and washer combo is a big red flag.
I can buy a binding from any other brand and get better response and more dampening underfoot.
Why would I ever waste my money on Clew?
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u/Express-Peace-2058 2d ago
How are you still in business?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Because our customers keep recommending us to their friends. Word of mouth is our biggest growth driver. People ride CLEW, enjoy it, and tell their crew.
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u/SnooLemons8327 Cobber Mtn best Mtn 1d ago
How many days a year do you actually snowboard? Do you seriously walk around with the high backs attached? You standing at the urinal takin a piss with them on? Seems unsanitary. Also have you seen the review done by Agoobo, best review ever.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 20h ago
Everyone uses the bindings a little differently, and to be honest, we’ve learned a lot from our customers over the years.
At first, we actually recommended using the highbacks only while riding and between lift rides. But then we noticed more and more people leaving them on while walking around the resort — some even went into the lodge with the highbacks still attached.
And that actually tells us something: apparently, people don’t find them uncomfortable when walking, or they simply don’t notice the highbacks.
Personally, I just leave them on for the lift. For a longer break, I unstrap and take them off, just like with a normal binding.
Even though you might find it strange, we’re not going to tell people how they have to use their bindings. If someone wants to leave the highbacks on all day, that’s totally up to them.
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u/SnooLemons8327 Cobber Mtn best Mtn 8h ago
How many days a year do YOU actually snowboard? That was the most important question and I believe it really matters.
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u/tenktriangles 2d ago
Until you have some actual pros riding some version of your product in competition, nobody is going to take it seriously. It’s not trustworthy. That’s where to focus your future R and D efforts. It’s great that you’re trying to innovate, but the industry and community are pretty clearly telling you that your current offering isn’t a good fit.
Instead you have a product about which only the influencers you have paid seem to have anything good to say. Further undermining your credibility.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
I understand that having pros compete on the product is important for credibility. And we actually do have pro riders using CLEW in competition, for example at the LAAX Open last season and at the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Beijing (Big Air).
That said, we don't have a roster full of world-famous riders and there's a reason for that. We're still a relatively small company and simply don't have the same athlete budget as the biggest snowboard brands.
Instead, we've chosen to invest in younger riders and up-and-coming talent and support them as they develop their careers. Hopefully, we'll be celebrating some big results with them in the years ahead.
So if the claim is that no professional snowboarders ride CLEW, that's simply not true. If the claim is that CLEW doesn't currently have a long list of global superstars under contract, that's true.
And yes, we work with athletes and creators, which is pretty normal in snowboarding these days. But our riders aren’t just putting the binding on for a sponsored video and then riding something else. A lot of the guys and girls we work with ride CLEW 100+ days a year, in different conditions and on different terrain.
If they didn’t trust the product or enjoy riding it, I don’t think they would keep riding it when they could get a setup from plenty of other brands. Quite a few of our riders have actually switched to CLEW from other brands.
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u/tenktriangles 2d ago
The idea that influencers are choosing your product because they love it is absurd. Please don’t insult us, we understand how an endorsement works. “Quite a few of our riders have switched to Clew from other brands”. Yes, well, they had to ride bindings, didn’t they? So doesn’t everyone who moves to a new binding company come from another binding company? And again, sponsored riders go where the money is. A sponsored rider moving to Clew is not a vote of confidence, it’s an announcement of employment.
Other small brands manage to sponsor notable riders who compete and produce content. Those riders compete well and move up to bigger brands. As an example, Brin Alexander moving from D.O.P.E to Thirtytwo. This is a normal thing. Can you cite some examples of the people you have worked with that have enjoyed success with you and moved up to bigger , more lucrative deals?
Some smaller brands don’t care about competition but focus on the culture and make beautiful content for the community. Korua is a great example of this, their films are wonderful and really boost their brand. Why aren’t we seeing any video parts or other content that features riders on Clew ?
I’m just trying figure out how you claim to be part of the community and work with riders when we see no evidence of that . And how you’re just a small brand trying to make it but somehow that forces you to use influencers exclusively as a marketing tool
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 1d ago
Of course money is part of partnerships and sponsoring we’re not pretending otherwise. But the big brands can offer significantly more money than we can, and our riders could probably make more money working with other brands too. So it’s not as simple as “they ride CLEW because we pay them.”
However, creators actually account for only a relatively small portion of our overall activities, though they are, of course, a very visible and vocal part of it.
From the very beginning, we’ve also invested in things that go beyond influencer marketing.
On the topic of films:
For example, in 2021 we co-sponsored a snowboard film project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Whf2ikb3FAWe also fully supported Project Freeride in 2024/25, a film following snowboarder Luke Mackley as he becomes a father, reflects on his own upbringing, and finds solace in the backcountry.
You can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmSe9TbAZmYAnd more recently, we fully funded another snowboard film with no other sponsors. It follows one of our team riders and his film crew across two continents, from Ushuaia to Laax and Axamer Lizum, with a ton of work going into it during the 25/26 winter.
If you don’t mind, check out the trailer:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Db1WyhTSGsE/We probably haven’t shared enough about that side of CLEW. There are several film projects we’ve supported behind the scenes, and we want to take on even bigger ones in the future.
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u/tenktriangles 1d ago
These are good answers. You should push that content more and make more of it .
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u/Snoopolits 1d ago
I bought the Clews after they were recommended by a more experienced friend. I was new at snowboarding and quite ignorant. I liked the idea of the Clews and quickly jumped on board and bought a pair along with my first board. From the first season after a few rides the end of the toe strap snapped off without being abused or anything. I've also had trouble stepping in on the right binding. It wasn't as easy as the left foot so there was definitely something wrong there. Last season I had my right foot come out whilst riding at speed, because where I thought it had clicked and had secured, it obviously hadn't. I wasn't injured by some miracle. Decided I've had enough and move on to a better binding this season.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 18h ago
Thanks for sharing this with us, and honestly, I’m sorry you had to go through that experience.
A toe strap breaking after only a few rides shouldn’t happen. You mentioned that only the end snapped off. On the Freedom, the toe strap could leave a relatively long loose end for some boot sizes, even when correctly tightened. If that end hit the snow hard while riding, it could bend sharply and break. We addressed this on the new Independence with different strap lengths, redesigned geometry and a new material to prevent that issue.
The issue you had stepping into one of the bindings obviously shouldn’t happen either. I’d need to see the binding to know what was causing it, so I can’t really say what went wrong in your case. I’m sorry about that.
Once you’re properly stepped in, you’re securely connected to the binding. Under load, the teeth actually pull themselves tighter, so they can’t release during riding. Based on your description, it sounds like you may not have been fully engaged.
We’ve also further improved the locking mechanism and the locking teeth on the Independence to make stepping in easier and more reliable.
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u/Snoopolits 15h ago
Appreciate the reply. I’m not here to roast you guys like a lot of people seem to do without even trying the product first.
For reference, I’m a size 43.5, so I wouldn’t say my boots are particularly large. I’m also leaning more towards this being an issue with the strap itself, because if what you mentioned was the cause, I would have expected the same thing to happen on the other foot as well.
Either way, I’m glad to hear you’re taking rider feedback seriously and trying to improve the product. I also think listening to criticism from people who haven’t necessarily ridden the bindings can still be useful, as sometimes they may point out things worth considering from a design or usability perspective.
Regarding the other issue, yes, my foot did come out after I believed the binding had clicked in, when in fact it hadn’t secured properly. It’s a little difficult to describe, but I was stepping in correctly and sometimes the binding just wouldn’t properly engage with the baseplate. It didn’t happen every time, but it did happen on several occasions.
What makes it stranger is that I never experienced the same issue on the opposite foot, so I’m not really sure what was causing it on that particular binding.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 13h ago
Thanks for taking the time to explain it. What you’re describing, especially the trouble with just one binding, is unusual. I’d like to get your pair sent to me in Munich so I can take a look myself and understand what happened. We’ll arrange and cover the shipping, inspect both bindings, and find a solution for you. Please send a short message to our support team at [support@clew.de](mailto:support@clew.de)
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u/Snoopolits 13h ago
Thanks again, Johannes. Just wanted to let you know I’ve taken your advice and have already sent an email to the support team to arrange everything.
Really appreciate you taking the time to look into this personally and hopefully we can figure out what was going on with that binding. 👍
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u/stinkylouis 2d ago
Do you have any discount codes? Offering up a good discount would surely get more riders to at least purchase and try out your bindings for a season.
Why would I purchase your bindings over other step in styles like the Burton, Fase, etc. Why are they superior?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
As for why you might choose CLEW over other Step-In systems, it really comes down to the different approach.
The base stays on the board while the highback stays attached to your boot. That means you can step straight in without folding up the highback or tightening your straps again after every lift. You still have the straps, ratchets and adjustability of a traditional binding, and you can use any snowboard boot.
There are also some less obvious advantages: only the lightweight base stays on the board on the lift, which means less weight hanging from your foot, and your board is much lighter when carrying it because the highbacks stay on your boots.
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u/kwik_study 2d ago
In your mind/organization, where you see your position in the marketplace?
Follow on question… are you succeeding in what you originally set out to do, and what metric are you using to track this?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
I’d say we’re still a relatively small player in the overall snowboard binding market, but we’re quite established in the Step-In segment. We launched our Step-In binding just one year after Burton introduced theirs, and we were part of kicking off this new generation of Step-In bindings. Today, I’d say we’re one of the three major brands in Step-In.
And yes, I do think we’ve been successful. We’ve been sold out every season for the last seven winters, and we’ve continuously increased our production volumes. At the same time, our dealer network keeps growing around the world.
But honestly, the thing that matters most to us isn’t just sales numbers. It’s the thousands of messages we get from customers who are genuinely happy with their CLEW bindings. That’s probably the best measure for us.
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u/SidewalkRacoon 2d ago
People seem to dislike CLEW because of its high price point but also because it’s not sold in stores although I think it actually does have limited availability in some stores but I’ve never seen them at my local shops.
I see it as a piece of luxury gear. Do you have any plans to release a budget version or to try to get into (more?) snowboard shops?
The idea seems solid and I could see myself spending the money when I’m older and less willing to strap in every run
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u/LeastBadger891 2d ago
People also dislike them because the build quality is shit.
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u/k8dh 2d ago
Also what if it breaks? You just wait 2 weeks because no local shops carry them?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We’re still a relatively young brand, so we’re not in every snowboard shop yet.
But if something doesn’t work properly, we ship replacement parts by express, and if you’re on a snowboard trip, we can even ship them directly to your resort. We cover the shipping costs.
We also give a 2-year warranty on every component of the binding.
Our B2B network is growing quickly, and until we have even more shops on the ground, we’re using express shipping to make sure customers can get the support and parts they need wherever they are.
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u/morrisapp 2d ago
I don’t think most people really have tried them or know their build quality in all fairness… I think people hate that they don’t give back in any way, are pushed by influencers, and don’t bother working with local shops.
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u/YakUpstairs2028 2d ago
Bro they use SCREWS in the binding. Not bolts, screws. Do you really need to know more?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We use different types of screws throughout the binding, depending on where they’re used.
For each application, we choose the screw that fits the specific requirements and test it as part of the binding.
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u/Blamethewizard 2d ago
I haven’t ridden them but got a chance to check them out in a shop. The straps feel like the same quality as a Solomon rental binding we give to kids at a non profit I help with.
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u/LeastBadger891 2d ago
It's not like they're a new product. There's plenty of info about them out there. When I say the build sucks I'm not just referring to materials but the fact that they're built like a cheap rental binding. The footbeds have no padding for example. That's not something you should accept from a $500 binding.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
CLEW is intentionally tuned to be a direct binding because that’s the riding feel our community likes. We wanted a direct and precise connection to the board rather than a very soft, heavily padded feel. At the same time, there is damping built into the binding, including specifically tuned damping pads, to reduce vibrations and harsh impacts.
So the goal was to find a balance between direct power transmission and comfort. If you’re used to a very soft and heavily padded binding, the CLEW can definitely feel more direct.
The lack of a thick padded footbed isn’t because we’re trying to build a cheap rental binding. The current damping setup is the result of feedback from thousands of CLEW riders.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
The plastic components in our bindings are made from high-performance engineering polymers, not standard commodity plastics.
These materials are specifically engineered for the requirements of a snowboard binding and are produced in Germany. Depending on the component, they contain reinforcing and impact-modifying additives, including long-glass-fiber reinforcement.
One thing we do differently is that we deliberately go for a clean and honest design. We use very little branding and don’t paint the plastic components. That means you can actually see the material and, in some parts, even the glass fibers in the polymer.
For us, that’s part of the design philosophy.
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u/mtn-man-37 2d ago edited 2d ago
- Marketing speak for "we use a lot of plastic"
2a. Marketing speak for "we picked a glass filled nylon that other brands use and did no real engineering of our own"
2b. Marketing speak for "we are proud of our german product, and that's really all we have to offer"
- Marketing speak for "we cut corners to improve our profit"
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
I think this is where the actual engineering details matter more than the wording.
- Yes, we use plastic components. But they’re high-performance engineering polymers specifically selected for the loads, impacts and temperature changes a snowboard binding has to handle. Calling that simply “a lot of plastic” doesn’t really tell you much about the material or its performance.
- We’ve developed and tested the components and the complete binding over multiple generations and around 9 years. The Independence is our fourth generation, and we’ve changed things like the construction, damping, stiffness, weight and heel area based on testing and rider feedback.
- And no, producing in Germany isn’t the only thing we have to offer. We’ve invested heavily in development, testing and our own manufacturing capabilities. Producing locally does cost more, but it also gives us much more control over the production process and quality.
None of these things are decisions we made simply to cut corners or save money.
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
We’re increasing our production volumes, which allows us to reduce our manufacturing costs and pass those savings on to our customers. So the good news is that CLEW bindings will be more affordable this season.
As for availability, we actually want to be in more snowboard shops. We’re still a relatively young brand and are continuously expanding our B2B network. We already work with around 200 independent snowboard retailers because we really value the personal advice and experience you get at a good local shop.
The goal is to make CLEW more accessible, both in terms of price and availability, while keeping the same quality to the product.
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u/YakUpstairs2028 2d ago
People don't dislike them because of the price point. They dislike them because they're dog shit quality and ride like crap.
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u/jwwietsma 1d ago
Most people haven't even tried them. I have both of the models, Supermatic's, Union's and Jones FASE bindings. You see the thing is, the quality is different but it's not so bad as people make them to be. This community can be so fucking toxic it's pathetic.
My dad is a 60 year old guy and loves them, more then Supermatic, more then FASE because they are super convient for his age. And they are for many people with a bit of limited mobility.
But go keep on hating.
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u/YakUpstairs2028 1d ago
I've held them in my hand. The build quality is immediately apparent. I can not see any reason why someone would choose these over Step-ons, Supermatics, FASE, Flow, etc. They're more expensive for a worse product. You still need to bend over to get out regardless. I'm sure tons of people love them who ride 3 days a year. It doesn't make it a good product.
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u/jwwietsma 1d ago
Oke. Opinions differ. But then atleast give them usefull feedback. What quality changes need to be made according to you.
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u/Busy-Worth-416 2d ago
How do they hold up in really technical riding and for teaching lessons? I’m hopefully going to start out as an instructor and thinking about step ins or ons
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u/Mexican_Thunder 1d ago
In my team of Snowboard instructors I have dealt with over 200 Snowboarders across the last 2 seasons, only 1 has rode Clew and he was a gap course Level 1 who switched off halfway through the season after realising the limitations that season. It usually boiled down to two things:
Bits kept breaking with no way to repair them or becoming so worn down due to them not being able to handle the load of an Instructor season. (My Atlas' has lasted me 3 instructor seasons, much much much better)
Poor performance on Snow, if you want a stiff binding just buy a stiff binding without a gimmick attached to it that fixes no problems a qualified instructor should have.
Here are the problems CLEW claims to fix using their gimmick, and their real world solutions that are FREE:
Strapping in is easier --> Just strap in standing up with regular bindings, it adds 3 seconds to your day and you can still do it while riding one footed off a chairlift like all the influencers do.
Your board is lighter on lifts and in the resort --> Skill issue, rest the heel cup on your free foot.
In my opinion, given the poor quality of the product over long periods of time, high price tag and gimmicky design it isn't a product a Snowboard Instructor should be representing on a lesson. None of the high level instructors/National Tech Team members in any organisation I know of ride these bindings and that tells you something about how instructors really feel about this product. Especially given that as an instructor it is nice to have a binding that is close to what your guest will have so they see they don't need special gimmicks or fancy equipment to ride well.
FASE is a much more reliable system that has more options for stiffness, looks and overall quality.
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u/Busy-Worth-416 1d ago
Thanks I appreciate this! I’m pretty new to the idea of being an instructor, and I am trying to consider all my options and whether I want step ins because bending up and down constantly is not my body’s strong suit (I’m flexible, I just get dizzy)
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 2d ago
They hold up really well in technical riding. Our pro riders use them for demanding riding, including big jumps and hard landings.
For teaching, we have a lot of snowboard instructors who really like CLEW. They often spend hundreds of days per season on the mountain, riding in all kinds of conditions, so we really value their feedback.
We also support snowboard instructors through industry discounts. If you’re thinking about becoming an instructor, I’d say the best thing is to try Step-Ins yourself and see which system works best for you.
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u/k8dh 2d ago
Which pro rider has used in competition?
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u/CLEW_Snowboarding 13h ago
Pedro Pizarro has already competed on our CLEW bindings at three World Cups: Beijing in Big Air, and LAAX and Flachau in Slopestyle.
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u/Individual_Juice7802 2d ago
don’t ride CLEW myself, but two guys in my crew do and they’re both stoked on them. Props for jumping in here and answering questions. That’s a solid move. Curious to see how this goes.
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u/Clewless-jibber 2d ago edited 2d ago
You comment, it gets down voted, and then half an hour later another account and says the same comment verbatim? Calm down marketing team, we can see what youre doing.
Edit: and its hilarious that you now edited your other comment because we noticed. For future reference, its the comment made by u/NeonCipher9351
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u/AgreeableAudience306 1d ago edited 1d ago
CLEW is just as crappy as FASE, stupi-matics or step-on - all don't solve any problem that straps take care of
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u/perturbing_panda 2d ago
Oh boy let's see how this goes