Articles
   
       
Pics/Video
       
Wake 101
   
       
       
Shop
Search
 
 
 
 
 
Home   Articles   Pics/Video   Gear   Wake 101   Events   Community   Forums   Classifieds   Contests   Shop   Search
WakeWorld Home
Email Password
Go Back   WakeWorld > Wakeboarding Discussion

Share 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old     (sdgarfield)      Join Date: May 2011       06-03-2011, 4:04 PM Reply   
Just picked up a set of Hyperlite System Bindings with the Kobalt boots...Anyone have any experience with them...my local shop really sold me on them and I am testing them out tomorrow...I know theres a lot of flak being shot at these bindings but who all has taken them out for a spin? Thanks!
Old     (captain_vilfo)      Join Date: Apr 2007       06-03-2011, 8:40 PM Reply   
There has been a million threads arguing about these on here. They have been disected on every level pretty much lol
Old     (jrich)      Join Date: Oct 2009       06-04-2011, 7:13 AM Reply   
I have a set of kobalts and I like them just fine. I had a pair of ronix cells last year and I felt like as stiff of a boot it was, they softened up pretty fast. They are still in pretty good shape but I have already pit quite a bit of time on my kobalts and I feel like they will last longer. The cells were a bit lighter but I feel way more comfortable with the system. Only drawback is they are a pain in the butt to swim in and I feel a little out of place walking around with them on at the cable park. Overall I wouldn't want to go with any other binding right now. Just my experience, hope this helps
Old     (ponder86)      Join Date: Mar 2008       06-04-2011, 7:28 AM Reply   
I have a pair of Kobalt's as well. I love them and wouldn't go back to a traditional closed toe boot. The fit and feel of them is amazing. But, like the post above said it is really weird swimming in them. However, you will get use to it fairly quick.
Old     (sdgarfield)      Join Date: May 2011       06-04-2011, 2:03 PM Reply   
Just got back from my first ride with them....THEY ARE LEGIT!!! Thanks for the input guys!
Old     (bill)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-04-2011, 2:54 PM Reply   
is there any instructional videos on how to poperly fit and adjust the boots to the bindings? i just picked up the l/xl binding and some size 10 mareks and was trying them on and trying to adjust straps in front and back to make the toe piece fit over the toe propery and seems no matter how much i try there are gaps in the toe area and also the center piece on bottom seems pinched forward abit.. any ideas on how to fit these properly or is this the correct set up..maybe they need abrek in run?

id like a video or some close up pics on how they look when propery fitted..you would think you would find it on te HL site buyt its not there..i dont want to hurt my self or break these on the first run any help?TIA
Old     (ponder86)      Join Date: Mar 2008       06-04-2011, 2:56 PM Reply   
I have mine set up to where one of the straps on the toe cap is on the outermost setting and the other is on the innermost setting. I have size 11 boots and it puts the toe cap snug over my toes.
Old     (sdgarfield)      Join Date: May 2011       06-04-2011, 7:48 PM Reply   
ill shoot it tomorrow when i go out and post it tomorrow afternoon. The guy at my shop suggest that you fit the boot in first without your foot in. He also suggested never disengage the toe strap, only slide in and out of it and just mess around with the ankle strap
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       06-06-2011, 10:46 PM Reply   
Checked out the system stuff at a store but did not actually ride them.
*It is Crazy how every other boot on the market looks bulky in comparison. you could strip the hardware off any boot and compare them side by side and the hyperlite boots would look more like actual foot-ware in a sense than other brands. Impressive
*I thought there was just as much heel lift of the boot/binding itself as others. maybe it was attached wrong, but i kind of doubt it. some of the videos you can see the boot lifting when you watch closely and slow it down. BUT, maybe the leverage that the system can produce is better than a traditional binding and this is where all the experiences of "increased control" come from. The binding itself has a lot of flex in it. i suppose this is intended, but it takes away from the expectation i had to notice less heel lift
*ironically, i thought the cobalt felt stiffest to me... at least when flexing the boot toward the toes when you do a straight knee bend (which is what i was testing). the Mareks felt only a tad stiffer than the murrays.
*the murrays have WAY better drainage (multiple holes) in the bottoms than the other two boots (two slits). why are they so different in drainage features??
* to me the ankle strap kinda dug into my shin/ankle when moving around
*I thought about the set-it-and-leave-it thing for the toe strap too. nice to know that it is ok to do and some reps are recommending it. makes the getting in and out that much easier.
*toe piece gave me fits and did not make much sense to me in the design. seems a lot of people feel similar. there is also very little cushioning on the toe piece compared to the ankle and back pieces.
* speaking of padding, there is very little padding inside the toe box of these boots. MAJOR drawback for me... but then again this is one reason why i am strange and wear 5mm neo socks in my boots if i can (no mater if the padding is lacking or not) to protect my toes so i guess i could fix it that way.
* i like how the ratchet belts weave themselves under the straps and out of your way as you crank them down

I see potential here. potential as another option out there to better suit certain styles and demands. not sure if it is or ever will be for me. but i am excited to see what improvements and influences this idea has and will have on wakeboarding as a whole

Last edited by wakerider111; 06-06-2011 at 10:52 PM.
Old     (sdgarfield)      Join Date: May 2011       06-07-2011, 12:07 AM Reply   
Jeremy,
interesting thoughts...I really experienced no heel lift at when riding them...More than any other boot that I tried, and Ive riden Ronix Ones and the Watson Boots. The one major draw back that I noticed though, but im sure is common with any boot, because they are so thin and the drainage slots, my boots are already stinking a little bit.
Old     (crowem87)      Join Date: Nov 2005       06-07-2011, 4:56 AM Reply   
I too have recently picked up a pair of these. When I first saw them working at the boat show I was skeptical to say the least. In fact, my brother and I both felt that they looked as if they would fall apart. After riding them for about 2 weeks now I love them. I have also adopted the idea of keeping the toe strap in one place. I have also found that if I wiggle my toe as far into the toe strap before buckling in the top strap of the binding it seems to fit much better. The support these things offer is great. I recommend them
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       06-07-2011, 8:10 AM Reply   
more drainage i bet could be made by drilling holes, but i don't think it would be a good idea warranty wise. don't think a removeable liner idea would make sense either with these
got to hit work. i will see if i can post pics of the soles of the murrays compared to the others tonight. the bottoms of the murrays are VERY different than the other boots and a much better design i think. it also shows off the gel better than just the windows in the side of the heel. murrays are deffinately my choice if i ever got these boots.

ohh and one other thing i forgot to mention. the lace puls are Tiny... which i guess is kind of a good thing. the hooks on the lace pulls are tiny and the pockets designed to hold the lace pulls for the hooks to go into are even smaller. i spent way too much time trying to get the hook in those stupid little pockets without them (pockets) folding in before i got the hook in. putting the hook around a lace or somewhere else would be easier. maybe the pockets would break in over time to slip in the hooks better? either way. i think a better design could be made.
Old     (behindtheboat)      Join Date: Aug 2006       06-07-2011, 9:28 AM Reply   
I had no issue putting the hook into the top of the boot, and it was more secure than most other bindings i've experienced (as in won't come out on a hard landing. You could also just remove them. The thing I did notice was that the plastic clasp that keeps them tight goes under the top strap, but it didn't seem to effect any fit or comfort, it must just move out of the way. These are well worth trying out!
Old     (ponder86)      Join Date: Mar 2008       06-07-2011, 2:37 PM Reply   
I haven't had any issues with them, and my only concern going in if they would release or not. I put that concern to rest 2 days ago when I came out of them. The top strap came undone on a fall and I came out with no problem, the toe strap was still in place so it was easy to strap them back on in the water.
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       06-07-2011, 11:00 PM Reply   
Pics are not the best, they are freeze-frames from video clips i made for a friend that was interested in them
the Kobalt and marek (not shown) have two slits
the murray has huge cavities (left pic is the heel and right pic is the toe) in the sole with multiple drain holes within these cavities. i bet this would make the soles cushier in a sense too having less surface area to squish


and here is a pic of the tiny pockets on the kobalt. at first i thought the seams were coming undone in these spots, but then i realized they were lace storage compartments. maybe they will be easier to mess with wet/ and or after broken-in. cant imagine clipping them in in the water.
Attached Images
   
Old     (wakerider111)      Join Date: Jul 2006       06-08-2011, 12:37 AM Reply   
Not a problem, but i couldn't help notice how noisy the boots are when moving around. are they as noisy when wet or even noisier for that matter?

this video has been one of my favorite, showcasing the system
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hyperlit...12/itKx-ayFjyU
midway through the video there is a grab with a good poke, flexing out the boots and system pretty good. I noticed the boot moving/pivoting inside the system binding at this point. [click on the 30 second mark repeatedly and watch various parts of the boot and binding in relation to themselves and the board.]
at first i was not sure what to think of it, but then i started thinking that performing a poke like this would require some bending and pivoting somewhere in the foot. in a traditional wake boot the foot will make this movement inside the boot. with the system the boot WITH the foot will perform this motion (at least in part). because the boot can be allowed to move with the foot inside the system binding, it can maintain support in this motion. if it makes sense...if this is even logical thinking on my part

as for the heel lift. you can see it briefly in the videos where murray and rusty jump off the back of the boat. I realize this is not water and that ALL boots/bindings will have heel lift when putting force on them while standing on a surface without give. but the heels lift as much as some of the other brands imo in the same scenario

Last edited by wakerider111; 06-08-2011 at 12:46 AM.
Old     (sdgarfield)      Join Date: May 2011       06-08-2011, 12:44 PM Reply   
as you can imagine, another negative is swimming in them...but then again anything that doesnt allow you to point your foot is going to be awkward.

Reply
Share 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 4:00 AM.

Home   Articles   Pics/Video   Gear   Wake 101   Events   Community   Forums   Classifieds   Contests   Shop   Search
Wake World Home

 

© 2019 eWake, Inc.    
Advertise    |    Contact    |    Terms of Use    |    Privacy Policy    |    Report Abuse    |    Conduct    |    About Us