Gear Review: Flux DM 30

--Product Information--
Product Name: DM 30
Product Brand: Flux
Best Use: Park & Mellow All Mountain

--Test Information--
Location of Test: Timberline Ski Resort, Oregon
Duration: 3 days

--Ratings--
Value Rating: 9
Durability Rating: 10
Note: This rating made by judging the abuse my friends have put on their Flux bindings. I haven't seen any breaks yet, and those kids break gear.
Overall Rating: 9

Full Review: Real quick, so you know where my perspective is coming from. I’m 5’7, 180 lbs. I love riding steep and fast stuff and I love the park too. Jumping is my favorite. It's hard to find a binding that does all that really well. I ride between 120-180 days a year. I generally ride 32 TM TWO boots and Union Force bindings.

I rode the DM30’s on two boards: a stiff 157cm cambered Nitro Eero Ettala and a medium/soft 153cm cambered Atomic Axium. The bindings thrived on the softer Axium. Everything felt comfy. Nothing surprised me at the last second while riding. That “oh crap why am I crashing?/this new gear does weird stuff!” event didn’t happen with the DM30’s. That to me is the biggest proof of a solid, well thought out, ergonomically correct binding. I’ve had some less than awesome surprises while riding new equipment in the past, as I’m sure you all have.

"The Good" List:

• The ankle and toe strap distribute pressure very evenly. I didn't get a hot spot during 3 days of riding. (note: Always loosen your front binding straps before each lift ride. No binding is comfy enough to be strapped Ride-tight all day.)
• The foot bed platform is truly flat (no concave disc area), which helps eliminate foot cramps. The footbed also absorbs impact well.
• The high back rotation and forward lean adjustments offer a large range of adjustment options. Some binding companies are really skimping on that lately.
• I felt very comfortable on the DM30's in the park. They locked onto rails and boxes really well. While jumping, both take-offs and landings felt solid.

• For my weight, I would give this binding a 4 for stiffness. Where I truly noticed the softness of the binding was on hard pack while carving fast on my heel edge. The highback is medium/soft to me. Not bad, just not what I'm used to.
• I noticed a decreased reaction on take-offs when spinning front side. This is due to one main thing. I was riding the Nitro Eero, which is just a little too torsionally stiff for the DM30, in my opinion. When I switched boards to the Axium, things felt solid.