Patent ID: 7281730

Claim:
A boot binding for use with a recreational riding board, the boot binding comprising: an outer shell partially surrounding an interior space for receiving a user's boot, the outer shell having a boot-insertion opening; a closing gate for holding the boot within the binding, the closing gate being pivotal between an open position away from the interior space, and a closed position across said opening; a release adapted to allow said closing gate to swing from said open position to said closed position, wherein said release comprises a portion located in said interior space when the closing gate is in said open position, and wherein said release is actuated, to allow said closing gate to swing to the closed position, by the boot impacting said portion while being inserted into the interior space; and a biasing mechanism adapted to urge the closing gate to said closed position; and wherein the boot binding further comprises a latch system for securing the closing gate in the closed position, wherein, when said closing gate swings to the closed position, a distal end of the closing gate enters the latch system and engages with the latch system to hold the closing gate in the closed position.