Patent ID: 8342561

Claim:
A foot binding for use with a gliding board, comprising: a base constructed and arranged to be secured to a gliding board to secure a rider's foot to the gliding board, the base including medial and lateral sides, a heel end, a toe end, a heel-toe direction that extends from the heel end to the toe end, and a bottom surface arranged to contact a top surface of a gliding board; a medial portion attached to the medial side, the medial portion extending along at least a portion of the medial side of the base in the heel-toe direction; a lateral portion attached to the lateral side, the lateral portion extending along at least a portion of the lateral side of the base in the heel-toe direction; and at least one foot engagement member secured to the base and constructed and arranged to secure the rider's foot relative to the base; wherein the medial portion is pivotally attached to the medial side of the base at a heel end of the medial portion so as to be movable relative to the medial side about a medial axis that is generally along the heel-toe direction and is fixedly attached to the base at a toe end of the medial portion, or the lateral portion is pivotally attached to the lateral side of the base at a heel end of the lateral portion so as to be movable relative to the lateral side about a lateral axis that is generally along the heel-toe direction and is fixedly attached to the base at a toe end of the lateral portion, the medial and lateral portions being fixed relative to the base in the heel-toe direction and in a direction away from the bottom surface of the base.