Binding apparatus for use with an item of sports equipment such as a skate board, the binding apparatus including a first part adapted for attachment to an article of footwear and a second part adapted for attachment to the item of sports equipment. One of the first and second parts includes a protuberance and the other of the first and second parts includes a recess adapted to receive the protuberance therein. The first and second parts also have complementary securing parts for releasably securing the protuberance in the recess. The securing parts are adapted to secure the protuberance in the recess upon the protuberance reaching therein a predetermined engagement. The release of the first part from the second part is allowed exclusively upon application of an upwardly directed breakaway force.

A multi-position binding system for snowboards having at least two preset positions, including a first position where the user is able to control the snowboard under conventional use, and a second position where the user is able to rotate the binding systems to extend a guide blade through a slot from a recessed position within the core of the board. The blade when in use projects from the bottom surface of a snowboard to provide guide means to aid the user in controlling the direction of the snowboard during forward movement.

Binding apparatus for use with an item of sports equipment, including a first part adapted for attachment to an article of footwear and a second part adapted for attachment to the item of sports equipment. The second part includes a protuberance. The first part is a housing adapted to be mounted in the sole of the article of footwear, and includes a recess adapted to receive the protuberance. The first and second parts have complementary securing parts for releasably securing the protuberance in the recess when the protuberance reaches a predetermined engagement therein for sideways pivoting movement of the article of footwear relative to the item of sports equipment. The recess has a substantially cylindrical face generally perpendicular to the sole of the article of footwear, and a lower opening defined by an inner lip for receiving the protuberance therethrough. The securing parts include an outwardly biassed ring mounted on the protuberance, the ring being compressible from a normally expanded position in which it does not pass through the lower opening to a compressed position in which it does pass through the opening. The ring may be forced through the lower opening into the recess by compressing the ring, whereupon the ring engages with the lip to retain the protuberance in the recess. The protuberance may be released from the recess upon application of a breakaway force so that the ring is forced back through the lower opening by compressing the ring.