Special to Wildsnow.com by Tim Ryan

Drill holes in the toe levers of your plate bindings. Tie a small perlon loop through each toe lever. The golf ball provides a convenient handle for opening & closing the toe lever with gloved hands. The dayglo color makes it easy to see in the snow. Note the keeper cord for the cotter pin, the toe & heel pieces of the binding mounted directly to the Voile carrier plate, and the canting provided by the binding. This is my right binding, and the canting provides higher foot elevation on the right side (outside) of my right foot: key for relieving strain on the lateral collateral ligaments.

Rig a "Y"-shaped leash of appropriate length. Tie a loop at the single end of the leash; through this loop attach the split steel ring with the spring loaded quick release (more about this fishing tackle later). The ice ax provides scale for this photo.

Tie loops in each of the twin ends of the Y-shaped leash; attach these ends to the loops in the toe bails by means of two small carabiners. The single leg of the "Y" shape is attached either to your pack waistbelt or a loop on your clothing by means of the spring loaded quick release -- instead of the motorcycle handlebar.

Photo above shows the spring loaded quick release hardware, which is sold as a fishing net attachment. It is in the closed position When the D shaped fitting is pulled out against the pressure of the internal spring, the fitting pivots open. The photo below shows this hardware in the open position.

In order to quickly release the bindings, you simply reach down to your waist, grab the single leg of the "Y" cord, and yank on it. The toe bails immediately come undone, and the Angler's Accessories bit of hardware releases from the closed to the open position. You then let go of the cord and are thereby separated from your snowboard completely. I have used this system for a number of days of heli boarding and snowboard mountaineering. It has never gotten in my way. It makes it much easier to get out of the board, and it doesn't add too much difficulty in rigging it up. (The plain steel ring and the black webbing piece, along with the elastic keeper cord that come with the Angler's Accessories package are for use in rigging the quick release system for a trout fishing net. You don't need these pieces for the snowboard binding quick release rig; but you may want to hold on to them in case you take up fishing.)

You can contact Tim Ryan on the discussion forums at Couloirmag.com.