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Snowboarders now have a new way to click with their ski friends.The typical riders hassle of bending down -- or sitting down in the snow -- to buckle boots into the bindings while skiers in their group wait could be a thing of the past.A new technology that enables the boot to snap onto the board similar to a ski binding has the potential to inject fresh life into a sport that has been dealing with slowing growth for the last decade or so.After more than four years of research and more than a decade of trying to find the answer to a question that has long perplexed snowboarders and manufacturers alike, Burton Snowboards is releasing its new Step-On binding -- touting it as a time-saver that wont negatively impact performance. The binding goes on sale next fall and will run between $250 and $400.We asked the question, `What if? said Chris Cunningham, Burtons vice president of product. What if I could save 30 seconds per run?Multiplied by the 10 to 15 runs an average rider logs on any given day, a 30-second difference could mean an extra trip down the mountain per day. Over years, that number could add up into the hundreds. Meanwhile, the binding means less delay, less getting hands wet while fiddling with straps and buckles, less time the skiers in the group have to wait around for their snowboard buddies to prepare their equipment after they get off the lift.Every time my dad goes to strap in at the top of the mountain, he lets out a huge `Aaarrrrrrrgghhh, when hes got to bend over to strap in, said Danny Davis, the two-time Winter X Games champion who rides on a Burton board. Making snowboarding something thats easier to get into, thats a good thing.An improvement in ski technology, combined with unpredictable weather, the Great Recession and increased pricing for lift tickets, helped play into flat numbers for snowboarding over the past decade-plus. SnowSports Industries America reports microscopic growth (from 7.57 million to 7.602 million) in the number of snowboard participants between 2011-12 and last winter.Among Burtons attempts to bring more people to the sport was the invention of the Riglet -- a reel-like device that makes it easier for parents to tow young kids around on the snowboard.The industry has been experimenting with step-in bindings for more than a decade, but the first mass attempt to bring them to market petered out because the performance of the boots was considered subpar.In this latest attempt, 3D printing technology made it possible for developers at Burton to crank out and refine hundreds of prototypes in a very short time. The project began in a secret, walled-off room on the Burton campus where people walked by and said, `Whats up with that wall? Cunningham said.Within months, they were testing prototypes. In four years, they came up with something thats ready for the market.Kimmy Fasani, a professional rider for Burton, said the boot and binding gave her the same level of confidence she had with her old set-up.I think sitting down (to get into the bindings) has always been kind of a nuisance for snowboarders, Fasani said. Theres an efficiency there. Now, if you have friends who are skiers, youre not going to be the guy whos slowing the crowd down. replica jerseys china .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. wholesale jerseys china . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. 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BYUs Mary Lake is two weeks into her collegiate career and already reveling in every game.The freshman libero, the espnW player of the week, earned MVP honors last weekend at the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic at Ohio State. The No. 10 Cougars (6-0) dispatched Wyoming, LIU-Brooklyn and host Ohio State, ranked 11th nationally at the time, to win the event.The 5-foot-7 Lake had 61 digs in the three matches, including 38 against the Buckeyes -- the most ever by a BYU player in a match in the rally-scoring era -- in a five-set thriller.Mary was phenomenal, Cougars coach Heather Olmstead said. She was fearless. She sees the game really well and with that, has good instincts, so she was seeing the court well and was talking and communicating. Shes such a leader in the backcourt that it calms our team down.Lakes fast start as a collegian is even more impressive given a pair of knee injuries. Coming into her final year at Californias Palm Springs High, the senior captain couldnt wait to defend the CIF Southern Section Division 2A title -- the equivalent of a state championship in the desert of Coachella Valley where she grew up.Her Indians had never won state and werent projected to do it her junior year. But a magical run propelled the No. 8 seeds to defeat the top two teams.The only word that comes to mind is surreal, she said.Then an ACL tear to her right knee ended her last high school season before it began. The first two weeks were rough, but after that, she refused to give in to the negativity.Positivity is a major part of recovery, she said. I called BYU as soon as it happened and I was afraid it would affect my scholarship, but they were super nice to me and gave me the confidence I needed so I could bounce back from it.Lake came to Provo early to finish her rehab and traveled with the Cougars on their two-week tour of China in May that included six games. She was an integral part of the lineup then. But six weeks ago, she tore thee meniscus in her right knee.ddddddddddddI was grateful it wasnt my ACL again, said Lake, who will wear a brace for the remainder of the season.The knee issues give her perspective about volleyball she didnt always have. At 5 years old, the youngest of six knew the game would be in her future. She was determined to follow her sister Melissa, a libero for the Cougars from 2008-09, into the college game.I knew I loved volleyball, but Im more grateful for it now, Lake said. The days I have tough practices I remember I could be injured and not playing at all. Its made me stronger for sure and mentally tough.One of the things I love about Mary is shes already been through a lot of adversity with that knee, Olmstead said. She found a new love for the game because it was taken away from her. Yet not even Lake could forecast this kind of beginning to her college career. The Cougars started the season in their own BYU Invitational in front of a record crowd of 4,672 and swept Utah Valley. Lake, with 12 digs in that one, has 112 to lead the team.Playing at the site of this years final four over the weekend, BYU didnt get rattled despite dropping the first two sets to the Buckeyes. The Cougars soared to a 21-2 lead in the third set, dominated the fourth and never trailed in the fifth.It was nerve-racking, said Lake, also the West Coast Conference player of the week. We didnt come out as confident as we could have been, but our confidence came and we realized we could play with them. It was crazy that we came back and won.In addition to enjoying her team, Lake also has fallen in love with BYU, where the admitted calculus junkie is majoring in math with plans to teach.I chose my school not only for the amazing volleyball program but for the school itself, she said. Im Mormon, its a great volleyball program with good people here. I visited other schools, but I knew I belonged at BYU. ' ' '