 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
I'm considering purchasing a pair of powder skis, specifically a pair of Armada AK JJs (195cm length, and 120mm under foot). I'm a 90kg, athletic, aggressive, powder skier, who mostly skis lift served downhill. I normally set my bindings to ~DiN 10.0 or so. I know this may seem high, but its on advice from off piste instructors, and I've popped out dozens of times at this setting, in decent wipeouts, so no issue for me so far, thankfully.
I was wondering what would be the best downhill bindings for me? there seems to be huge differential in costs for bindings, is there really that much differential in performance & value?
e.g. Salomon PKG - Salomon Warden MNC13 package binding for euro 89 - they look fine to me, what do posters here think?
appreciate all feedback
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With your style and DIN setting, I would opt for a 16 version. Salomon STH2 WTR 16 for example (I have the 13 version on my Atomic Automatics - love them), or Tyrolia Aaattack 16 (I have the 13's on my Fischer Ranger 88 TI's). Love both bindings: great quality, wide platform (perfect for wider skis), solid and ligth weight.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Do yourself a huge favor beyond everything else availible and take serious note of Look's turntable unit (which is identical under Rossi's label). Superior design to everything else on the market as per the nonpareil turntable - the tib/fib IS your axis, NOT the center of your foot......., hello!, highest elasticity in the business which is a serious issue/need for you that you need to address rather than setting yourself up for a potential world of hurt via overloading your DIN, easist to get into above all in deep powder and unlike some bindings, you can easily tie off, actually you can tie off as opposed to some units that nearly do not allow tie off (powder trailer - plastic surveyor's tape) which, if you are skiing powder of at least two plus feet is no joke. Ever fall and release in deep powder sans a powder trailer........? Not a good idea. Not fun.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Good choice! I have Pivots on my powder skis and really like them. Very easy to put back on in powder in case of release.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cool, Never Summer, thanks for that reassurance.
I was considering ordering a pair of dynafit bindings for the skis, and then reckoned for the 1 day of skinning a year I do, was it really worth it? plus would I want to be dragging those wide planks up a skin or on a tour anyway, probably not. so happy with my lot... for now anyways 
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Hi Equinoxranch,
tried to put this in a pm, but you're coming up as down a crevasse. (I hope we haven't lost you!?!)
Not sure if I ever got back to you after I got & skied my wonderful skis and my even more wonderful bindings. On your recommendation I went with the rossignol (look) FKS140 bindings and I have to say, I may not understand them one iota, but I absolutely love them nonetheless.
As you had probably gathered I do a few hairy manoeuvres most holidays and ski pretty hard. I'm pretty handy for a paddy but I'm certainly no native expert, so I absolutely love the fact that these bindings are set up to mitigate shear forces and limit injuries a bit. A bunch of us go on a mad powder camp each year in Verbier, which is great, but a little bit nuts at times. (e.g. I ended up, upside down in a river on the last day, last year, I kid you not). The guides were the dudes who had us ratcheting our bindings up to din 10 on the basis that because of some of the terrain we were crossing it was less of a risk to break your leg/knee versus losing a ski. It could have all been macho bs but that's what our guides had us doing.
So anyway, thanks again to you and Never Summer for all the wise advice , I love the bindings and they even match my orange technica boots
If by chance you're around Cham/Argentiere at New Years (dec 26th to jan 9th), (& possibly Val T for a few days), or indeed Val D'Isere the first week in feb this season, please pm me to meet up for a ski(assuming you're back up from the crevasse you're virtually lost in on snowheads) and let me buy you a drink(s)
happy skiing in the meantime.
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October the 24th, USA......
Horgand,
Just received your most appreciated reply about the TT bindings. I'll get beaten up for this, but what the hey............ Many, many, many years back, somewhere between the signing of the Magna Carta and the invention of high lift bras (yes, yes) I started to use the Look TT as per the education of a shop in the States who critically pointed as I have in my original post that with turntable the pivot axis for the all important lateral release IS the tib/fib much akin to that of a door's pivot axis on the hinge. Once one "sees it" and realizes the superiority to that of all other binding sytems of standard heel that through their inherent design which place the central pivot axis in the center of the foot, you never want to be on anything other than TT. Non TT binding heel pushes the boot/foot further forward into the toe at time of lateral need/release and the central pivot point is not in axis with the tib/fib as central pivot point, rather the aforementioned center of he foot which when you visualize same ain't the way to go. Hola.
I additionally love Look TT's for the deep stuff because as I also pointed out you can readily tie-off a good three feet of surveyor tape (the neon stuff which is feather light) if you are in the deep stuff and might take a header. Do not remind me about THAT separation I took in '86 on rental skis on a Euro trip in approximately three feet of near cement whereupon it took me roughly 80 minutes to FINALLY find the ski sans trailer that torqued off when I simply went through a left turn.................. And getting into the ski/binding afterward required as usual with standard heel design packing down a lot of snow so I could get resistance as opposed to far more easily with TT putting the ski typically downhill and with hand reaching down and simply rotating/"caming" the heel on to the boot, voila.
Yes, all bindings work and regretably with most of today's skis the ski automatically comes with a binding as per the agreement of the ski and binding mfgrs. But, wherever possible, I go out of my way to use TT's.
Thanx for the invite. Who knows? I'll pm you if it comes to same. I wonder if France - the EU - would allow my entrance as I am not a "refugee". This "down a crevasse" thing has me confused. I wrote the administrators on this as to why and they never replied. Take care.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| equinoxranch wrote: |
| This "down a crevasse" thing has me confused. I wrote the administrators on this as to why and they never replied. Take care. |
You PM'd me and I replied to you - you just didn't read the reply.
Your latest message however was, frankly, just bolshy and rude and, other than this reference to it, you will receive no response to any message in such a style. You have enjoyed the privilege of using snowHeads for a little over a year, entirely for free: all we expect from you is a valid email (yours was bouncing which is why you ended up down a crevasse) and a little politeness.
Still confused? I recommend you read the message you were sent originally and try replying politely to that.
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