 Poster: A snowHead
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A relative who was a day 1 beginner hired skis from the local ski rental shop in resort. He made it clear he was an absloute beginner when hiring. The shop set the release setting to around 7.5. On his first day he had a slow speed twisting fall, hurt his medial knee ligaments & was unable to ski for the next 4 days.
OK, I thought this was an unfortunate but quite common occurence. However, when I checked the DIN settings recommendations (http://www.salomoncertification.com/manuals/2010-11_Adjustment_Chart.pdf) it seems clear for a beginner with his weight and boot length he should have been at setting 5 . In which case, the skis would most likely have released earlier in his fall & his knee would have been subjected to less twisting force. It also makes you wonder, what is the point of the DIN standards if the shops ignore them, and what is the point of the advice to only get your bindings set by trained experts. Plus, what to do next time the shops set them incorrectly - ignore them and reset myself, or take the DIN charts along and challenge them? Alternatvely, maybe I am missing something, the published DIN charts are over-simplified or are inappropriate for the knackered old rental bindings, and the rental shops really are the experts?
I guess this is not the first time this has arisen, I couldn't find any related threads so wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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7.5 is way too high for a beginner. Regardless of weight / size. Slow speed, twisting falls are all too common. For an absolute beginner the preference is for the binding to be set too low and pre-release (if I was with your friend I've have gone for 4 and only increased if it became a problem).
Unfortunately there is no proper qualification for ski technicians (the Salomon is as close as it gets) and all too many technicians are untrained and do things "by eye".
I've certainly adjusted friends' bindings DIN setting down where I both know they are a beginner and the shop has set the bindings what I'd consider to be too high. I'd never increase the DIN setting on someone else's binding.
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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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gra, AFAIK, the setting guides are guides. To a point, there are a bundle of built in assumptions e.g. beginners will ski more slowly.
Also, I wonder whether that chart is as easy to read as it looks. To my eye it's suggesting that you stick a skier of more than 6'5", heavier than 95kgs with huge feet on a "6". IME such a type would pre release skating to the chairlift.
Although it's based on a "Type I" skier (a 'merkin description) it suggests that my wife and I (whose dimensions shalll remain unknown other than we're not type I skiers) should be on 4 1/2. We typically tootle around on 7 1/2 unless we're racing...
I would not place much store on it.
Other than thinking that your mate has big feet.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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FlyingStantoni, I believe the ski tech saw the guy concerned, 6'4 & 20 yrs old, and thought he's going to be wizzing around the mountain in a few days so better put him on a "normal " setting. But, he is quite light and a genuine day 1 starter, and far better to have been on 5 or even 4 as you say. Lesson learned!
under a new name, not sure how you reckon the DIN charts say you should be 4.5, when you have done some racing? Therefore you've got to be at least type 2 and more likely type 3, so the settings should be adjusted up accordingly.
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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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Hells bells. I only use 7-8 and that include skiing bumps and off piste.
I'm nearly 90 kilos with my gear on and the only pre release I've had recemtly with these settings was when I snagged an undersnow branch in pow (prob not a pre release then) the collision speed was enough to break the brake on the ski and i'm really glad in retrospect I didn't have a bigger number dialed in.
;Climbing back up the hill to recover the trapped ski was v emotional. I dropped about 60 feet down the hill. I prefer a light release weight as I am not a 'big power' skier. I don't do big drops and slow right down when conditions are difficult.
7.5 for a newbie?
W&nkers! But another good indicator for educating skiers about the tech side. I know so many skiers who ski to far higher standard than i do that are woefully ignorant of even the basic geeky bits.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just tell the shop what you want them set at.
It's always worth watching them to make sure they have checked the forward pressure - it varies from binding to binding but usualy involves something being visible in a little window.
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