One ski quiver gear question?

Looking for a new all mountain setup for both in-bounds and touring. Basically a middle of the road ski to do everything, excel at nothing. I'm a decent skiier... but not great, certainly not as good as some of you. Lapping GV at crystal or an easy spring tour on worm flows or camp muir is my happy place.


Pretty sure I want to go with a frame binding. Freeride pros, specifically, since that is what I have now and I know em and trust em.

For the skis... I was looking at maybe dynafit meteorites or atomic backland 102s... cheap but a little heavy... both seem similar and an ideal all-mtn ski. Maybe Dhaulagiris if I feel like spending a little more to save a pound on each leg? You folks think those are good choices for a middle-of-the-road setup?

Thanks!

IMHO, if you're looking for a one ski quiver for both in-bounds and moderate touring, and you're using frame bindings I would vote for Atomic Backland 102. Skiing performance trumps uphill performance for sure in your case. Backlands are very lightweight for what they are, and you can get a good deal on them now - new for $350 - $399 if you shop around online.

Praxis Rx

I would really discourage you from frame bindings if you are willing to consider other options.
I understand the attraction of them and used them exclusively in my earlier years of starting to tour and used them extensively in- bounds.

Grew to hate the stack height and sloppiness of frame bindings and the weight.... Muir is a long tour on heavy assed bindings.

I would normally say Kingpins a better choice ( my wife has all her skis with these) but recently there has been a lot of reports on toe pins shears and the heel unit breaking... check out a thread on TGR.
Personally, most everybody that I know that uses them hasn't had the same problems and really like them. I bought a pair ,mounted them, skied them once and gave them away.
I'm a tech weenie all the way both in-bounds and touring.

I've skied resort exclusively on tech bindings for over 5 years. 3- 4 days a week, every winter , long days on the resort.Im not hucking cliffs nor straight-lining powder bowl  mind you and I've never had ANY problems. Dedicated Alpine Gear skiers will be rolling their eyes at this.

Your post does not mention boots... the most important pice of equipment iMO.

Kingpins and the hybrid side country tech style binding all require tech toes on your boots.
If you don't have tech toes on current your boots I can see why you might be committed to frame bindings. I would invest in a good pair of modern AT boots if you don't have them. Good modern AT boots will change your skiing life.

Backland a great ski as others have noted and 102 is a great width. I like the Black Crow Navis Freebird  which is their touring line.( also 102mm). Absolutely terrific ski IMO.

Thanks for the responses! I already have a pair of nice modern AT boots. No worries on that front. Just replacing my (very)old skis/bindings.

For the tech bindings... how reliable is the release? I like to fall more than is strictly necessary... and a release I trust is pretty important to me. Maybe I'm worrying too much about that if the difference is negligible?

In terms of technical appraisal of tech binding release versus frame.... over my pay grade. However, there are volumes about it if you google it.

I can only offer personal anecdotal experience, namely that my tech bindings have always released when they needed to and I've never suffered any injuries after over 5 years  of 100 day seasons.

Now my hardtail mountain bike is another thing and falling off that has put me in the emergency room three times in the last two years and I have the stitches to prove it.

If I could only have one pair of skis in the Cascades, it would be 100-108 underfoot, lighter than average, lightly tip rockered, slightly short for my size/weight/skill, have a friendly sidecut, and feel confident when demoed.

I only ski on older-school tech bindings, but understand the knee concern. One posse of friends has gravitated toward the Fritschi tech-bindings out of a belief that they may offer a wider margin of knee-safety.

I don't like skiing in the area on tech bindings. I think the ticket for a do-all binding is the new Salomon Shift, which acts like an alpine binding in ski mode, but  tours like a pin binding.

It's a tough question. Limiting yourself to one set-up.

Radical 2.0s on dhaulagiris... now that looks real light while still being durable and safe enough for in-bounds use?

I'm no expert as I've only been into touring for a couple of years.  However, knowing what I know now I'd go with one of the new generation of tech bindings.  My first set of AT gear had a frame binding.  Before I really got into touring I was attracted by their ability to give me alpine performance on the in bounds with the ability to tour when needed.  The El Capo/Baron setup continues to serve me well.  Of course it didn't take too many long days in the backcountry to realize I was going to need a lighter setup.  My second set of gear has a pair of Dynafit Radical FT bindings mounted to a pair of K2 Marksman skis.  While not the lightest ski (performance on the down is a priority for me), the tech setup is much more tour friendly.  My only problems with the Dynafits come on the rare occasions I find myself on them in-bounds on ice.  I'm an east coast guy, so that's the kind of ice I'm talking about.  I've found the Dynafits to be prone to pre-releasing the toe on icy, hard, chatter surfaces, which isn't what they were made for.  My next pair of bindings will be pins, but one of the newer ones that has more releasability and a little bit of shock absorption in the toe.  I was skiing with a guy this year who busted his Kingpins by forcing the lever when setting them to tour mode, so I might research that some before I go Kingpin.  I've got another buddy who loves his.  I've been on my tech bindings in plenty of technical terrain from Baker to Squaw, Whistler and Adirondack Slides and they have yet to let me down when the going got tough.

As for those K2 Marksman.....take a look.  Most fun ski I've ever owned. 106 under foot goes anywhere, rockered tip helps float in powder, beefy enough to blast through chop and crud, camber under foot to help you carve when the surfaces get firmer, and the asym sidecut really makes them transition well edge to edge.  The swing weight is just right that you can throw this 106 any which way you want to at any time.  That Pep Fujas guy knows what the hell he's doing!

Have fun looking and shopping.  Good luck!

1st. put a value on your connective tissue and life long mobility . Then research lower leg injuries with tech bindings . All of the career ending accidents and knee injuries in our area including my own have been on pin tech bindings , as many of them have zero toe shock absorption and unreliable release .  A tibia rod weighs far more than the difference between a tech binding and a true safety binding. I think ACL surgeries are running about  $30,000.000 + - .There are a lot of strong opinions out there . Remember that Earl miller was ridiculed because of his safety binding and ski brake . Both now industry standards in some form. The medical industry was aghast at the popularity of non release tele bindings and saw a spike in injuries after big strides had been made to make skiing a safer sport with releasable bindings. This response does not represent the views or opinions of TAY or any of its corporate partners. X

Wondering what other's experiences are with Kingpins? I picked up a pair for a good deal last year and have been really liking them. Coming from frame backcountry bindings they feel light enough and are great on the downhill too. But I have read the reports of sporadic pin shears occurring, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence. While I've skied them on a few resort runs and they were fine, my personal preference is for resort bindings if I'm skiing lifts.

108mm brake on a 95mm ski waist... too big? I know the guidance is 15mm... but thats getting pretty close.

Who makes a 108mm brake?

Fritschi freeride pros have that brake size as the lowest currently on sale that I found so far.

Voile v8

I find this chat interesting from the standpoint of my path in skiing. Diehard duckbill tele skier who switched years ago to AT pin tech skis for summer volcanos but I remain a punter on locked down gear technique wise. I got a pair of Kingpins last year and have seen my AT skiing (still < 15% of my precious ski days) advance on them - maybe thanks to them? I've gone to skiing resorts on them, including moguls. Never had any issues, but I feel way under qualified to determine the final verdict for Kingpins vs. pin techs. Since I'm 52 and have had 5 knee operations and plenty of arthritis, I delude myself (perhaps) that they are more releasable/knee torque allowable than my Dynafits, Switchbacks, Axls, or BD01's. A friend of mine who fully switched from tele to AT (I know. I don't understand why good tele skiers give-up teleing in powder) has stuck with Dynafits despite tearing both of his ACLs within a year or two of switching to AT from tele with Dynafits. A very experienced lifelong skier and race coach and boot fitter many of us know and respect feels very strongly that the foot and ankle angle of Dynafits is disadvantageous in terms of preventing knee injuries.