Bindings 101: What Are Your Questions?

[Matt Merritt]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a pair of 100mm off-piste skis. Is there any reason I shouldn't consider putting demo bindings on them?

 

[tx river rat]

If you don't ski switch/backwards, you want the Traditional/Recommended location. The forward mount is for tricksters. Behind the Traditional/Recommended location would be considered a mount for powder specific skis.

In general terms, the farther forward the mount, the turnier or more responsive the ski is to turning movements. Also it is desirable for skiing switch.

The farther back the mount, the less turnier and responsive the ski is to turning movements. It also gives you more area ahead of your boot and makes it easier for it to be floatier in powder.

When in doubt, trad mount.

Thanks a ton! That is very helpful. On the K2's, I'm guessing the "Team" line is for traditional mounting vs. the "Midsole" line.

 

[Philpug]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a pair of 100mm off-piste skis. Is there any reason I shouldn't consider putting demo bindings on them?

First of all, why do you want a demo binding? You want to be as low to the deck as possible, the only demo binding that is the same as it's retail counterpart is the Salomon Strive, so if you want a demo binding, go that way otherwise hard mount a regular bindings.

 

[Matt Merritt]

First of all, why do you want a demo binding?

Only to offer them for others to try, I guess, despite that probably being a somewhat unlikely scenario.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Thanks a ton! That is very helpful. On the K2's, I'm guessing the "Team" line is for traditional mounting vs. the "Midsole" line.

If it is closer to the tail, yes. Midsole is also know as center mount or chord center.

Edit: the midsole mark is the trad position; Team is the forward, freeride location. Thanks to @GregK for the correction below.

 

[Uncle-A]

J.. we like to ski too.

Honestly, you aren't going to find too many Look Pivot fans than me, here is my collection...

​

Don't you have a collection of Salmon bindings like the collection of Looks in the video?

 

[GregK]

Thanks a ton! That is very helpful. On the K2's, I'm guessing the "Team" line is for traditional mounting vs. the "Midsole" line.

Opposite-Team is their more forward mount as in “k2 freestyle team skier” and the Midsole is the further back, more traditional mount that will still be very playful all mountain there.

Usually most companies call the front/team mark the “freestyle” mount and the further back mid sole mount is called “classic” or “traditional” mount but the K2 Reckoner mounts are both fairly centered because they are twin tip skis.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Opposite-Team is their more forward mount as in “k2 freestyle team skier” and the Midsole is the further back, more traditional mount that will still be very playful all mountain there.

Usually most companies call the front/team mark the “freestyle” mount and the further back mid sole mount is called “classic” or “traditional” mount but the K2 Reckoner mounts are both fairly centered because they are twin tip skis.

Thanks for the correction. I wasn't sure thus I said the farther back would be more trad. The lack of standard notation can be quite confusing. 'Midsole' could refer to the boot or the ski. I guess it was boot midsole this time.

 

[GregK]

Thanks for the correction. I wasn't sure thus I said the farther back would be more trad. The lack of standard notation can be quite confusing. 'Midsole' could refer to the boot or the ski. I guess it was boot midsole this time.

Knew you understood the correct direction for the more traditional mount. Very confusing to use the “Midsole” name as every binding mount line lines up with the boot mid sole.

Many newbies misuse the term “mount it centered” when they mean to mount the bindings so the “boots are centered on the single recommended factory line” on some traditional all mountain ski.
Nervous that a tech will end up mounting the bindings “tape measure Center” in the middle of the ski!

 

[tx river rat]

Knew you understood the correct direction for the more traditional mount. Very confusing to use the “Midsole” name as every binding mount line lines up with the boot mid sole.

Many newbies misuse the term “mount it centered” when they mean to mount the bindings so the “boots are centered on the single recommended factory line” on some traditional all mountain ski.
Nervous that a tech will end up mounting the bindings “tape measure Center” in the middle of the ski!

I'm one of those newbies. So, I should tell the tech that I want the boots centered on the midsole line if I want more of a traditional mount?

 

[GregK]

I'm one of those newbies. So, I should tell the tech that I want the boots centered on the midsole line if I want more of a traditional mount?

Correct. The closer you are with any ski to the middle of the ski, the more freestyle/park oriented it is and the further back towards the tail, the more traditional it is.

I always put a piece of tape on the top of the ski even if I’m using a factory line pointing to the chosen mount point so there is never any doubt. You could do the same with your further back mount and just have a “Ski boot Center” with an arrow pointing to that line.

Recent ski that had a mount a bit back from the very forward freestyle mount. You wouldn’t have to draw the line in your case, just point to the factory one.

 

[James]

I'm one of those newbies. So, I should tell the tech that I want the boots centered on the midsole line if I want more of a traditional mount?

There’s confusion in terms here. Mid sole line refers to the boot. It’s the middle of the sole. It’s marked on the side of the boot near the bottom.

Almost all skis these days are mounted using this mid sole line. In the past, some skis, like Volkl, mounted the boot using the front of the toe lug, lining it up to their reference line.

Side bar. Not relevant to you:
There is slso the method of using “ball of foot” mark to a line, usually the center of the running surface of the ski. One has to figure out where these two things are, they not marked. Ball of foot is where the center of the ball behind the big toe is.

If all this sounds complicated, it’s really not. You’re mounting the boot to the ski to a line. The manufacturer puts a line, or a range of lines, on the ski. The mid sole of the boot goes to one of those lines.

You get to chose where. Unless you are doing spins in the park or off jumps, you don’t want a center mount. - Which is the mid sole mounted to the center line of the ski. Equal amount of ski in front and back of the boot.

If you want a traditional mount, tell the tech. If the ski has marks, they’ll mount it to what’s considered that for the ski, or what you tell them by others experiences.

“Traditional” just refers to the way skis were always mounted, with much more length in front of the boot then behind. This makes the ski very directional. But, even within that, there is/was a range. Because…generally, ski boot mount marks are decided by ski company testers, i.e., they go out and ski them. They are not done by some absolute formula. Some brands or models are known for generally being too aft or too forward.

Post a picture of the top of the ski where the mounting lines are. That would help for people to tell you for your specific ski.

 

[Henry]

"I always put a piece of tape on the top of the ski even if I’m using a factory line pointing to the chosen mount point so there is never any doubt.'
Smart. Tell them and tell them again. Make it easy for the ski mechanic to do what you want.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Modern jigs are all set up to use the mark on the ski (regardless of what they call it) to match up with the mid-sole of the boot.

 

[GregK]

There’s confusion in terms here. Mid sole line refers to the boot. It’s the middle of the sole. It’s marked on the side of the boot near the bottom.

K2 has caused this confusion as “Midsole” is what they call their more traditional mount and “Team” is their more forward mount. I’m sure that he’s not been the only one confused by this. Horrible naming of mounting options.

Here’s the k2 Reckoner 102 mount points which would be similar I’m sure.

Factory Recommended Mount Point:

• “Midsole”: -4.25 cm from center; 87.8 cm from tail
• “Team”: -2.15 cm from center; 89.9 cm from tail

 

[James]

K2 has caused this confusion as “Midsole” is what they call their more traditional mount and “Team” is their more forward mount. I’m sure that he’s not been the only one confused by this. Horrible naming of mounting options.

Here’s the k2 Reckoner 102 mount points which would be similar I’m sure.

Factory Recommended Mount Point:

• “Midsole”: -4.25 cm from center; 87.8 cm from tail
• “Team”: -2.15 cm from center; 89.9 cm from tail

Yeah that’s just moronic.
Wth is “team” too?
There’s no need to come up with any names.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Yeah that’s just moronic.
Wth is “team” too?
There’s no need to come up with any names.

"Team" is where the ski maker's "team" riders that use the skis, I presume. As in:

...

Factory Recommended Mount Point:

• “Midsole”: -4.25 cm from center; 87.8 cm from tail
• “Team”: -2.15 cm from center; 89.9 cm from tail

It should be noted that the measurement from the tail is specific to a specific length ski. And why don't they say the distance from center is towards the tail? At least they say to measure from the tail.

Also the 'center' referred to is generally 'chord length' center (straight line from tip to tail), not 'running surface' center (running the tape along the base from tip to tail) which would be longer.

 

[GregK]

Yeah that’s just moronic.
Wth is “team” too?
There’s no need to come up with any names.

Guessing “where the Freestyle Team” rides it?

Usually marked “freestyle/park” on the more Center mount and then “all mountain/classic/traditional” on the further back mount on any other free ride ski.

 

[GregK]

should be noted that the measurement from the tail is specific to a specific length ski. And why don't they say the distance from center is towards the tail? At least they say to measure from the tail.

This was copy and pasted from a Blister review(not from K2 themselves) on the tested length reviewed of the Reckoner 102.

Most Indie skis give their “distance back from center” of tape measure/chord length as you mentioned and some also give the distance from the tail on the various lengths.

Minus is always back towards the tail and plus is always forward towards the tip whenever discussing mount points compared to either chord Center or compared to the factory recommended mount.

 

[gflyer]

Hello all,

I have a newbie question. I hope this is the correct thread to ask.
I have recently received from a friend a pair of Fischer Motive 80 skis. I think they are from 2015. But they are new, never used.
These came with bindings model RSX 12 Powerrail with breaks 88mm [F]
I want to replace these bindings with with different ones that are GW compatible.
I went to visit few shops but with no success. Some of them had no clue. Some said that they did not sell bindings or were clearly trying to sell me a new pair of skis.
I did some research myself and found a very good deal for PRD 12 GW with 85mm [F].
I have a couple of questions.
Are the PRD 12 GW compatible with my skis? meaning, is the Powerrail base from 2015 compatible with all the newer Powerrail bindings?
If these are ok, I have doubt about the breaks width. In case the 85mm don't fit, can I use the 88mm from the old bindings?
Or, is there anything else I should be concerned about?

Needless to say, if this is doable, I will go to a shop to have them mounted and tuned properly.

Thank you.
G.