Bindings 101: What Are Your Questions?

[Henry]

Atomic and Salomon and Armada (and Wilson Sporting Goods, Arc'teryx, and other brands) are all owned by Amer Sports, which is owned by Anta Sports of Jinjiang, China.

And...Marker, K2, Völkl, Dalbello, Line, Full Tilt, and other brands are part of the K2-DVM group owned by Kohlberg & Co. of Mount Kisco, NY

And...Look, Rossi, Dynastar, Lange, and others are part of Groupe Rossignol of Isère, France

And...Tyrolia is owned by Head Sport of Kennelbach, Austria

 

[neonorchid]

Stupid question: With regards to the STH2 binding, are the Salomon/Armada/Atomic all the same binding just different brand? Why they do this?

Atomic & , Armada rebranded & Solomon's for fan boys to do matchy matchy with Atomic & , Armada & Salomon skis and also for us to save some money on the overstocked brand name put on sale

^ there you go @onenerdykid, off the cuff answer fixed for you

General PSA here (not directed solely at you) - Salomon is not the binding company and the other brands just rebadge it. All binding projects are split and co-developed, and many (think Icon) are steered by Atomic. If anyone thinks Salomon is the sole driving force behind the binding development is greatly mistaken and listens to their hype machine a little too much.

Other fun fact: there are more bindings with an Atomic logo on them than a Salomon logo.

 

[cantunamunch]

General PSA here (not directed solely at you) - Salomon is not the binding company and the other brands just rebadge it. All binding projects are split and co-developed, and many (think Icon) are steered by Atomic. If anyone thinks Salomon is the sole driving force behind the binding development is greatly mistaken and listens to their hype machine a little too much.

Other fun fact: there are more bindings with an Atomic logo on them than a Salomon logo.

Surprising no one who actually considers the race binding tech tree.

 

[onenerdykid]

Surprising no one who actually considers the race binding tech tree.

Tech tree?

 

[Philpug]

General PSA here (not directed solely at you) - Salomon is not the binding company and the other brands just rebadge it. All binding projects are split and co-developed, and many (think Icon) are steered by Atomic. If anyone thinks Salomon is the sole driving force behind the binding development is greatly mistaken and listens to their hype machine a little too much.

I think there is a lot of perception that Salomon is the driving force because Salomon is synonymous with bindings because most are familiar with Salomon, since they started with bindings ...well saw blades and ski edges. Yes, Icon is Atomic driven with their race background. Driver bindings, all Salomon going back to the 727. Shift? I know both Cody (Salomon) and Daron (Atomic), I am sure amongst others, were heavy in the development.

Other fun fact: there are more bindings with an Atomic logo on them than a Salomon logo.

Models or sales?

 

[cantunamunch]

Tech tree?

Sorry, gaming term for chain of development from one set of models to next

 

[JC Ski]

Tried to keep this to bindings, but fundamentally my question has to do with how bindings and skis interact and how the ski industry sells/markets both

Many companies offer $1200 recreational on piste skis branded as performance with a demo binding ie (blizzard thunderbird R13 with marker tpx 12 demos).

Where I live, you can get a very similar dual metal laminate race ski comes used 1 year for a 6th the price. And it has a race plate with performance bindings.

Now let's say the used race skis have bindings on them that are more than 5 years old and the shop won't touch them. What differences would I see from putting a demo plate binding on the used race skis?

I'd get similar height and GW compatibility to ski them in more casual boots, but would I notice a significant difference in how the ski flexes? I think the relative heel to toe height is different as well (heels are lower than toes?)

If I'm not running gates very often, but just like to ski firm snow and make good arcs, would it be worth going in on dedicated alpine or flat sole race boots and higher performance bindings?

 

[Jeronimo]

The Strive 14 has a better toe, the Warden 13 has a better heel (it is shared with the Strive 16). Between the two, I will choose the Strive 14.

So the Strive 16 has the best toe and the best heel?

 

[Philpug]

So the Strive 16 has the best toe and the best heel?

Yes.

 

[wv911]

I have jesters on all my skis so I am not familiar with Salomon/Atomic bindings so I have a question about them.

My wife has Santa Ana 104 with Atomic Warden 11. With no boot in the binding the heel piece has play on the track, when the boot is in and there is forward pressure the heel is tight.

Is this a defect or just sloppy tolerances. I have been told its normal but seems sketchy to me.

 

[Philpug]

I have jesters on all my skis so I am not familiar with Salomon/Atomic bindings so I have a question about them.

My wife has Santa Ana 104 with Atomic Warden 11. With no boot in the binding the heel piece has play on the track, when the boot is in and there is forward pressure the heel is tight.

Is this a defect or just sloppy tolerances. I have been told its normal but seems sketchy to me.

Normal.

 

[wv911]

Normal.

Ok thanks
It might be normal but it still seems like pretty loose tolerances, none of my other bindings have been loose like that but I guess you get what you pay for

 

[Jeronimo]

Its interesting to me that among the Salomon/Armada/Atomic brandings of a single kind of bindings (take STH2 16 for example) there are some noticeable differences in the build aesthetic other than color. If they're all made in the same location, that seems to defy manufacturing logic. You'd want as much universal components as possible. Makes me wonder if they're truly 1:1:1.

Like the old "when we're manufacturing this brand, hold a tolerance of 0.001, but for those guys over there just hold a .01"

 

[neonorchid]

Its interesting to me that among the Salomon/Armada/Atomic brandings of a single kind of bindings (take STH2 16 for example) there are some noticeable differences in the build aesthetic other than color. If they're all made in the same location, that seems to defy manufacturing logic. You'd want as much universal components as possible. Makes me wonder if they're truly 1:1:1.

Like the old "when we're manufacturing this brand, hold a tolerance of 0.001, but for those guys over there just hold a .01"

what? looks like the same binding to me:

 

[Doug Briggs]

what? looks like the same binding to me:
View attachment 195273

View attachment 195274
View attachment 195275

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Jeronimo]

 

[pchewn]

Ok thanks
It might be normal but it still seems like pretty loose tolerances, none of my other bindings have been loose like that but I guess you get what you pay for

Just because it is loose before inserting boot does not mean that it is wrong/cheap/imprecise .

It can still be loose even if manufactured to smaller tolerances, if so designed. I think you might be confusing tolerances (variations in size/location of features from part-to-part) with clearances (size of male fitting part to size of hole in female fitting part).

The forward pressure when the boot is inserted drives the heel piece against a mechanical stop and eliminates all of the looseness -- as designed.

 

[neonorchid]

View attachment 195331

Atomic logo on heel piece, not Armada and no Armada graphic on toe but the same WTR AFD base plate with what you said is "missing edge wall" in Armada version you posted

Once again Atomic version with same WTR base "with shock absorption underneath the base":

 

[kmb5662]

I know many have had issues with older versions of the Marker Squire with stepping into the binding but with my 2022 Squires I have a really hard time getting out of them. Are they adjusted incorrectly and I need to take them to the shop to be readjusted or do others have the same issue with getting out with the newer heel piece? The DIN is the same on all 3 of my bindings at 7.5 and I have no issues with the other two (Tyrolia Attack 11 and whatever the system binding is for my Redster X9).

 

[Doug Briggs]

I know many have had issues with older versions of the Marker Squire with stepping into the binding but with my 2022 Squires I have a really hard time getting out of them. Are they adjusted incorrectly and I need to take them to the shop to be readjusted or do others have the same issue with getting out with the newer heel piece? The DIN is the same on all 3 of my bindings at 7.5 and I have no issues with the other two (Tyrolia Attack 11 and whatever the system binding is for my Redster X9).

Picture of back of heel piece with the boot in the binding will help. There is an adjusting screw that should be flush with the housing if set correctly.