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Ski Release Bindings - Things You Need To Know
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Ski bindings, the metal and plastic contraptions that hold you on, or let you off your skis, have come a long way since the bone snapping bear traps of the fifties. Now we hardly think about them. In most cases, they have become so sophisticated that you need to be a rocket scientist to understand the technicalities.
There is now a standardised din setting for all makes of ski binding so that the numbers on the dials mean the same regardless of the make. They can be adjusted to suit the weight and expertise of a skier - the higher the number the heavier and/or better the skier - generally. They should be tightened so that within a reasonable margin they will both hold the skier onto the skis and then let him go when necessary. The back binding releases to prevent him from breaking his leg, and the front one releases to prevent him twisting his knee ligaments. For reasons I won’t bother with here, a safe back binding was quite easy to perfect, while a safe front binding was more difficult. This is why there are far fewer broken legs than twisted knee ligaments today. I say that generally bindings should be adjusted to suit the weight of a skier, but his standard and the speed he skis, and the terrain he is skiing on can also be considered.
What I recommend here is that whoever adjusts the skis for you in the shop is aware of your weight and adjusts the bindings accordingly. If they then pre-release and come off when you haven’t even made a mistake, check to see whether the back or front one is responsible. If it was the back one the clamp will have opened upwards, and if it was the front one then the back will still be closed. This is because front bindings normally return to their original position after release and you won't notice any change.
If you are out on the hill you can usually sometimes borrow a screwdriver from the lift hut - but don’t expect anyone else to do it for you unless you are very attractive, and they don’t mind being sued if you have a bad accident because of a maladjusted binding. Tighten in half clicks until the binding stops pre-releasing. The harder you ski the higher you will need the settings, but always crank up in small increments.
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