One of the most important pieces of equipment whenever you go skiing is, of course, your ski. However, even if you have the best boots, the sleekest pair of skis, and an interesting outfit to match if you simply do not have the appropriate ski bindings, you will still not be able to enjoy the full range of benefits of ski holidays.
Bindings for Your Skis
Technically, a ski binding is a small device or equipment that literally ‘binds’ your boots to your skis. Some ski bindings are already part and parcel of your skis. However, they may not be the perfect fit for the type of boots that you are wearing. As such, SnowScene recommends choosing the best and appropriately-fitting ski binding for the type of boots that you wear.
The Components
A ski binding has several parts, the most important of which are the toe and the heel pieces. The toe piece will be fitted with an anti-friction device while the heel piece will come with the brakes. Now, both heel and toe pieces must be properly calibrated for their release force settings or DIN, which is short for DeutschesInstitu fur Normung or the German Institute for Standardization. DIN settings have to be properly adjusted to account for your height and weight as well as general skiing abilities. For best results, DIN should be fine-tuned to be somewhere in the middle of the DIN range of bindings.
Lower DIN settings allow for easier release of your boots from the bindings. So, in case you figure in an accident, you can easily free yourself from your skis. Higher DIN settings allow for strength which might be helpful if you’re an expert skier skiing at high speeds that generate greater impact forces.
Other Features
The antifriction device on the toe piece allows the ease of lateral release by reducing the friction between your ski boots and the ski binding. The brakes on the heel piece help you keep your skis in place once you have released them off their binding. So you don’t necessarily have a runaway ski which can endanger other skiers in the area.
Ski binding is a crucial element to safe skiing. It is therefore very important to choose the correct ski binding for you. Make sure to ask a professional to make the adjustments to your ski binding if necessary.
