Equipment care. Part 2: Bindings

In this part of our equipment care series we focus on ski bindings. A highly important part of the ski, it is responsible for safety during skiing and should thus receive no less care than the ski base.

Ski binding
Ski binding

What is a ski binding?

It is the part of skiing gear which attaches the ski boot to the ski itself. It is this intermediate role that makes it highly important to the safety, comfort and performance of the entire ensemble.

Safety

The bindings must correctly hold the boot during skiing to ensure comfortable movement on the slope. However, they must also detach in case of a fall, to free the user's leg. Otherwise a rigidly attached ski could pose a greater threat than the fall itself. An additional, increasingly common element of the bindings is the ski-stop mechanism, which prevents the detached ski from sliding freely downslope.

Properly binding care

1) Our bindings need to be clean. Dirt and salt can lead to corrosion and poor binding performance
2) Once skiing is done for the season, set the spring to maximum to leave it loose for the duration of storage. This will increase its longevity.
3) Try to have your bindings serviced by professionals at least once a year (more if you ski frequently). You can also test them yourself - put on the boot and set it in the binding, then push on the mechanism and try to tear the boot free. If the binding works properly, your attempt will be unsuccesful and the mechanism will remain immobile.

Read also