santacruz skier
Angel Diva
That's why I changed from Type II to Type III. My DIN setting was 3.5. At Type III I'm 4.5.
We're around the same height and weight so that is weird......
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Type II vs. Type III skiers?
- Thread starter ski diva
- Start date
We're around the same height and weight so that is weird......
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
@nopoleskier using the link calculator you provided :
Type II for me - 3.5 (have done this before on demos and almost really got hurt as I kept ejecting from bindings.
Type III for me - 4.5 - my preferred setting. Yes I need binding to release if necessary but not while skiing for no reason at all.
Type II for me - 3.5 (have done this before on demos and almost really got hurt as I kept ejecting from bindings.
Type III for me - 4.5 - my preferred setting. Yes I need binding to release if necessary but not while skiing for no reason at all.
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
Looked at chart @nopoleskier provided. BSL baffles me . And I'm a numbers person.
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
I don't know but I'm thinking of children with very short BSL's probably do not have high DIN settings. But to be honest, I've never thought about it before until it was mentioned here.
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
Sounds plausible.
Fluffy Kitty
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Torque is force times diameter. (You may remember this from elementary school science, where two objects with mass of 1:2 will balance with each other if the see-saw's length is 2:1, thus equalizing torque). Given a torque at which a joint will break, more diameter means less force is needed to create the torque. So, with longer BSL, the binding needs to release at a lower force applied to it.
The weight and height are a bit more complicated. With two people doing the exact same thing, with greater weight or greater height, more torque is applied to the joints and more force is applied to the bindings; at the same DIN, taller/heavier people is more likely to release prematurely. Now, one may wonder about the fact that the heavier/taller person is then more likely to be injured with the same movement, since they will be facing more torque on their joints. Why don't they? Because their joints are already accustomed to stronger force--they have more muscles and ligaments around the joints (joints have no inherent strength in themselves, and derive their strength and resilience from muscles and ligaments)--so they will break at a higher torque. So the higher DIN setting works fine.
Of course, heavier/taller does not mean stronger joints, just like 50+ does not mean weaker joints. In other words, the weight/height presumption is actually just as arbitrary as the age 50 thing. Just a guideline.
People who ski all the time have more muscles around their joints, and can tolerate higher torque. Same with aggressive skiers. It's not that you want higher DIN because you are more aggressive; it's that your body can become tolerant of higher torque if you are consistently aggressive. If you are out of shape and try to be aggressive, you will get hurt at higher DIN.
The DIN standard has been incorporated into ISO 8061 (I couldn't find the original DIN standard number). It is still called DIN out of habit.
The weight and height are a bit more complicated. With two people doing the exact same thing, with greater weight or greater height, more torque is applied to the joints and more force is applied to the bindings; at the same DIN, taller/heavier people is more likely to release prematurely. Now, one may wonder about the fact that the heavier/taller person is then more likely to be injured with the same movement, since they will be facing more torque on their joints. Why don't they? Because their joints are already accustomed to stronger force--they have more muscles and ligaments around the joints (joints have no inherent strength in themselves, and derive their strength and resilience from muscles and ligaments)--so they will break at a higher torque. So the higher DIN setting works fine.
Of course, heavier/taller does not mean stronger joints, just like 50+ does not mean weaker joints. In other words, the weight/height presumption is actually just as arbitrary as the age 50 thing. Just a guideline.
People who ski all the time have more muscles around their joints, and can tolerate higher torque. Same with aggressive skiers. It's not that you want higher DIN because you are more aggressive; it's that your body can become tolerant of higher torque if you are consistently aggressive. If you are out of shape and try to be aggressive, you will get hurt at higher DIN.
The DIN standard has been incorporated into ISO 8061 (I couldn't find the original DIN standard number). It is still called DIN out of habit.
SkiBam
Angel Diva
I demoed some skis yesterday and when the guy was setting up the skis, I said my DIN is 4.5. I filled in all the info and he comes up with 4. I said, no, it's always 4.5 so he looked at the numbers again and said, you're right, it's 4.5. Don't know how much difference that would have made, but it brought it home to me that it's a good idea to know your DIN and make sure it's set correctly. Mine's a legit 4.5 as long as I classify myself (despite smallness and advanced age) as a type III.
See, I knew there was something sciency about it (says the wife of a quantum mechanics researcher.)
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I gave the binding form to the guy at my local mountain recently when getting bindings adjusted. I noted that at age 49 he was going to have to change my type from II to I next year. He confirmed it was true. I said, "well maybe not: what if I become a type III skier next year?" And we both had a big, long laugh.
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
Me too...
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
^^^^my response was to @Skisailor .... think we're similar in size..
mustski
Angel Diva
If your skis are not coming off while skiing and causing you to fall, don't change anything. You are fine. As you progress and become more aggressive, you may need to have your bindings adjusted. Until then, don't worry about it.
I am wondering if I should have my DIN lowered. I have been set at 5 for years. I have lost a little more weight (not much) but perhaps I am losing strength as I *cough* mature. I took one pretty good fall at Mammoth and my binding did not release. Although the neck took a whipping, the legs were fine. Truthfully, I don't remember the last time my binding did release in a fall. On the other hand, I don't fall often and my falls are usually not hard on the bod. I ski pretty tame terrain for the most part.
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
newboots
Angel Diva
I remember that,@santacruz skier it seemed so unfair!
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
I know. I wasn't even hucking cliffs or doing anything exciting. Not that I would. But wasn't even skiing - just standing there.
Jenny
Angel Diva
So, at least I was moving?
santacruz skier
Angel Diva
mustski
Angel Diva
Nope. I was skiing slowly. It was that Tuesday, flat light at the top of chair 25. I hit some bumps on the side of the run; I couldn't see so I turned to head out of the bumps, next thing I knew I hit hard on my left hip and bounced. My head hit the ground hard and it caused the neck whiplash. I was skiing slowly but went down fast! I fell sideways.
