So many skis, so many bindings. Have I ever been overly concerned ? Not particularly.
UNTIL THIS SEASON.
In the past I would gravitate toward light bindings assuming that the swing weight would be advantageous for this very petite skier. 5'2 @ 90 pounds most of the time. I currently own 6 pair of skis and have sold more pairs than that a few years prior.
The Look bindings are my favorites and Solomon Zti series always worked well. I've not totally grasped the whole delta angle issue so I may neglect this aspect. And to top it off, if I could get the binding to color coordinate with the ski, even better. No brainer right? UNTIL THIS SEASON.
This year I purchased a new pair of Stockli Nela 80s. I ordered the perfect binding, drove two hours to the ski shop for installation, and then they notice a small necessary piece was missing and it was not something they could replace, so I had to mount another binding, and they only had Markers and Tyrolia . No Markers for me (been there done that) The Tyrolia toe piece hung too far over the ski edge for my liking. So I went to the shop across the street. I ended up with the big clunky black Solomon Warden 11s. Yes, it's a great binding, but really ugly and bulky. Okay, I realize that sounds petty to hate the look of a binding, but for these featherweight skis I was disappointed. But I had to have bindings.
I skied those Nelas for three days and was delighted with their performance. My husband noticed a confidence in my skiing that enabled me to tackle terrain I likely would have avoided. Why am I mentioning this? Here is why: I made the assumption that the Wardens would be heavy making ungroomed snow conditions more difficult for me. At the end of this season I can honestly say I believe the extra weight of those bindings beneath my feet has been beneficial. Not to mention the design. The toe pieces ARE important in their effect upon the skis. In fact I may replace the nice light bindings I have on the Renoun Earharts with a Warden. I get so tossed around on the Earharts that the little bit of extra binding weight could well make a difference. Therefore I will say that yes, bindings should be considered with regard to the ski that will become their platform.
UNTIL THIS SEASON.
In the past I would gravitate toward light bindings assuming that the swing weight would be advantageous for this very petite skier. 5'2 @ 90 pounds most of the time. I currently own 6 pair of skis and have sold more pairs than that a few years prior.
The Look bindings are my favorites and Solomon Zti series always worked well. I've not totally grasped the whole delta angle issue so I may neglect this aspect. And to top it off, if I could get the binding to color coordinate with the ski, even better. No brainer right? UNTIL THIS SEASON.
This year I purchased a new pair of Stockli Nela 80s. I ordered the perfect binding, drove two hours to the ski shop for installation, and then they notice a small necessary piece was missing and it was not something they could replace, so I had to mount another binding, and they only had Markers and Tyrolia . No Markers for me (been there done that) The Tyrolia toe piece hung too far over the ski edge for my liking. So I went to the shop across the street. I ended up with the big clunky black Solomon Warden 11s. Yes, it's a great binding, but really ugly and bulky. Okay, I realize that sounds petty to hate the look of a binding, but for these featherweight skis I was disappointed. But I had to have bindings.
I skied those Nelas for three days and was delighted with their performance. My husband noticed a confidence in my skiing that enabled me to tackle terrain I likely would have avoided. Why am I mentioning this? Here is why: I made the assumption that the Wardens would be heavy making ungroomed snow conditions more difficult for me. At the end of this season I can honestly say I believe the extra weight of those bindings beneath my feet has been beneficial. Not to mention the design. The toe pieces ARE important in their effect upon the skis. In fact I may replace the nice light bindings I have on the Renoun Earharts with a Warden. I get so tossed around on the Earharts that the little bit of extra binding weight could well make a difference. Therefore I will say that yes, bindings should be considered with regard to the ski that will become their platform.