more binding education please...

[m185]

Hi

This is the first time I've owned skis...I've got my new skis with the bindings that they came with...but everything came flat. So here's the problem - I assume I need to get a "professional" to put them together - my husband thinks that I should just let him do it...but I don't know the first thing about what the settings etc should be and he doesn't know anything about skis (though he is handy with a screwdriver).

I'd rather get someone to sort it out when we arrive at a ski resort - but he thinks that since I didn't buy the skis at their ski shop that they might not want to help!?

Whats the normal thing to to? And do they need tuning before the first time out?

Thanks for your help!

 

[itri]

No, no, no...do NOT let your husband mount your bindings if he doesn't know what he's doing!!! They need to be adjusted to your boots, the DIN needs to be set appropriately for you, and they need to be mounted in the correct position. This is not something to leave to an amateur. It's a matter of safety...do you want your bindings to be mounted incorrectly and possibly cause injury? Or your DIN to be incorrect and either not release when it should, or release when it shouldn't? Any ski shop will be more than willing to mount your skis for you, whether or not you bought them there. Of course, they're going to charge you for it, but it's usually not that much.

If you have a local ski shop near you, I would go ahead and have them mounted, rather than waiting till you go to a resort (assuming you don't live near one). Most resort-area shops will be able to do a fairly quick turn-around, but you may still have to miss out on your first day of skiing while waiting, and resort-area shops are probably also going to be more expensive.

 

[altagirl]

Depending on how busy they are, it can take up to a week to get bindings mounted. Check with your local shop and ask them what kind of beer they like (assuming they don't have teenagers as techs) - usually that gets things done faster.

And it takes a special template (jig) - even if you know what you're doing, you can't just freehand it (well you shouldn't anyway...). Take them to a shop and pay to have it done. ANY shop will mount bindings for you regardless of where you bought them. The only exception is if the bindings are so old they are no longer on the indemnified list.

 

[volklgirl]

Do NOT let hubby do this, even if he is handy with a screw driver.

An incorrectly mounted binding can destroy your new skis and even cause severe injury or death.

It really isn't just a matter of screwing the binding to the ski, clipping in, and skiing off. Mounting a binding requires assessing the skier and equipment to select the correct mounting point, drilling the skis in the correct pattern at the correct depth, setting the bindings to the correct length for the boots, setting the forward pressure correctly, setting the DIN correctly for the skier, and testing the release function of the bindings. It's not rocket science or voodoo magic, but it needs to be done correctly, in the correct order, to make sure everything functions adequately for safety.

 

[altagirl]

Re-reading what I wrote - #1 should be DO NOT ATTEMPT. My husband is the king of do-it-yourselfers, and he's worked in a shop and mounted bindings before - but he won't do it at home without a jig. We pay to get our bindings mounted properly.

But I just wanted to make sure you weren't heading off on a ski trip with unmounted skis, because you could waste a lot of ski days in the process (or end up wasting more money renting skis). Not that it would be impossible to beg/bribe someone to do them quickly at a resort, but I would rather not risk it. Go get them mounted as soon as you can - at a shop.

 

[m185]

thanks ladies - not going to let my husband near them!

Unfortunately the nearest ski shop that I now of is a 4 hour flight and then a 2 hour train ride lol - I live nowhere near the snow...sigh...

No one seems to deal with skis in Hong Kong - the oddest thing is that there is a place that does boots and there is a place that does snowboards but that is it...

We plan to arrive in NZ 3-4 days before we hit the snow (time to get over jetlag & set up the house that we will rent). We are also arriving during school holidays - when its so so busy up on the mountains that I don't think my little ones will have a great time skiing.

I think when we bought the kids skis in Japan in Dec 08 - they did the bindings in 2hours - and they were super busy - hopefully NZ will be the same. The shop where we get my daughters stuff tuned (boarder) is actually a ski place and they normally try to do everything within 48 hours - so lets just say I'll be stopping in on my way from the airport with her board & my skis!

Thanks so much for your input - I just love how this board is so knowledgeable! Now I just have to wait until July arrives...it seems way way to far away...if only we could afford another quick trip to Japan to play in the snow...

 

[itri]

Ah, ok then, you gotta wait! I would definitely call ahead to the shop, just to make sure they can do it quickly. Tell them your situation, when you'll be arriving and when you'll need to ski, and they should be able to help you out. With 3-4 days cushion, it shouldn't be a problem, but especially not if you let them know you're coming!

 

[Slidergirl]

If you know a place in NZ near your resort, try to contact them to set up a schedule to get the bindings done. If you don't know a place, see if the hotel/condo/etc that you are staying at can recommend a place for you prior to your arrival. It will make things MUCH easier if you know in advance where you can drop your skis off for the installation. Check www.snow.co.nz - it's a website that has a listing of places to buy equipment near ski areas in NZ. Maybe that will help, as some have email addresses so you can check them out beforehand.