Skimo Racing Bindings

Like his boots, Pierre Gignoux's bindings set the bar for lightweight performance. The U77 is one of the lightest ISMF-compliant race bindings on the market, and the fact that it comes with a brake is nothing short of impressive. Weight savings and durability are achieved by reducing complexity in the design. In lieu of using springs to clamp the toe wings down, Pierre Gignoux inst..

As per usual in sports, World Cup competitions drive innovation. The Trofeo Brake Bindings allow entry into the race category with an ISMF-approved braking system that doubles as compliance with ski-resort policies. With one heel flap that controls uphill/downhill mode and brake position, this race binding focuses on simplicity and value. As compared to the ATK Revolution WC, the b..

Ski Trab calls the Gara Titan “the binding used by champions” and we tend to agree. This tour de force draws from a number of design features at the cutting edge of skimo race rigs, starting with an ultra-reliable titanium toe spring that resists snow buildup. Each toe wing flexes independently in response to twisting boot movement, providing unparalleled elastic retention among bi..

The age of fixed-release race bindings is over; the time of the Mezzalama binding has come. Behold: The Dynafit Mezzlama Plus is a race-weight binding that features brakes AND fully adjustable lateral and vertical releases! While not unheard of, adjustable-release race bindings are exceedingly rare, which is why our minds were blown when we got our first glimpse of the Mezzalama se..

Safety-minded skimo athletes have historically been faced with a bit of a dilemma; relying on standardized u-springs with uncertain or unspecific release behavior or opting for a heavier binding with more consistent release values. However, with the invention of the Mezzalama binding, Dynafit has eliminated lingering release value guesswork, introducing a fully adjustable binding a..

Dynafit has done it again and designed a top-end race binding from the ground up. The Dynafit DNA binding is made with super strong aluminum and is even lighter than previous Dynafit race models, which is music to our ears. The toe piece uses a new mounting pattern with wide rear holes for extra retention while squeezing the front holes together to reduce the amount of material. Th..

Need brakes for the race check-in? This is the braked version of the DNA binding. With the Dynafit DNA Plus binding, the race flap and brake mechanisms are one and the same so transitions only require a single, one-handed motion - so simple that it's almost boring (if it weren't so dang cool). The binding is constructed with aluminum, carbon, and steel - just like airplanes. Don't ..

An enhanced version of the Revolution WC binding, the Revolution Brake WC is designed for those seeking the podium, albeit with an insurance policy in case their high-speed straight line doesn’t go quite according to plan: ski brakes. This also makes the binding compliant with ISMF races that require brakes. To help save valuable seconds while the clock is ticking, ATK uses their s..

Dynafit's Low Tech Race binding...now with brakes! While that may not sound exciting to racers used to skiing without brakes, you better get excited if you want to race in ISMF sanctioned races going forward. With rules phasing in starting in the 2021/22 season, you may need to tick the brake box on a gear check. It's also not the worst idea to have brakes if you're doing hot laps ..

Ski Mountaineering often takes an individual to isolated peaks far from any established trailheads. To ensure the best chance of success, alpine starts (e.g., getting up waaaay too early) and lightweight gear can be the difference between getting there on time versus fifteen minutes too late and finding the route impassible (which as the kids say, “is a real bummer”). To address th..

When Grizzly bindings was founded in 2017, their creator, Jozef Gaborik, was on a mission to create some of the lightest bindings in the world that were functional and reliable. Fast forward a few years and their GR 98 binding nails that criteria. Featuring a removable ski brake, the GR 98 complies with the updated ISMF racing rules that require brakes for competition, while still ..

As race bindings got lighter and lighter over the years, your options for release values started shrinking. In other words, you got a fixed release system and it either worked for your or it didn’t. The engineering maniacs at ATK were the first to reverse that trend, offering multiple spring strengths in the Trofeo, for example. Similarly, in the uber-light titanium realm, ATK birt..

The Revolution World Cup binding by ATK is their ultimate race binding - pushing double digits of grams per ski. But while other ultralight race bindings go as simple as possible to reach that coveted 100g mark, ATK rose to the challenge and produced a race binding that is competitively lightweight AND packed full of ATK's patented technology. With that in mind, which features shou..

Historically, race binding selection was based on an individual's needed release value and not much else. So even though the metallic hue of that one binding was calling your name, too bad! At least until now, that is. With the Trofeo, ATK has made the same great, race binding but with the option to choose between release values of 4,6,8, and 10. Now, everyone can enjoy the smooth,..

When it comes to binding design, it's hard to outsmart the folks at Hagan. Never a company to avoid a challenge, Hagan tried to outsmart themselves when designing the Ultra World Cup (WC) binding, and it isn't hard to see how well they succeeded. The Ultra WC binding is an evolved form of the Hagan Ultra, with the same precisely machined toepiece with Monolink Technology (this mean..

At Kreuzspitze it was decided that they really wanted a binding that they could use for some quick pre-work laps in the local mountains, take up to a race in Bormio, or maybe bring along for some serious mountaineering in the Swiss Alps without worrying about having to fix it in the field, or replace it at the end of every other season. Unsatisfied with the options before them, the..

Fresh off of the Lagorai Mountains in Trentino, Italy, where Kreuzspitze tests every one of their products comes the RS Lady, a delightfully bare-bones race-oriented binding that will replace the venerable SCTTT Lady. The all-business, no-frills heel of the RS Lady is the same as that of the SCTTT Lady: a replaceable titanium U spring with an easy to use race-flap riser atop a pede..

The folks at Kreuzspitze are masters of three things: simplicity, elegance, and ski bindings. Combine these talents with a secret ingredient (it's love) and the result is the Kreuzspitze RS binding. Precisely machined out of cutting-edge aerospace materials to ensure the highest performance and durability, this binding replaces the beloved SCTTT as Kreuzspitze's flagship race bindi..

The Plum Race 120 binding is for the speediest of the speedy, for the fast and light skiers who answer, "water and extra layers just slow me down" when asked where in tarnation their backpacks are. The Race 120 is the big brother to the Race 99, and was designed for use by racers who brush uncomfortably close to the 90kg weight limit of the Race 99. If you're looking to get a race ..

How can you tell if the Low Tech Race 105 binding is for you? Well, if you own more than one full-body spandex/lycra suit, if you get upset when your fancy European imported cheese is 6g lighter than the package says, or if you obsessively time your commute each day, this binding might be for you. Weighing in right around 105g, this updated Low Tech Race 105 (the name makes sense n..

Dynafit is turning skimo race bindings inside out. Literally. Instead of a binding clamping onto your boot, with the P49 system your boot expands to click into a solid block of metal. It’s a revolutionary new tech-system designed to be the fastest race binding possible. P49 is short hand for “Project 49”, and at a wee smidge over 49g per side the binding weighs less than half that ..

Plum invested 5 more grams into the ol’ reliable race 145 binding. The primary return on that investment is a toe lever that is smoother and easier to operate. Gone are the fiddly-to-mount striker plates that previously decided whether you were in walk mode or ski mode. The lock-stops are machined into the toe and feel buttery to operate. The lever itself was widened and smoothed o..

Kudos to Ski Trab for an innovative toe piece! With a patented design that doesn’t require coiled springs, the Gara Titan approaches the 100 gram weight barrier that only recently seemed implausible. With the toe lever angled against included striker plates, the pins are pressed into the boot for a locked position. There is of course an unlocked ski mode to comply with ISMF rules, ..

All-metal bindings weighing in under 102 grams? You betcha (they weight 101)! Designed for those folks looking for every edge in competition, the Plum 99 is the updated pinnacle of race-binding minimalism. It also adds a twist to the concept of adjustable release. Choose from two lateral-release values (roughly 6 or 8) simply by changing the mounting-orientation of the heel. The fo..

The Plum 170 binding is the 150 with a built-in 19mm adjustment plate. If you plan on using more than one boot with your setup, this is the version for you. The re-designed toe pieces feature smooth-operating lock levers that have clear stops for skiing and skinning. The heel piece has a simple pin-cover flap for uphill skinning and can be turned sideways for flat-on-ski skating (s..