PSA Please read if you use tech bindings.

In a blister podcast Cody Townsend states-“Tech binding are fucking dangerous.” He then goes on to say he uses them a lot. But he encourages people to understand their limitations. For further explanations:

If you haven’t please read- https://skimo.co/tech-binding-release-testing

If you haven’t please watch- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwIx8vIHEec

If someone knows which podcast Cody talks about this please post it.

No one is saying not to use tech bindings, just know what the limitations are as far as possible injury.

Someone posted in the Wasatch thread last year about skiing Brighton sidecountry on his tech setup, took a fall and ended up with a double spiral tib-fib. Guy was out here on a trip with his kids and had to get flown home with two broken legs. Brutal.

Doesn't sound to bad though.



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That why the majority of my ski touring is done on Vipec/Tecton


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It seems to have been lost over the course of time, but the original denomination for this type of bindings were Low-Tech, as opposed to just Tech. And for a good reason as I see it!

Maybe it's about time to bring back Low, to Tech bindings..?!

At least with Verts and Rads i could adj release to what I would say was acceptable

but I'm not too sure about yer race type bindings and I don't think their users care either

cuz they are light !

In the video Dodge talks about a force behind the bindings leading to the bindings releasing at a lower value. He mentions hitting the tails on a steep jump turn as a possible example. Maybe I just don’t make that type of turn frequently enough, but I am not really seeing it.

cody on Blister gear review podcast...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000495830269

I feel like this place is slipping. I mean... no fucking shit.

(this is in no way a dig at Cody - he wouldn't post the obvious on TGR and is speaking to a broader, more JONG-y audience).

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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

That why the majority of my ski touring is done on Vipec/Tecton

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Same - I have three Tecton setups. Somehow those bindings are underrated.

Yeah that video in the OP seems geared towards gapers. It’s really dumbed down. There’s no differentiation between the various pin bindings, no mention of u-spring, elasticity, vertical and horizontal heel release etc. Just an oblique reference to Vipec/Tecton


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Glad the vipecs have worked out for you. I really wanted them to, but after multiple failures I just don’t have faith in them.

What failed?


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Originally Posted by cat in january

In the video Dodge talks about a force behind the bindings leading to the bindings releasing at a lower value. He mentions hitting the tails on a steep jump turn as a possible example. Maybe I just don’t make that type of turn frequently enough, but I am not really seeing it.

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If you hit the tails in a jump turn on steeps, you have a lot more problems than a non release. You and up going straight down the hill, because the turn had stopped when you hit the tails on the slope.

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I’m hoping my SkiTrab TR1 are up to the task as a sidecountry/travel binding… actually, I hope I never really need to find out how they do in a crash. I’d prefer to not to ever crash/pre-release again.

Also, makes me feel like less of a kook to mostly use Lindahl’s FrankenCast. Peace of mind on the descent. Priceless

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Same - I have three Tecton setups. Somehow those bindings are underrated.

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Got a good video of how you ski yet?

#yeahimanasshole

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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

What failed?


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Started with Vipec blacks. The heel would slide back along the track. BD replaced. Toes started to slide sideways when touring and levers up. BD replaced. Finally one toe took an incredible amount of force to release the lever transitioning. At the end of the day I partially destroyed it to get out of the skis. No way it would have released in a fall. BD replaced, I moved on. I really like the concepts of the binding, but I don’t like to think about my bindings. Not a particularly big guy and older and don’t rally that hard. Usually don’t have concerns with gear.

I think the Vipec EVO has addressed all those issues. I have had zero issues with the EVO or Tecton. They release very reliably and it’s indistinguishable from an alpine binding.


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Originally Posted by CaliBrit

Got a good video of how you ski yet?

#yeahimanasshole

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Riiiiight. You're the asshole who was judging ski technique from a POV video like a fucking retard. Why don't you hit up bushwacker and do some dolphin turns and then you can jerk each other off afterwards? Maybe film it for a PSIA convention.

Regardless, is anything I said wrong? Doesn't everyone around here already know tech bindings aren't as safe? I'm not even mad, but if you want to be an asshole I'm game.

Unfortunately the last toe issue were with the Evo. I believe on reflection it may have been caused by frozen snow stuffed in under the binding. It was a heavy snow day. The other issues were with the black. Likely user error could be to blame, but like I said I don’t want to think about my bindings.

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Originally Posted by cat in january

Unfortunately the last toe issue were with the Evo. I believe on reflection it may have been caused by frozen snow stuffed in under the binding. It was a heavy snow day. The other issues were with the black. Likely user error could be to blame, but like I said I don’t want to think about my bindings.

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Yeah, I think gen 1 of both versions had some toe issues (more with the vipec than the tecton) and they were offering replacements? And then issues fixed in subsequent years... not a new gen label, they just fixed it without a re-release. Several years back now so I can't quite recall. Regardless, I've been so happy with the Tecton that I haven't followed newer offerings since then other than the ATK, which skied really nicely when I tried my friend's setup (gotta love it when your best friend has the exact same BSL).

I have noticed the toe on my 1st gen Vipecs and latest gen Tectons to be a little finnicky in heavy wet snow, but more of an issue with lever actuation being impeded which is independent from the lateral release from what I can tell. On the few times I needed them to release they did as I would've expected and are just hard to get on/off sometimes.

I have been recently interested in picking up some Xenic heels to pair with Vipec toes since they use the same heel track and save a not completely insignificant bit of weight. But I don't know how the lateral heel release will impact the reliability of the toe release, and wonder if the tecton heel thingamajigs that slide into the rear tech fitting are for power transfer, or actually keep things calibrated for how the pins on a vipec limit lateral heel movement. I suspect it may cause some undesired toe pre-release if really pushing things, but idk and haven't been able to find any info on that combo.

Yeah… honestly a comically bad video.

The way the force moves from the tail / tip of the ski to various points (toe/heel) isn’t at all impacted by the type of binding. The bindings ability to deal with complicated forces? Yeah it’s different.

Hitting the ski on something isn’t what you need to worry about. It’s your body weight being out of control and the ski being a large lever that’s trying to twist your leg a bad direction.

How many alpine bindings will release from an impact behind your heel? Almost None. If the impact is high, your weight drops back and if you twist odds of tearing your ACL prior to twisting out are not perfect but straight back the ski stays on.

Yes - tech bindings are not at all a resort binding. I will only ski a true alpine binding while in the resort but the video is pure nonsense outside of saying “hey this isn’t as safe as an alpine binding”.

I actually think “low tech” bindings release incredibly well when you hit a chunk of ice at speed, they just vanish off your foot because there is no elasticity. I worry way way more about low speed falls on tech bindings (the opposite of what the video says).

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Originally Posted by cat in january

In the video Dodge talks about a force behind the bindings leading to the bindings releasing at a lower value. He mentions hitting the tails on a steep jump turn as a possible example. Maybe I just don’t make that type of turn frequently enough, but I am not really seeing it.

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Riiiiight. You're the asshole who was judging ski technique from a POV video like a fucking retard. Why don't you hit up bushwacker and do some dolphin turns and then you can jerk each other off afterwards? Maybe film it for a PSIA convention.

Regardless, is anything I said wrong? Doesn't everyone around here already know tech bindings aren't as safe? I'm not even mad, but if you want to be an asshole I'm game.

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Just when I was starting to miss the good old tgr days. Thank you for this post.

There isnt really anything new here for someone who has been following tech talk/ wildsnow instead of working

I know a whole whack of people who use Tech bindings on or off piste and only have 1 ski but condition are moslty pretty soft and not that steep so its not an issue

I have both

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Riiiiight. You're the asshole who was judging ski technique from a POV video like a fucking retard. Why don't you hit up bushwacker and do some dolphin turns and then you can jerk each other off afterwards? Maybe film it for a PSIA convention.

Regardless, is anything I said wrong? Doesn't everyone around here already know tech bindings aren't as safe? I'm not even mad, but if you want to be an asshole I'm game.

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Still raw…love it.

Raw dog baby. Who’s having more fun? Probably me.

Here’s the thing: I ski with a lot of really good skiers. Way better than me. Some on this forum, others you’ve seen in ski movies or filming ski movies. No one cares as long as you can hang and maybe they’ll wait for you at the bottom - we’re just out there having fun. That’s why your shit is lame.

We’ll do other stuff like mountain biking and golfing and I will smoke them. It all balances out. No one talks shit because that’s for insecure losers. You should try it some time.

And since you seem to care so much, here’s the last video I can find of me skiing, in Alaska a few years back. It sucked - I spent the whole time worrying about what you might think about my technique.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CNSza...RlODBiNWFlZA==

But again, the fuck does this have to do with tech bindings?

posts about ski or bike ability rarely end well cuz usually the guy sucks

so as long as yer doing it in some way that is probably good enough

except for the telemarkers those guys are all wankers

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Raw dog baby. Who’s having more fun? Probably me.

Here’s the thing: I ski with a lot of really good skiers. Way better than me. Some on this forum, others you’ve seen in ski movies or filming ski movies. No one cares as long as you can hang and maybe they’ll wait for you at the bottom - we’re just out there having fun. That’s why your shit is lame.

We’ll do other stuff like mountain biking and golfing and I will smoke them. It all balances out. No one talks shit because that’s for insecure losers. You should try it some time.

And since you seem to care so much, here’s the last video I can find of me skiing, in Alaska a few years back. It sucked - I spent the whole time worrying about what you might think about my technique.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CNSza...RlODBiNWFlZA==

But again, the fuck does this have to do with tech bindings?

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At least you’re on moments.

tech binders are so out guys. daymakers are back in.

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Raw dog baby. Who’s having more fun? Probably me.

Here’s the thing: I ski with a lot of really good skiers. Way better than me. Some on this forum, others you’ve seen in ski movies or filming ski movies. No one cares as long as you can hang and maybe they’ll wait for you at the bottom - we’re just out there having fun. That’s why your shit is lame.

We’ll do other stuff like mountain biking and golfing and I will smoke them. It all balances out. No one talks shit because that’s for insecure losers. You should try it some time.

And since you seem to care so much, here’s the last video I can find of me skiing, in Alaska a few years back. It sucked - I spent the whole time worrying about what you might think about my technique.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CNSza...RlODBiNWFlZA==

But again, the fuck does this have to do with tech bindings?

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Doesn't look like you suck.

I gave up on Heli skiing. To many down days, and i prefer skiing couloirs anyway, which you didn't get to do a lot in heli skiing.
Now it's all human powered.

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Originally Posted by turnfarmer

No one is saying not to use tech bindings, just know what the limitations are as far as possible injury.

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Did people not know this?