AK Launchers and Binders

[HotRutteredBum]

I am getting a pair of AKs soon and I am torn about what bindings to put on them I would like to put on a pair of freerides but I feel like the AKs are a little soft under foot. I want to use the Aks as an everyday ski. Does the combo do all right on hard pack and crud? Do AT bindings stiffen the ski as much as reagular binders. I Never skied on freerides and could use some input.

[Viva]

Hey Mang,

what setup did you end up with? I bought a pair of Launchers in Utah and am wondering about what bindings to use.

Also, how do you like the skis so far?

[altagirl]

I had that setup: Launchers and Fritschis. They were great in powder and tricky on icy hardpack/nasty crud. I think a large part of what I didn't like about the setup was from the ramp angle on the Freerides, which I didn't modify. That might help a lot. But they are a fairly soft ski so you can feel the big stiff spot from extra long binders like that. I've also had the Launchers mounted with alpine binders and now tele with 7tms and like the skis more with something other than AT bindings. (And I like them more than ever mounted tele.)

They're good skis and if you're going to use them for touring and not much resort skiing at all, I'd say go for it. If they're mostly for the resort, I'd put regular bindings on them.

[Idris]

I use Lawnchairs (ok they are the old Big Kahuna graphic, but same dims and flex) with freerides as my AT rig and steep ski....They are not the same Freight Train than my Exploders w Sallys are but they will still hall ass when pushed...as for grip on the steeps, boots and binding adjustment make more of a difference for me....Lowa Struka Evo's provide a lot less control than Richlee F1 Pros....also if you set up the binding as per specifications then you get plenty of boot play...I wind the toe down till I can still push the AFD sidways and it slides back.....quite a bit tighter than the sheet of paper test...I can still kick my toes out at din 9 so they release ok.....

[HotRutteredBum]

Yeah so.... um
Sorry I hadn’t noticed that this post had been resurrected until now but....
I'm diggin my new launchers for the most part. They have been my every day ski this year. They are great in the pow and crud the AT bindings do make the ski feel a little long, but it's not that bad. I've thought about making a heel plate to see if a more aggressive ramp angle would help give me more control of my tips. Like altagril said their a little tricky on icy hard pack I've found that they are really grabby it could be the tune, but I sometimes feel like I have very little edge control. On a good snow day their great, but I think I might get a pair the new Karma for skiing around the areas or something a little more substantial with regular alpie binders and use the Launchers for good snow days and back country treking

[Viva]

I'm gonna end up taking the Solly 912 bindings off of my Heads and mounting those on the Launchers for the sake of frugality. That way, I need only get the wide brakes.

[freshies]

i run the Jerry Launchers (AK Launchers) w Fritschi /D II's and Scarpa Denalis as my BC set-up....they works great. Used to have these as my everyday inbounds ski, but swaped binders on them last yr to make them my OB rig....good touring ski, and sweet on the descent...Denalis are a good match for these...

[CantDog]

Did you guys mount the freerides on centerline?