• Forums
  • Gear Talk
  • Help w/twin-tip (HEAD Bullet 84) skis – bindings mounting position for all-mountain and kite skiing

Member of the Month

PartyBullshiit
March, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Help w/twin-tip (HEAD Bullet 84) skis – bindings mounting position for all-mountain and kite skiing

profile picture
brazuca
Posts: 2 - Karma: 10

I recently bought a HEAD Bullet 84 twin-tip skis, 171 cm long.  The shop mounted the bindings aligning the boot center mark with the ski center mark (i.e., perfectly centered on skis).  I feel that this is way too far forward.  I skied for the first time this weekend and didn’t like it (actually I hated it).  It feels like it has too much tail.  I felt like I was all the time trying to seat back on the skis.

 

The skis have markings on the side wall with suggestion for where to mount for “Park & Pipe” and for “Freeride”.  The “Park & Pipe” boot center mark is 2 centimeters (0.79 in) behind the ski center mark.  The “Freeride” mark is 8 centimeters (3.15 in) behind the ski center mark.  I am attaching a picture showing the markings on the skis. 

 

I plan on bringing it to a shop for re-drilling and re-mounting the bindings further back. My main QUESTION is, how far back should I mount it this time?  I want it for all-mountain (mostly downhill) riding.  I also plan on using them for snow kitting (traction kite sailing). 

 

Is it a big bummer that I will be re-drilling brand new skis?  Does it affect its structural integrity?

 

I do most of my kite sailing on a frozen lake with poor snow coverage, so maintaining edge on ice is the most important requirement.  I am tempted to move the bindings all the way back to the “Freeride” mark since I hated the centered position.  Does anyone have a recommendation?  Do you think that 8 cms from ski center is too much or can I trust the marking recommendation from HEAD? Is anyone there with kite skiing experience using twin-tip skis?

 

I have many years of snowboarding experience, and have done all my snow kiting with boards.  I consider myself an intermediate skier but have never owned my own pair.  All my skiing experience has been with rental skis (this is the first time with twin-tips).  I am capable of skiing black and double black diamond runs (Snowshoe and Killington).

 

Skis dimensions are: 121-84-110, length is 171 cm

I am 5’11’’ tall, 180lbs’

Where I ride most often is hard-pack icy conditions.

 

Thanks,Click for larger image

Brazuca

Dec 19 2011 3:42PM
0 0
profile picture
CDdesign
Posts: 1015 - Karma: 92
i have the bullets, and the blueberry lemons, both mounted center... if you want an all around mounting position, i would go 2ish cm and no more than 3cm back from the park and pipe notch... its good to have some tail IMO
Dec 19 2011 3:48PM
0 0
profile picture
brazuca
Posts: 2 - Karma: 10

Thank you for your reply.  I found lots of discussions online about mounting position for other skis, but none for the HEAD Bullet.  One of the popular skis with lots of discussions on where to mount is the K2 Public Enemy.  It has similar dimensions as the Bullet (K2: 118/85/109,  Head Bullet: 121/84/110). For all-mountain skiing, the most common opinion is to have the bindings on the K2 about 6.5cm to 7.5 cm behind the ski center.  In the Bullet, this would be about 4.5cms behind the “Park & Pipe” mark, which is 1.5cm behind your recommendation.

 

Currently my bindings are mounted in the ski center mark (true center I believe) and I hated it.  This is the first time I use twin-tips, and I only rode them once(for 5 hrs) with new boots.  So, it could also just be that I need time to get used to it.   Do you have them centered mounted in your skis because you are more of a Park skier?  How well do they perform on piste? Do you think that going 1.5 cm further back than your suggested will be too much (i.e., 4.5 cm behind Park & Pipe mark)?  I was thinking that I should stay close to the Freeride mark, since this is what I mostly want to use the ski for.

 

Thanks again,

RR

Dec 21 2011 11:12AM
0 0
profile picture
CDdesign
Posts: 1015 - Karma: 92
our shop has some of the head twins for demo. i mounted a few center and a few at the FR mark, all the way back. I would not go on the mark, even if you are just carving up the mountain. Right in the middle of the notches is as far back as i personally would go. with the flex pattern of the head skis, they are very stiff underfoot, but very soft on the tip and tail.
You will actually get better edge control more over the center of the ski, rather than back towards the tail. you may find your skiing style will have to be altered a bit, with your weight more over the center of the ski, this is normal due to the soft tip and tail.

hope this helps, and if not, get a marker schizo binding(6 or so cm of sliding adjustment. your problem is exactly why those bindings were designed.
Dec 22 2011 2:31PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4)