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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Pin bindings in bounds.

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dshiland
Posts: 226 - Karma: 1,516
Latley I've noticed way more people in lifelines with touring set ups on their feet from boots down to pin bindings. It seems a bit strange to me in bounds, maybe they dont have 2 pairs of skis but seems a bit much to rock a touring set up on the east coast in bounds.
3 years ago
15 1
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Substitute
Posts: 1378 - Karma: 2,275
Alpine bindings for resort, touring bindings for touring.

If it has a tech toe, it's not going on my feet if I'm on a chairlift. This isn't entirely because they're "unsafe", but also due to the feedback and overall poor suspension of a tech binding. Skiing inbounds in an aggressive manner with tech bindings is a sure-fire way to at best, have a crummy time, and at worst, get really hurt due to inconsistent release.

Given how many good 50/50 options there are these days, I struggle to see why people use their lightweight gear at the resort. To each their own I suppose. When customers come into the shop looking for new gear I make it clear that skiing tech bindings inbounds, lift-served is a bad idea.
3 years ago
20 0
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anders_a
Posts: 1680 - Karma: 5,604
maybe they just enjoy the shit ride?
3 years ago
10 0
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dshiland
Posts: 226 - Karma: 1,516
Right that's exactly what I thought. When I tour I have old marker dukes but atleast it's a frame with a normal toe release if I was to use it in bounds. I've heard that the pin toes lead to way more blown knees and lower leg fractures. Again I just dont see the point/risk in bounds
SubstituteAlpine bindings for resort, touring bindings for touring.

If it has a tech toe, it's not going on my feet if I'm on a chairlift. This isn't entirely because they're "unsafe", but also due to the feedback and overall poor suspension of a tech binding. Skiing inbounds in an aggressive manner with tech bindings is a sure-fire way to at best, have a crummy time, and at worst, get really hurt due to inconsistent release.

Given how many good 50/50 options there are these days, I struggle to see why people use their lightweight gear at the resort. To each their own I suppose. When customers come into the shop looking for new gear I make it clear that skiing tech bindings inbounds, lift-served is a bad idea.
3 years ago
5 0
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anders_a
Posts: 1680 - Karma: 5,604
Its more than just toe release though, its elastisity and feel.



also you look like a total weirdo.



Number of people I've had to comment that they are in walk mode on their shifts when they are on top of lift... and they are like.. ooooo? really.. yes... really
3 years ago
14 0
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dshiland
Posts: 226 - Karma: 1,516
I think it also goes to people just having so much money to spend of stuff they dont need. They want it to look hard core but really like you said you look like a goofball
anders_aIts more than just toe release though, its elastisity and feel.



also you look like a total weirdo.



Number of people I've had to comment that they are in walk mode on their shifts when they are on top of lift... and they are like.. ooooo? really.. yes... really
3 years ago
7 0
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IsaacNW82
Posts: 777 - Karma: 6,776
dshilandRight that's exactly what I thought. When I tour I have old marker dukes but atleast it's a frame with a normal toe release if I was to use it in bounds. I've heard that the pin toes lead to way more blown knees and lower leg fractures. Again I just dont see the point/risk in bounds


Yup, pin bindings are much less safe for tib/frib fractures, a once common skiing injury that modern alpine bindings have significantly mitigated. Ironically they are safer for your ACLs though, but don't get it twisted, they are overall less safe.

https://skimo.co/tech-binding-release-testing
3 years ago
8 0
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elm.
Posts: 1510 - Karma: 13,605
IsaacNW82Yup, pin bindings are much less safe for tib/frib fractures, a once common skiing injury that modern alpine bindings have significantly mitigated. Ironically they are safer for your ACLs though, but don't get it twisted, they are overall less safe.

https://skimo.co/tech-binding-release-testing


Tech bindings on left ski, alpine on right ski. Got it
3 years ago
8 0
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Chunderface
Posts: 2563 - Karma: 10,028
dshilandI think it also goes to people just having so much money to spend of stuff they dont need. They want it to look hard core but really like you said you look like a goofball


I think this is actually the #1 reason for the massive uptick in pin-heads skiing the resort. Covid got a lot of people onto backcountry gear that just don't know what the hell is going on. They're new to it and think it's core. In a couple years these people won't be touring, and if they're still skiing they will have figured out how dumb it is to ride pins in-bounds and they'll be back on alpine gear.
3 years ago
7 0
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6744 - Karma: 11,760
SubstituteAlpine bindings for resort, touring bindings for touring.

If it has a tech toe, it's not going on my feet if I'm on a chairlift. This isn't entirely because they're "unsafe", but also due to the feedback and overall poor suspension of a tech binding. Skiing inbounds in an aggressive manner with tech bindings is a sure-fire way to at best, have a crummy time, and at worst, get really hurt due to inconsistent release.

Given how many good 50/50 options there are these days, I struggle to see why people use their lightweight gear at the resort. To each their own I suppose. When customers come into the shop looking for new gear I make it clear that skiing tech bindings inbounds, lift-served is a bad idea.


100% this. End of thread.
3 years ago
8 0
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,151
This trend has been on the uprise for the past couple seasons. Watching people ski carbon setups inbounds really gets me too. Carbon skis are generally TRASH in anything but fresh snow.


People are going to buy the gear that feed their ego, not their performance needs. I got so tired of customers not listening when I was a shop guy. Sure thing, let’s get these Wailer 112’s setup for cruising groomers!

Pin / tech bindings still make me nervous, I don’t think I’d want to ski in them the way I ski inbounds.
3 years ago
5 0
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.nasty
Posts: 10598 - Karma: 11,396
I think it was Cody Townsend who had a pretty good spiel in a podcast or something about this subject. Obviously the reasons have been covered above but I know for me the main thing is vibration dampening and power transfer. You get just about zero of that with a tech binding (except for the Shift and Duke PT). I don't think the ones you see doing it constantly are actually charging through chopped up or chalky conditions like we might be, so it might be fine for that intermediate 60 year old lady on black crows/dynafits, but yeah not for any hard charging skier.
3 years ago
6 0
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GloryHoleGary
Posts: 178 - Karma: 1,758
I was one of the idiots who used to rock kingpins inbounds for a couple years. I broke three sets of them. Went off a jump landed and my left ski flew off. Didn’t think much of it, so I clicked back in and my first turn down a steep my ski flew off again because when I landed the last jump one of the pins broke off. Came away lucky and wasnt injured, but it was that day I realized how retarded I was skiing with tech bindings inbounds.

Now I cringe when I see people on tech setups riding riding the lifts.
3 years ago
3 0
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animator
Posts: 4576 - Karma: 26,428
GloryHoleGaryI was one of the idiots who used to rock kingpins inbounds for a couple years. I broke three sets of them. Went off a jump landed and my left ski flew off. Didn’t think much of it, so I clicked back in and my first turn down a steep my ski flew off again because when I landed the last jump one of the pins broke off. Came away lucky and wasnt injured, but it was that day I realized how retarded I was skiing with tech bindings inbounds.

Now I cringe when I see people on tech setups riding riding the lifts.


I still can’t believe how Marker used to market that thing…. I saw so many people use that thing inbounds for such a long time. Also filled out so many warranty claims for the pins…. That thing was just a nightmare overall.

re: the subject of the thread, I just don’t get why you’d want to. It’s such a harsh ride and the release is inconsistent…. It was a really common sight in Europe growing up, so it’s not super weird to see here in New England per se, but it’s weird that people still choose to do it. You do you, I prefer my Pivots inbounds (and out, big shout-out to the boys @Cast)
3 years ago
3 0
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