Fritschi Freeride Blends Big Mountain Freeride Skiing With Backcountry Soul
Add to Del.icio.usWe’ve got the Fritschi Freeride Bindings you want, and we’ve got em now
by Bryan RhodesFritschi Freeride Bindings are the hottest thing to hit the backcountry since Shannon Tweed went off-piste in deleted scenes from Hot Dog – The Movie.
What makes the Fritschi Freeride such a hot item? It’s the first binding that lets you play in the backcountry without limiting your downhill performance. Want to huck that cliff band? No problem. Throw 720’s off a wind lip? Go ahead. This is the binding of choice for skiers who spend equal time in-bounds and out. It weighs slightly more than the Titanal III, but it’s worth it for those who value their downhill experience.
To create this revolution in backcountry gear, Fritschi took the classic AT binding design from the Diamir Titanal line and reinforced it to withstand the stresses of big mountain free skiing. The DIN now goes up to 12 (versus 10 on the Diamir) and the strong toe and heel pieceshold boots securely. The less than sturdy feeling you’d get from the Titanal II’s when rallying on groomers is completely gone. What remains is an Alpine Touring binding that switches instantly from tour to downhill mode, yet isn’t afraid to launch cliffs and spin 720’s. Now if you could only stick the landings.
When the Fritschi Freeride bindings came out midway through last season the Gear Experts here at BackcountryStore.com knew they were going to be popular, but we couldn’t predict they would sell out in less than a month. We weren’t the only ones caught without the Freeride, but this season we’ve learned our lesson. We worked with our industry contacts to get the Freeride bindings in stock two weeks before the rest of the skiing world. Get a pair now, and join us in the long wait for snow.