A bit shaky.

By Cody Barnhill Ranked #889 - Alpine Touring Bindings February 10, 2009

So I until about a week ago I have been completely unwilling to even try a touring binding based upon my suspicion that there is no way that they could put up with the beating of real skiing, outside of mellow powder turns across the street from Alta. Well, I ended up with a pair of these (actually the Rossignol version, but it's the same thing) and gave them the good ol' flex test. Going uphill I was very satisfied, and they are light and have a smooth kick with the heels unlocked. On the way down I was already a bit tentative, and didn't really want to hit any airs for fear of walking back down what I had just walked up, so I kept it mellow. I was in fresh pow the whole way down, which made them pretty easy to handle, but when I hit hard snow at the bottom I could really feel what I heard about them. They have quite a bit of torsional play due to being so high up, so the ski is not at nearly as aggressive an angulation as your foot is trying to put it, which leads to a bunch of sliding... SO: It works, it gets the job done. It will get you up there, and probably back down. If you want to go fast, ski something gnarly, I would recommend you explore your other options.

View Details: Backcountry Access Naxo nx22 Black Alpine Touring Binding

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes