Dynafit

Beast 16 Binding

In the ski world there's an irresistible push to go bigger, faster, and harder, along with the desire to venture deeper and deeper off the beaten track in search of big lines and fresh snow. The quest for bigger and more remote lines requires more and more specialized equipment, and last year Dynafit lauched the Beast Binding as a serious weapon for freeskiers set on taking their talents to the backcountry. This year, the Beast is back, with a few tweaks that make it tougher, safer, and more reliable than last year's initial offers.

The biggest difference is in the toe. While the new 16-release-value version features a toe cribbed from the Dynafit Radical, the 16's toe mechanism is quite similar to that of the original Beast—basically a beefed-up version of the classic tech toe. The hike-mode locking mechanism is unchanged, but the whole package has been mounted on a rotating baseplate, giving you more elasticity and retention than you'd get from a classic Radical. When you engage the ski/hike lever, it also locks the baseplate in place for easy and movement-free skinning. Apart from that, it's totally recognizable—four springs, two pins, and plenty of friction-free climbing movement.

While the change might be most noticeable in the front, don't think for a second that Dynafit didn't improve the heel, too. It's been mounted on rails, letting it move slightly to accommodate ski flex, improve retention, and give you a more supple, less chattery ride than you'd expect from a tech binding. Spring-loaded pins provide a super-solid connection to the horseshoe heel insert (like last year, boots will need to be retrofitted to work with the Beast). Dual climbing risers give you the ramp angle you need to cruise up steep slopes. When the lower riser is in place, hard heel pressure will lock the brakes in a retracted position to prevent drag, but they'll snap back into place if you release on the way down. If you're that dude who's humping up 3,000-foot lines and hitting 50-footers on the way down, there's not a binding out there that'll do you better than the Beast 16.