knee binding

Fifteen years ago, almost nobody wore a helmet while skiing. Only the so-called “extreme” skiers would have really bothered, and even that wasn’t a guaranteed thing. Five years ago, airbag avalanche packs were seen as a novelty, barely registering with the average skier. Nowadays, look at any ski hill and you’ll easily see upwards of 80 – 90% of skiers wearing helmets, it’s just what you do. Go to any backcountry trailhead and, while it’s not the same percentage of helmets, the number of people wearing avalanche packs has risen dramatically.

So, why the changes in technology and, perhaps more importantly, the attitude of skiers toward these two pieces of safety equipment? Well, it turns out that people want to ski, and they want to keep skiing for as long as possible. Both of these items have become integral, almost necessary, to a “safe” skiing experience on the mountain. Especially with regards to longevity.

Now, with the advent of Kneebinding, we may very well be seeing the next evolution in skiing safety. Every binding from Kneebinding utilizes its patented PureLateral heel release system. This revolutionary system allows your heel to release directly sideways – ideally, before the force causes your knee to release.

ski-crash-1

Like an avalanche pack, it’s one of those things you hope never really has to be put completely to the test, but you’re glad it’s there, just in case. Another way to think of them is similar to an airbag in a car. You don’t necessarily know that it will save you every time, and it probably won’t, but you wouldn’t buy a car without one, right?

So, we’ve covered some of the safety aspects that make Kneebindings so unique, but how about one of the most important parts, how they ski? Kneebinding uses a unique mounting system called the FlexFloat Mounting System. This unique system allows the binding to move, just a little, when the ski flexes, essentially eliminating “dead spots” during your flex. When a ski mounted normally is flexed deeply, say during moguls or a switch landing, the toe and heel piece are compressed, while the boot sole stays exactly the same. That “bow effect” is the main cause of unwanted pre-release while skiing. Thanks to the FlexFloat Mounting System, Kneebinding has virtually eliminated that problem.

ACL

With ACL injuries easily the number one injury in skiing, over 70,000 each year, it makes sense to do all you can to minimize the chance of it happening. And hey, when it comes on a binding that also skis extremely well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Currently, Granite Chief Ski & Mountain Shop in Truckee is the only Truckee/Tahoe area retailer to offer Kneebindings. Come on down and check out these great bindings for yourself. You never know, you just might become an early adopter.

Shop Kneebindings HERE.