I hope you have already purchased them and are now reading this article. After purchasing ski equipment, the question often arises of how to adjust the boot release force when falling on a slope. Have you ever asked yourself this question and slept soundly at night, watching in your dreams how you carve professionally? I’ll upset you a little and tell you about what can result from incorrectly setting the fastenings when quilting boots. But before we move on to explaining the fatal mistakes of incorrectly setting the fasteners, I’ll briefly tell you why these fastenings are actually needed and how they work.

What are ski bindings for?

If you were interested in the history of mining skiing, then you probably saw skis that looked like two rectangular wooden boards, which were attached with straps or ropes, leaving the leg to dangle and walk freely, weakly fixing the heel and toe. The problem was that when falling, the leg could not free itself from the skis and led to either sprains or broken bones (knees, ankles, etc.). Our grandfathers paid for pleasure with radical risks and helped master new technologies for future generations. Currently, modern youth and older people have the opportunity to see skis that have two protruding plastics on both sides to which the ski boot is attached. This is an ingenious solution to the difficult task of keeping your legs and knees safe and sound. Once you start falling and tumbling, the ski bindings engage and release your boots, allowing you to continue your fall without the fear of twisting your legs and breaking something. Skiing has become safer, but there is always a risk of injury, remember this.

Advice: Just please, do not take skis from an unknown uncle Liao with narrow eyes, who collected skis and bindings on his knee, otherwise the recommendations for setting up the fastening of bindings will not help you. There are good Chinese branded skis, yes, but I highly recommend not buying the cheapest rubbish in non-specialized stores. Normal, cheapest skis for beginners with bindings start at 35,000 tenge and above.

What results from incorrectly setting the fastening force?

Warning: In this article, I do not tell you how to install separately purchased ski bindings on skis, I only give recommendations approved by the manufacturer on how to adjust the force of lashing out of boots, nothing more. I will discuss the topic of adjusting the bindings based on the sole size of the boot and installation in the following articles. Therefore, if you want to continue learning new things about your favorite skis, subscribe to our blog via RSS or via social media(in the upper right corner of the site there are icons with our groups).

So what are the consequences of incorrectly adjusting the fastening force during a fall? Yes, in fact, to the same thing as in the archaic times of the existence of skis, to sprained ligaments or broken bones of the legs or knees. The tighter the boot fasteners are tightened, the greater the likelihood of the fastening not working and causing injury. As a rule, they set themselves a high DIN (fastening force) professional athletes, confident in their level of skiing. I would like to add that on modern skis with bindings that have a factory defect or are incorrectly configured, it is much easier to break a leg, because the boot is clamped like a vice and is not able to move more than a few millimeters. Ancient skis did not have the ability to come off, but they were not fastened as tightly as modern skis. Realizing this fact, you need to understand how important it is to buy good skis with the correct fastenings and how to set them up according to the regulations.

How to adjust the quilting force of bindings

Important: In theory, when buying skis with bindings, the seller should adjust the binding force for free or for a small fee. However, often sellers either forget or are amateur students who work part-time in the off-season without knowing what to do. Therefore, be sure to adjust the bindings and ski boots to suit your weight (take them with you when purchasing) to protect yourself from serious injuries. But if you still forgot to configure it or you are not sure of the qualifications of the seller, then the recommendations that I give below will be useful to you and you will be able to reconfigure and avoid incorrect settings of the fasteners.

So we get to the question of how to adjust the quilting force of the fasteners. Below you can see a photo of what modern mounts look like (they may differ slightly).

On modern ski bindings Typically, the toe and heel quilting of a ski boot is customized. The manufacturer of most bindings recommends these settings: take your weight, divide it by 10 and set the quilting force to 1-2 DIN less, depending on your skiing experience. Now I’ll explain it in my fingers. Let's say my weight is 71 kg. I round it up to 70 and divide by 10. My number when dividing is 7. Based on this data, I should subtract 2 if I am a completely green beginner or 1 if I am a more confident skater. Since we are talking about beginners, it is better for us to put 2 DINs less, that is, 7-2 = 5 DINs. It turns out that on the toe and heel I should set no more than 5-6 DIN. If there are false alarms, the fastening force can always be tightened. But by over-tightening you can easily get injured.

Advice: I recommend setting the heel and toe to the same values, that is, 5 DIN front and back. And as you increase your skiing skill, you can increase the DIN exactly to your weight. For example, 70/10=7 my weight=7 DIN. Athletes put DIN above their weight, but if you are one, then it is unlikely that my advice will be useful to you.

Now let's move on to the ski itself and the tip and tail setup. As we have already calculated my DIN is 5 or 6. I take a screwdriver (phillips or flat end) and adjust the toe (front of the mount) first. To do this, I tighten a special bolt and set the desired value. See photo.

To adjust the rear part of the binding (heel), we need to fasten the boot into the ski, or lift the rear plug with our hands. See photos.

Having completed this action, we will see a scale with DINs on the heel, where we need to set similar values ​​as on the toe, that is, 5 or 6 DINs (do not forget that this is my weight, you should have other values). I take a screwdriver and repeat the operation to adjust the force of quilting the fastening on the heel.

Having set everything up according to the regulations, you can praise yourself and go on the slope for a ride. Now the risk of serious injury is several times lower, and if you have good riding technique and good bindings when strapping your boots, the risk is reduced to minor sprains and bruises. However, you shouldn’t relax, this is just a cog in the whole mechanism, nothing more.

Conclusion

By collecting knowledge bit by bit and following the basic rules written in blood and broken necks, you can avoid serious injuries and enjoy the adrenaline injected into your brain on a snow-white, alluring slope. The more intelligently you approach extreme species sports, the higher the chance of maintaining your own and others’ health while enjoying alpine skiing. There is no panacea for falls and injuries, but following the basics of safety will help avoid extreme severe injuries and death.

Have a nice winter season and good rides!

Installation and adjustment of bindings on alpine skis is often performed by specialists who know how to do it correctly. But, if you wish, you can carry out the preparation yourself. To do this, you need to approach the process with full responsibility, without violating safety rules.

To install the fasteners yourself, preliminary preparation is required. Need to:

1. Take into account the parameters of the skier for whom you need to prepare equipment;

2. Stock up on the necessary tools:

• the skis themselves, bindings for them, as well as ski shoes;
• roulette;
• screwdriver;
• screwdriver;
• pencil or marker;
• drill;
• screws.

Installation stages and types

The bindings are a lever through which the foot transmits a command to the ski. Their second function is to ensure safety for the feet. In situations where there is a high probability of injury, the bindings free the foot from the ski.

• The design of the fasteners consists of a front head and a rear heel. Each of these parts allows you to adjust the actuation forces;
• The actuation force should be understood as an indicator of the maximum load. Once it is reached, the fastener is triggered and opens, freeing the leg. The scale on the mounts helps you set this indicator;
• The higher the scale division, the greater the load required to operate;
• The presence of brakes on the bindings prevents the skis from rolling far if they come unfastened;
• Manufacturers often sell skis with rails on them. This allows both fasteners to be moved and adjusted.

There are two types of installation of fasteners:

1. Using drilling;
2. Using already built-in special rails or platforms.

Let's talk about each method in more detail.

Using drilling

Installing fasteners using drilling is when fastenings are mounted with screws. The advantages of this type are:

• Possibility to choose any equipment to your liking;
• Installation without gaps or backlash. Thanks to this, ski control is as precise as possible.

Disadvantages of this type of installation:

• Availability of tools for installation;
• Experience and skills in this type of work;
• Inability to use skis if the difference in boot length exceeds 2 cm.

Important: When reinstalling fasteners using drilling, the number of screw holes in the ski increases. This has a bad effect on the durability of the equipment. Reinstallation using this method is not recommended.

The installation process itself consists of several stages:

• The first step is to determine the center of gravity of the ski. To do this, you can install it on a small hill and find the point at which it balances. Mark this place with a marker;
• All mechanisms are accompanied by instructions when sold. If it is not there, then it should be taken into account that for classic skis the top point of the foot should be at the previously found mark. If the skis are skating, then 8–15 mm closer to the nose;
• The pin location (top point) is where the hinge attaches;
• Then the fastener is shifted so that it is on the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the ski;
• Now you can drill the front part of the fastener onto the center screw. If there are guides, then you need to center them together.

If not, then a shoe is inserted into the installed element and also installed in the center. This will help determine the correct heel position. Now the boot can be removed and the necessary holes can be made for the remaining fasteners;

• When using a rigid fastening, the heel of the boot should cover the heel pad by 10–15 mm. System bindings (with rails) require an installation where the boot is completely on the rail.

Use of already built-in special rails or platforms

Installing mounts using built-in rails or platforms greatly simplifies the entire process and has the following advantages:

• The simplest possible installation and adjustment of ski bindings, without resorting to the help of specialists and without using tools;
• Possibility of self-adjustment of ski bindings for boots of a different size or manufacturer;
• Possibility to shift the center of the boot.

The disadvantages include:

• Mounting choices are limited (since it's already integrated);
• All such fastenings give over time a small gap, which affects the accuracy of ski control;
• Weight gain sports equipment generally. This is an obstacle to performing some elements, especially for experienced skiers.

Rules for setting up the mount

After installing the fasteners, they need to be adjusted. This is done for comfort and safety. Proper adjustment of ski bindings allows you to:

• Take into account the skier’s parameters: weight, foot size;
• Confidently hold and maneuver while riding;
• Consider the load placed on your legs and ensure their safety.

If skis were purchased with bindings installed on them, the adjustment is often made by the seller himself. Some manufacturers do not allow self-adjustment. This is prerequisite for the validity of the warranty on their products.

Under adjustment The correct placement of the front head and back heel for the skier should be understood. It is important to consider:

• The experience and skills of the rider, as well as his physical condition;
• Driving style (calm or aggressive);
• Condition and difficulty of the ski slope.

Skier parameters and corresponding actuation force on the scale on the bindings:

Weight, kg	Height/cm	Boot sole size/mm
		255 or less	250-270	271-290	291-310	311-330	331 or more
10-13		0,75	0,75
14-17		1	1	0,75
18-21		1,5	1,25	1
22-25		1,75	1,5	1,5	1,25
26-30		2,25	2	1,75	1,5	1,5
31-35		2,75	2,5	2,25	2	1,75	1,75
36-41		3,5	3	2,75	2,5	2,25	2
42-48	148 or less		3,5	3	3	2,75	2,5
49-57	149-157		4,5	4	3,5	3,5	3
58-66	158-166		5,5	5	4,5	4	3,5
67-78	167-178		6,5	6	5,5	5	4,5
79-94	179-194		7,5	7	6,5	6	5,5
95 or more	195 or more			8,5	8	7	6,5
				10	9,5	8,5	8
				11,5	11	10	9,5

In this table you need to find your indicators. When they are on different lines, you need to select the one located above.

Then the required column is determined by the corresponding sole length. The cell at the junction will determine the appropriate actuation force. This method is suitable for beginners or skiers with a cautious riding style.

• If the skier feels confident and has certain skills, then the indicator from the line below should be used.
• In the case where aggressive driving is practiced on difficult routes, an indicator 2 lines lower would be correct.

There are a few things to keep in mind when working with fasteners:

• Don't adjust the mounts too much. This increases the likelihood of injury;
• Too weak a setting will also prevent you from enjoying the ride. Skis will jump off with any, even harmless, fall. This is inconvenient even for a beginner, especially for a professional;
• Please note that the length of the boot sole may vary depending on the manufacturer. This means that skiers with the same foot size may not necessarily use the same skis with adjusted bindings.

We also invite you to watch a video on how to install bindings on alpine skis at home without the use of special tools and devices:

Interesting too

Ski fasteners sports equipment perform two functions: transferring forces to the equipment and detaching from the runners in the event of a threat of injury. They are a drive, which is an intermediate link between the leg and the skis. Factors that ensure both safety and speed of movement depend on their quality. Correct adjustment of ski bindings ensures that the assigned tasks are completed.

Fasteners are installed on skis or platforms. Often they are made by manufacturers along with fasteners and have holes for their installation. All components must be purchased from one manufacturer. Otherwise, you will have to adjust the parts.

The part has two parts and a plate:

• plate under the front of the boot. It provides a low degree of friction;
• the task of the front part is to separate the boot laterally;
• in the rear part there is a disconnection in the upward direction.

Coverages are made to standard sizes. This allows you to use shoes from any company. There is no need to select it specially.

According to their design, fasteners are divided into:

• with manual clasp;
• with semi-automatic or automatic clasp.

Each type has disadvantages. In the first case, the high cost of the models, and in the second, the likelihood of rapid breakdown if water gets into the fastener and freezes. It often jams if there is no support on a hard surface.

Rules for setting up the mount

Before you go on the ski track, the ski bindings are adjusted. To do this you need to know a couple of nuances.

On the front of the fastener there is a scale with which adjustments are made. Each mark on it means the weight of the skier, reduced by 10 times. For example, “5” means that the weight is 50 kg. The bottom line is that with a force of 50 kg, the ski will detach itself from the boot.

There is a screw located at the end of the front part. With its help, changes in scale indicators are made. It usually turns tight, so you have to apply some force.

On the back, the scale is hidden under a clamping mechanism. The setting principle is similar to the front reach. Adjustable with a screw.

Weight adjustment can be done either manually or automatically.

Tools for adjusting fasteners

To configure you will need the following tools:

• directly sports equipment, fasteners for it, boots;
• yardstick;
• screwdriver;
• screwdriver;
• drill;
• screws.

The set of tools depends on the installation method:

• with drilling;
• due to built-in platforms.

Adjusting the force of ski bindings

Adjustment of fastenings is carried out taking into account several factors:

• taking into account the experience and skiing style of the skier;
• adjusting the ski binding according to the user’s weight.

The adjustment is made so that during intense skating the device does not become detached.

Adjustment rules:

1. The indicator at which the device will operate is determined. To do this, the weight of an experienced skier is divided by 10. For those who have been skiing recently, a couple of units are subtracted from the resulting figure.
2. The maximum value of the adjustment indicators is determined by the formula: the user’s weight is divided by 10. The error is 1 - 2 points in any direction.
3. Often the force indicator is presented in kilograms rather than units. With this option, 30 - 40 kg are subtracted from the skier’s weight.
4. You can help set the force indicator correctly using a special table. It is included when purchasing the mounting system.

In the absence of setup experience, problems arise. In this case, guarantee high quality a specialist can.

Using built-in rails and platforms

The setup process is easier with sports equipment using rails or platforms. The advantages of this option include:

• DIY equipment assembly;
• One of the tools you will need is a screwdriver;
• Allows adjustment to fit any boot size. The manufacturer doesn't matter either;
• It is possible to move the center of the ski boots.

Along with the advantages, there are also disadvantages:

• the range of fasteners of this type is limited;
• After some time, the device moves and a gap forms. In this case, ski control becomes more difficult. It is impossible to get pleasure from such skating;
• the weight of the skis increases significantly, which interferes with the performance of some serious elements performed by experienced skiers.

After installing the fasteners yourself, they must be adjusted. Often inventory is purchased with already installed fasteners. In these cases, they can be adjusted by a sales assistant in the store. Some companies require setup by specialists. If you attempt it yourself, the warranty will be void.

• the adjustment is carried out carefully, without exceeding the established parameters;
• if the degree of effort decreases, it will be impossible to enjoy riding. will bounce under every slight load. This brings a lot of problems.
• The shoe model is also taken into account. The sole type is different from the standard one. The degree of ski sliding will vary.

Alpine skiing is a passion that has captivated more than one person. These are both professionals and amateur skiers. Full enjoyment from it will be ensured by high-quality equipment. You need to purchase it only in specialized stores.

After fastenings installed on skis or if you have changed boots, you must adjust fastenings so as to ensure the normalized actuation force. The first thing to do is try to fasten the boot in fastening. All fastenings The Salomon can be closed manually by lifting the locking lever. In case this fails due to the fact that mount adjusted If the boot size is too large or small, it is necessary to lift bracket 7 using a flat screwdriver and move the heel part of the mount relative to the base slide forward or backward so that the boot is securely fixed in the closed mount. IN fastenings The 850 and 900 series use a front Driver head with manual adjustment of the boot toe fixation in the transverse direction (in the picture). Unscrew adjusting screws 4 (in mounts of the 900 series, as well as in models 897 and 997 - separate adjustment jaws - two screws, on each side of the front head) so that the toe of the boot does not rest against the wings. Make sure that the toe of the boot rests against the special stop on the front head. Fasten the boot into the binding. Make sure that the arrows located on bracket 7 are in the middle of the recesses on the lower rear of the box (for 900 models). In other models (right picture) a triangle is stamped on the body fastenings(painted in red) should be aligned with the grooved area on bracket 7. If necessary, use the adjusting bracket 7 to move the heel section on the slide (marked with an arrow in the right picture) so as to achieve the correct position of the arrows. You can find modifications fastenings Salomon, in which this adjustment is carried out not by moving the bracket, but by rotating a special screw located between the actuation force adjustment screw 6 and the slide. When adjustments such fastenings it is necessary to ensure that outer side The head of the adjusting screw was in the grooved area on the surface of the slide. Without removing the shoe from fastenings, adjust Position the jaws of the Driver head with screws 4 so that both jaws touch the toe of the boot, but do not pinch it. In the Quadrax front head, the fenders are installed automatically. Without removing the shoe from fastenings, unscrew the adjusting screw 1 for the height of the wings of the front head. Press down on the boot, trying to tilt it back. Tighten the screw so that there is a gap of 0.5 mm between the sole of the boot and the friction pad. The Quadrax front head adjusts the mounting height automatically. By rotating adjusting screws 3 and 6, set the required actuation forces on scales 2 and 5.

Setting the trigger force depending on the skier’s parameters and the length of the boot sole. A table with such parameters is used in rentals.

Weight, kg	Height, cm	< 250 мм	251 - 270 mm	271 - 290 mm	291 - 310 mm	311 - 330 mm	> 331 mm
10 - 13		0,75	0,75
14 - 17		1	1	0,75
18 - 21		1,5	1,25	1
22 - 25		1,75	1,5	1,5	1,25
26 - 30		2,25	2	1,75	1,5	1,5
31 - 35		2,75	2,5	2,25	2	1,75	1,75
36 - 41		3,5	3	2,75	2,5	2,25	2
42 - 48	< 148		3,5	3	3	2,75	2,5
49 - 57	149 - 157		4,5	4	3,5	3,5	3
58 - 66	158 - 166		5,5	5	4,5	4	3,5
67 - 78	167 - 178		6,5	6	5,5	5	4,5
79 - 94	179 - 194		7,5	7	6,5	6	5,5
> 95	> 195			8,5	8	7	6,5
				10	9,5	8,5	8
				11,5	11	10	9.5

Determine what type of skier you are: Type 1 - skis carefully, at low speeds, on small and medium-steep slopes. In an attempt to reduce the risk of injury, he installs on his fastenings less than necessary actuation force, which leads to untimely operation fastenings. Type 2 - an average skier, skis at various speeds and on various slopes, including difficult ones. Type 3 - aggressive, dynamic skiing at high speed, mainly on medium and steep slopes. Trying to reduce the likelihood of untimely triggering fastenings, sets a greater trigger force on its mounts than necessary, resulting in an increased risk. From the table, select the line that corresponds to your height and weight. If these options are on different lines, select the top one. Using the table, select the column that corresponds to the length of the sole of your boot. The number at the intersection of the row and column corresponds to the recommended actuation force for type 1 skiers. For skiers of type 2, you need to go down one line, type 3 - by 2 lines. For skiers over 50 years old, you must then go up 1 line. Note: If the corresponding intersection is empty, select the closest value to the right of the selected row.

Any business can be done in three ways: RIGHT, WRONG and THE WAY they do it in the Army... ( Folk wisdom)

The philosopher Charles Louis Montesquieu, at the beginning of the 17th century, once remarked: “Nature has wisely taken care to make human stupidity transient, but books perpetuate it.”

I don't know what he would say about the Internet. Unfortunately, I am not Charles Louis or Erasmus of Rotterdam. I don’t intend to write “a word of praise for Stupidity”...

I can state: the Internet, at a minimum, replicates Stupidity in such a volume that in former times it was undreamed of.
But there are different types of stupidity. There are harmless ones, as Zhvanetsky used to say, “No harm, no benefit.” For example, how long should skis be? More precisely, where they should reach - to the chin, to the bridge of the nose, or to the navel... Let “advanced” bloggers break spears on this topic on the forums.

Health Hazardous Nonsense

But there are, in fact, Harmful, or rather, dangerous to health, Nonsense. One of them is related to setting the actuation force of the fasteners.

Someone once posted on the Internet (apparently out of great intelligence and conceit) that the numbers on the scale 4, 5, 6, ..., 10, ... are the weight of the skier without the “0”.

Nonsense, unlike knowledge and skills, spreads instantly. And so, in any rental shop and in almost any store you will be asked: “What weight should you use?”

For 60 kg – please “6”. For 80 kg – please “8”... etc.

This harmful and VERY dangerous misconception arose due to the fact that manufacturers stopped giving any recommendations for the operation of their products.

This, in turn, also happened “As a consequence” - as a result of the touching concern of the US Consumer Rights Society for its Clients.

After several successful processes on the topic: “I bought the safest mounts from the best brand, set them up according to the instructions, and then, due to my own idiocy, broke my leg. So, now send me a couple of million dollars or more as compensation for moral and material damage..."

As a result, technical recommendations disappeared. Now, when you unpack the box, you can read about what you undoubtedly did the most the best choice in your life, “grandmercy” and so on, as well as advice to contact the “authorized representatives” of the company to carry out the correct setup.

The circle is closed. Since skis are sold and rented out by everyone except “Authorized Representatives,” you will undoubtedly be asked the question: “What weight should you use the binding?”

For petite girls and even people of average height and build, who are given from “4” to “6.5” - “7” - nothing yet. But if a mighty uncle weighing 100-120 kg and a leg size of 45-47 gets at least a “10”, then he has only one path - to a traumatologist.

The skier's weight is a parameter that very indirectly affects Fastening safety index.

Adjusting ski bindings. Setting the Trigger Index.

This parameter is coded in numbers from 0.5 to 16 (in amateur models) and higher in sports models. The numbers are provisional. The higher the number, the greater the force required to “activate” the fastener. BUT ONLY!!! No kilograms of weight.

About safe actuation force

Now, special attention. What is it safe trigger force?

A fairly close analogue is “Safe vehicle speed”. A concept that often baffles those who take driving courses.

Traditional question: “Safe speed” is 40 km/h, 60 or 90? Alas, this is the wrong question from the very beginning... Because “Safe speed” is not some absolute number for all occasions, it is a safe (and accident-free) speed for you personally at a given moment in time.

This could be 5 km/h where there is a crowd of people or 140 km/h when you are “escaping” a rockfall on a mountain road, etc.

The same can be said about the safe actuation force of the fasteners. In fact, it should open before the injury occurs, in the conditions in which you are here and now.

That's why Index– this is not a constant or a dogma, but a very variable value. And it depends on many factors:

• skier's physical fitness
• his riding style
• snow or ice conditions
• slope steepness
• etc.

Let me give you an example. Spring, the month of March... Yesterday the slope after lunch was bad and on sticky snow, my skis sank deeply. A significant part of the work of the fall is spent on deforming the snow layer and only part of this work goes to the fastenings. When falling, the impact impulse will be “stretched” in time... In such conditions Index it should be reduced.

On the contrary, the next morning everything that the skiers “dug up” on the slope yesterday froze. On a steep, icy slope, skis receive a lot of random but hard impacts. “Accidentally” opening the fasteners risks falling onto a hard, rough slope, which is completely “uncomfortable”, so it’s better Index change up.

As an extreme example, I will give the following.

Beginning of December. Mount Cheget. On the slope School of instructors ski training USSR Mountaineering Directorate. Yesterday we rode in the rain. At the end of the day there is snow above, still rain below. On top of the Cheget mounds there is crumbling, mush, earth and stones. At night – minus 16°С. In the morning - a “winter fairy tale”. What remains today from yesterday's mess are icy hollows, gouges and... a school of instructors. On this day, no one else came down the lower Cheget - only the School.

For those who know what we are talking about, below the “lower house” the slope was the color of light bottle glass. We descended under the supports of single-chairs because in other places the snow had been washed away. I went down on fabulous 2 meter long slalom skis with bindings Marker-MR, on which there was an “S” after the numbers, which meant STOP. That is, the fastening is guaranteed NOT TO OPEN under any impacts or loads.

So, that time I took out a screwdriver and installed Index on S.

In those conditions, if the fastenings had worked and the skis had come unfastened, then even the ears would not have made it down.

What I mean is that everything in the World is relative... And “advice” too :)

And now the promised table:

Adjusting ski bindings. Table from Salomon.

This table was developed by Salomon for branded rental points and visually modified by the site's authors.

All values ​​given in the table are indicative in nature with a margin for safety when skiing on soft, smooth slopes at moderate speeds.

Table from Salomon chosen as the most sane and understandable.

For example, a company Marker suggested taking the diameter as the initial parameter Tibia– transverse size of the head of the tibia. A very interesting parameter - it can be easily removed from an x-ray on a scale of 1:1, provided the image is at the correct angle... But other criteria are also possible!

I remember once in the early 80s of the last century... Alpine camp "Alibek", the beginning of the New Year's shift.

For those who don’t know, you still had to walk about 5 km to the alpine camp with things from Dombay, stay in multi-person “chambers”, get, for those who didn’t, skis and boots, usually not the right size, etc.

So, tired instructors sit “on the glass” and relieve the stress of the first day. The head of the “newbie” department appears with a list.

The instructor, having parted with the glass, looks at the list and asks:
-What did you bring me?
– Department list.
- Yes, there are only names and surnames...
- What else do you need?
- Like what? Tomorrow we will give out yoke*...

* The word “yoke” means a cleverly curved “hook” to which a stick was tied with a cord. This hook was placed in a sliding mode on an “endless” cable moving from the lower block to the upper one and back. The stick was clamped between the legs, and then the rope was loaded with a skillful movement. If everything worked out as it should, the skier started up the slope. If not, then the yoke bounced off the cable most often head-on. And everything was repeated from the beginning.

– So (the instructor continues), to choose the right yoke you need the length of the legs and the width of the butt...

After another 40 minutes, the executive headman presented an updated list of the educational department. The yoke was selected correctly and safely.

Adjusting your ski bindings is the most important thing!

But we live, fortunately, in more enlightened times. Therefore, I return to the Salomon table.

Note. A very important parameter is boot sole length, which is measured along its outer part. The fact is that bone strength depends, for example, on age, but does not depend from weight. And the longer the sole, the greater the leverage and, accordingly, the traumatic force.

Therefore, a miniature, well-skating girl with a tiny leg can “safely” skate on the same Index = 6 as a guy with a weight of 120 kg and a 45-47 boot.

Please note that the three categories of skiers are not a level technical training. This is, first of all, the style of skating, the temperament of the individual. That is, the value is constant for a given skier. Of course, all newcomers are Type 1. But after 3-4 days of skiing you can confidently say “Who is who”.

Now I ask for special attention and seriousness.

This is what the safety of skiing depends on even more than all of the above. All these Indices will work and protect you from the possibility of injury only in one single case:

If the distance between the front and rear mounting heads exactly matches the length of the sole of your boot.

Unfortunately, very, very a large number of injuries are associated with non-compliance with this particular parameter.

In rental stores and stores all over the place, both US and THEM will supply you with fasteners that fit “plus or minus the bast shoe” along the length... The fact is that the fastening snaps into place over a fairly wide range, creating the illusion that everything is in order.

But in one case the boot may be jammed, in another, even worse, they will be under-clamped. In both cases, injury may occur before the fastener opens.

For everyone modern mounts There is an indication of the size of the boot sole and the distance between the fastening heads. But, unfortunately, there is a wide variety of them. Therefore, it is not possible to describe in detail how to find this indication for all types of fastenings.

I’ll give an example using fairly common Salomon fasteners (see picture).

Adjusting ski bindings. How to check the correct head spacing setting.

With the correct distance between the mounting heads, when you fully click the boot, the bird should fall within the range between the two marks (see picture). If this does not happen, urgently change the distance between the heads or take it back to the rental point, where you will ask for help with this.

Some fasteners (for example, Salomon STH 14) do not have a birdie. Checking the correct length setting in such ski bindings is done using the adjusting bolt located on the rear head (see figure)

Checking the correct adjustment of the length of alpine ski bindings using the adjusting bolt (using the example of Salomon STH 14)

When setting the fastening length correctly, after “clipping” the boot, the upper plane of the bolt head should be flush with the edge of the platform.

Let me emphasize again - this the most important moment in terms of safety.

For understanding! If the length of the bindings is not set correctly, then the springs that ensure the “shooting” of the skis will not be fully cocked, or, conversely, they will be overtightened. The effect of this is the same as if you had not correctly set the trigger force on the fastener heads!!!

Be carefull. Don’t trust the “professionals” at rental centers and know how to double-check everything yourself. After all, the legs (and not only) are YOURS.

P.S. Those who have already gone on ski tours with us know that we pay the closest attention to the issue of adjusting ski bindings on the very first day on the slope.

And this is no coincidence. After all, without practical experience, all these tables and reflections, alas, quickly fade into the background.

So print out this article or just the sign to use on your first day of riding. After all, we don’t spend so much time in the mountains to waste it on completely unnecessary injuries and troubles.

P.P.S. What is written in this article is the basics of safety for skiers of all skiing levels. But on steep slopes and in deep snow, even timely shooting of the ski can turn into a big problem. Read about how in our new article.

If you still have questions about setting up ski bindings, write them in the comments... We try to answer them regularly.