Alpine Fat Skis
No other piece of equipment is more responsible for the explosion in popularity of backcountry skiing than the Fritschi Freeride Alpine Touring Binding. It was the the first AT binding (with a DIN setting of 12) that truly was beefy enough to ski in and out of the resorts. Fritschis aren't the only name in the game, however. Naxo has brought in some competition and Dynafit is still the choice for those that don't spend as much time in the resorts. Marker then changed the game with the Marker Duke and now the Baron as well. To view the AT bindings in action check out any of the tours from the hiking page or most of the action from any of the ski resort galleries.
Marker exploded onto the AT scene when they introduced the Duke, the first AT binding with a DIN of 16, and equally important, a wider mounting platform. The downside is the weight. At 5.75 pounds/pair, they're less than ideal for the multiday tours where weight weenies rule. |
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After Marker brought out the Duke they came back the following year with the Baron, a trimmed down lighter and more affordable version with a DIN of 12. It still offers the torsional rigidity and burl of a wider platform. At 5.2 pounds they are still on the heavy side |
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Diamir's marketing lingo says, "If you love scattering your cat's ashes over the Hudson river then you'll love the Fritschi Diamir Freeride Plus Binding" . I have no idea what they're talking about, but the Freeride pluses rock. Lighter and more plasticy than Dukes, but heavier and more reliable than Dynafiddles. |
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For any looking for a binding that won't spend much or any time in resorts. Dynafit specializes in lightweight quality clamps for situations where weight decisions are critical. |
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