Finding A Binding Mounting Position

  

 

Locating an Optimal Position for Mounting Free-heel Bindings

 

For many years tele skiers have been mounting their bindings with pins on chord center. Recently we received some information from one of our readers about a new method to determine the best location on a given ski for any given skier. This more individual approach is aimed at getting the ball of the skiers foot in just the right place, the "sweet spot" if you will. The theory makes sense, we pressure our skis in the turn with our toes and ball of the foot, the location of these parts of the foot will vary widely between those with big feet vs those with smaller feet. This method may more accurately locate these important parts of the foot on the ski, a location customized for each skier.

The procedure uses "Center Ball/Center Running Surface" of the foot and ski. Below are directions for finding these two locations so that you two can try locating the center of the ball of your foot on the center of the running surface of your skis.

One word of caution: Many folks have used "pins on chord center" with success and satisfaction for many years, you should read carefully the Q& A with our reader who submitted this material before proceeding. This being said, this method makes sense, and early reports from skiers who have tried this, from racers to mellow terrain recreational skiers, is that it does indeed work very well. This new method may be something you want to try. If you do, please report back to us on the Telemark Talk Forum and tell us what you think.

To Determine Center Running Surface Of The Ski


You will need some masking tape & a pencil.
1) Place ski base on flat surface (flat glass table top, flat hardwood floor).
2) Grab a credit card.
3) Force the ski against the flat surface by applying hand pressure at the approximate front-to-back center of the ski.
4) Slide card under Tip until contact; Mark contact point w/ tape on edge of ski.
5) Slide card under tail until contact; mark the contact point w/ tape on edge of ski.
6) Center Running Surface is mid-point between two contact points; Accurately transfer this line (CRS) to skis.

You can skip step 3, removing the camber, this will place the skier slightly forward. I am told this is often done.

 

To Determine Center Ball

 

1) Place a 4" long piece of masking tape across a flat floor surface.
2) Have the bare foot skier stand behind tape edge, square to tape, with the end of his longest toe at the tape edge.
3) Place second piece of tape, parallel to the tape in step 1 above, at the back edge of of the skier's heel.
4) Have the skier curl their toes towards the sky (remaining part of foot weighted); Slide card under toes and forefoot until contact; Center Ball is ~1/4 inch beyond (towards the heel) this contact point; mark the Center Ball (CB) point on the floor with the tape. You are now done with the skier.
5) Measure the following straight line distances between the above floor tape:
BL = Center Ball to Back Edge Of Heel. (ball length)
FL = Front Toe to Back Edge Of Heel. (foot length)
6) Obtain the skiers boot.
7) Measure the following straight line distances along boot (rear boot heel rubber edge is assumed, in line with outside rear boot shell edge):
SL = Rear Boot Heel to Front Outside Edge Of Boot Shell Toe (not sole toe).
PL = Rear Boot Heel to Center Pin Hole (average).
8) Distance between Pin Line and Center Ball, the measurement required for correctly mounting the binding, is PB.
PB = PL - (( SL - FL ) / 2 ) -BL

 

To Mount Binding


1) Obtain binding mounting template.
2) Place a pencil line (PBLine) on template, parallel to template pin line, PB distance behind template pin line mark.
3) Obtain ski, locate PBLine at CRS; Accurately square binder to ski tip-to-tail center-line (details not included here, see Doc's binding mount article); Center-punch holes; Drill, clean (& perhaps tap) ski per binder manufacturer's specifications; fill holes with water proof white glue (wood glue) or epoxy; mount binding and repeat for other ski.

Due to the number of steps involved in the above procedure, it is easy to see why typical ski shops are not interested in using this method. This may be unfortunate for the free heel skier using free heel bindings on alpine skis or any other skier, for that matter.

A Q&A Sesh

Q: What is your experience with this mounting procedure?

A: I've been mounting our personal free heel boards this way for about 10 years. I've personally experimented, over the years, with various free heel mounting positions on about 20 different alpine boards. I like Center Ball @ Center Running Surface the best.... I note that this almost always closely agrees with the traditional alpine mark. I have friends who race (free heel) that generally confirm the CB @ CRS method.... I also know some good skiers that suggest it's trivial.

Q: I presume that this method usually results in a binding placement forward of the traditional "pins on chord center". is this true?

A: Yep, the skier is typically mounted 15 to 25 mm forward of center cord.
But this depends upon the various variables including foot, boot, & ski design.

Q: Volkl has used a "Boot Tip" mounting mark in the past instead of "Center Boot" in an attempt to address this issue. What do you think of this method?

A: I think the Volkl boot tip approach is ok, but I note that my newer Snow Rangers have gone back to a boot center mark. I suspect the variability between boot-tip mounting and center-boot mounting is about the same. I generally think the most accurate method for mounting free heel on alpine boards is to mount center ball at center running surface.... Thus, with the boot tip mark on your Volkl's, you could mark the location of center ball using a medium size alpine boot and then compare that to center running surface.... I suspect you will find the two nearly the same; If not then I say the ski mfg has designed that ski different from the norm and you should respect the mfg's design (ie. locate center ball of your tele boot at same place as center ball of the avg size alpine boot).... Either way,
that gives you a warm fuzzy to 'back-in' to the free heel binder mount.... Which will result in center ball controlling the mount; This is often significantly different from center-cord mounting.

Q: I have in the past found that mounting forward of CC tends to make the tails feel stiffer, on tele boards this is less of a factor but on alpine skis mounted for tele, with their already stiff alpine oriented tails, does this present a problem when you use this method?

A: Ah... you've experimented! Problems?...Maybe on some models but I have not had problems. We (... free heel friends) mostly parallel (using plastic boots) and that may tend to make us less sensitive (I'm 5'10, 150 pounds, typically ski 200cm). Again, I suggest free heel bindings ideally be mounted on alpine boards according to the ski mfg's directions...This typically results in the CB @ CRS method.... not the Center Cord.

Q: What do you feel are the advantages of mounting using this method?

A: I believe most ski mfg's suggest mounts as accurate as reasonably possible. Adjustable bindings are made to make moves of 1/8" or less. The question becomes why?

Q: Are their any skiers, in some situations, who you feel might be better off
using the more traditional methods?

A: Maybe traditional tele boards are designed, at least in the past, to CC mountings. Again, the ideal situation is to mount where the ski mfg specifies for free heel. As you know, that info is not always readily available. Also, many ski shops (probably most) are not interested in going through the more detailed procedure of CB mounting. I've had some traditional single camber and double camber free heel boards which were mounted at pro shops way back when... but I can't recall if they are CC (probably are).... They definitely don't ski as sweet as today's stuff. My tele racing friends mount CB or even more forward ... but they are typically turning alpine designed boards.


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