Details Of BD's Secret Tele Binding
And Boot System Begin To Emerge
2/26/07-- Ever since Black
Diamond announced here on Telemarktips
that they have a telemark boot/binding system of their own in
an advanced stage of development , and one which will compete
with Rottefella's NTN, skeptics and curmudgeons have had a field
day. Riffing on "vaporwear," the computer software
industry's term for products that don't actually exist, some
have referred to BD's binding as "vaporgear." Nothing
could be further from the truth, at least according to information
we have been able to gather from several reliable sources.
Telemarktips recently learned that Black Diamond has in fact
licensed a basic design concept for an advanced, step-in, DIN
releasable tele binding from Canadian inventor Kaj Gyr, who had
been showing two prototype bindings to various interested parties
going back at least two years. Sources who saw Gyr's bindings
describe one as a ball and socket sort of affair with the attachment
points on the side of the boot sole in the forefoot area, a la
Dynafit. The other Gyr binding is described as more of a Shimano-like
attachment, located in the center of the boot sole, again in
the forefoot area. Other sources have previously indicated that
BD went with the latter design.
While declining to comment on the
record, when contacted a source very close to Black Diamond confirmed
that Gyr is the inventor, and that BD licensed Gyr's basic design
concept.
"The prototype was pretty crude,
and BD has done a ton of engineering since signing the agreement,"
said the source. "It will be a BD binding through and through
when it comes to market." Explaining BD's reluctance to
show their hand and release a photo or drawing of the new binding,
the source said that BD's design team has several versions in
prototype form undergoing on-snow testing. "They are working
out a few design details before settling on the binding's final
form, but it is pretty close, and BD should have skiable prototypes
to demo to the telemark and backcountry skiing media this summer
at Mt. Hood," said the source. |