The Ultimate Telemark Binding has been an
object of mystery and big question mark for many. To get the
straight scoop on this new and unique binding, I went to the
source and conducted an interview with Armond DuBuque, inventor
of the “UTB” as it is sometimes called. The following
is the result of our conversation that was quite lively, enthusiastic,
and spattered with technical bits at times. Armond is a telemark
skiing junkie, and his binding “hobby” is a labor of
love. I owe him the pleasure of conversation over a few adult
beverages when I see him up at Stevens Pass Ski Area this winter.
Armond has been skiing for 21 years, and telemark
skiing for 9. A machinist by trade, and an adventure skier for
fun, he has broken his share of telemark binding toeplates and
cables. Using his background as a machinist, he started making
bindings as a hobby and then it became his goal to create a telemark
binding that was first and foremost, STRONG. He also wanted it
to be lightweight, as well as incorporating a step-in feature.
His ideas didn’t stop there. As a backcountry skier and
mountaineer, he thought the UTB should incorporate crampons on
the bottom to allow a telemarker the freedom to climb without
skis on, then easily click into the bindings for the ride downhill.
Armond told me that the niche for his binding
is primarily for ambitious backcountry skiers. He said the main
criteria he wanted in a BC telemark binding was strength, with
performance and flexibility for all conditions. As a BC binding
it had to be lightweight, multi-functional, field reparable,
and basically hassle free.
As of now, the UTB has been tested for 4 years,
with the 40 original prototypes in use by various telemarkers
in several locations, including the Stevens Pass Ski Area in
Washington State, where I first saw it. Armond has been gathering
data from actual usage of his binding and making improvements
and modifications to the binding that he will release to the
public in the near future. Speaking of testing, the UTB is the
same binding that he used to climb up and telemark down the Mowich
Face of Mt. Rainier a few years ago in an epic 4-Day trip that
put him and some well-known skiing buddies on the map.
Right now, Armond is in the process of putting
together some prototypes of his latest UTB design. He anticipates
having the UTB available for sale in time for the 2001-2002 season.
That may source of some disappointment for hopeful purchasers,
but Armond said that it’s important to him that he and some
trusted telemarkers test the latest version of the binding before
bringing to market. As he said before, he wants this binding
to be hassle-free.
Here are the binding features as Armond explained
them to me:
TOE PLATE: The
toe plate is made of hardened stainless steel, and can be ordered
with the option of titanium material for ounce counters. The
original prototypes used a welded crossbar, but Armond says the
newer model crossbar is part of the casting. The toe plate is
a patented design that incorporates crampons on the bottom of
the toe plate.
The crampon teeth are about ¾ inches
long, to get a skier up most moderate slopes. Armond wouldn’t
recommend using the UTB crampons for another go at the Mowich
Face on Mt. Rainier, but it’s fine for lesser angles up
to about 45 degrees, depending on conditions and the skill level
of the climber, of course. I asked him if anyone had ever bent
a crampon point. He replied that he had not, even though he and
others have hiked over rocks with the toe plate crampon mounted
to their boots. He offered that a UTB user could conceivably
bend the crampons if they were jumping onto hard surfaces, but
the points can be bent back with the aid of a Leatherman or pliers.
RISER SHIM/STEP-IN MECHANISM: In the above pictures you can see that the 4 crampon
points on the toe plate straddle the Riser Shim/Step-in Mechanism,
and catch onto cross bars to click onto the lower section. Once
you click in, the toe plate is trapped onto the lower section.
A lever on the front of the Step-In mechanism block allows the
skier to click out of the riser block simply by pushing on the
lever with a ski pole. This feature will appeal to ski patrollers,
mountaineers, or anyone who craves step-in telemark bindings.
The UTB mounts 19mm off the deck of the ski,
which is right in the ballpark for most binding shim heights.
If a user wants more height, the UTB can be shimmed even higher.
The binding is adaptable for release binding
users. An adapter can be provided, at additional cost, to fit
the UTB to the Rottefella TRP or the Voile release plates, but
of course this will increase the weight of the binding setup.
WEIGHT: Speaking
of weight, the complete Ultimate Telemark Binding weighs just
under 3 pounds for the stainless version, and under 2 pounds
for the titanium model. The weight figures include the heel lifters.
SIDE BARS: The
binding uses rigid sidebars made of stainless steel. The rigid
sidebars have an advantage over cables by not requiring excessive
spring tension for increased torsional rigidity. Consequently,
the lower spring tension will give the UTB skier a more neutral
feel while climbing and skiing. The sidebars have an adjustable
pivot point by means of 2 holes in each side of the toe plate.
The UTB comes with the sidebars mounted in the rear holes, which
give more downhill control. Mounting the side bars into the front
holes gives the skier more of a 3-pin binding feel, with less
toe pinch if you’re prone to that problem. Of course, different
boot types, skier feet, and skiing styles will determine in which
holes the user will mount the sidebars. The sidebars mount to
the toe plate holes with bushed T-nuts, which are treated with
Loctite to prevent loosening. The sidebars mount to the skiers
boot heel via a plastic heel clip, similar to the Chili telemark
binding. This will allow the skier to reach down, flip the heel
clip and slide rearward out of the binding when the step-in feature
isn’t being used. For ski area use, or if desired in the
backcountry, a safety (runaway) strap mounts through the heel
clip and wraps around the skiers’ ankle. The user can easily
replace the sidebars if needed. DuBuque has applied for a patent
on the side bar design.
COMPRESSION SPRINGS:
The binding uses enclosed compression springs that are mounted
on the sidebars on both sides of the heel area of the users boot.
The compression springs are installed with some preload. The
skier can easily adjust spring tension on the sidebars by loosening
the lock nut on the spring housings and turning the housing for
more or less tension. Armond is not anticipating the need for
stiffer springs at present, due to successful tests of his original
prototypes.
HEEL LIFTER:
The heel lifter can be easily flipped up or down for climbing
or skiing. The heel lifter flips up and once it is over center
in either direction, spring tension keeps it in place.
MORE INFORMATION:
-The Riser Shim/Step-in Mechanism, and Heel
Lifters can be sold separately so that a user can mount them
to various skis in their quiver, and step-in from one to another
with one set of Toe Plates.
-Spare parts will be readily available, if
needed, and will be easily replaced by the consumer.
-Leather boots can be used on the UTB, but
proper boot toe condition is important. Sometimes the sole stitching
on leathers is inconsistent, so be aware of those quirks when
using leather boots with this binding.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Ultimate Telemark Binding buyers will pay approximately $275.00
to $299.00 for the complete stainless steel version once it’s
on the market. UTB’s with Titanium toe plates will cost
more, with the cost yet to be determined.
Samples of the latest modification to the
binding will be tested throughout the winter of 2000/2001. The
binding will be out for sale for the 2001/2002 ski season. Armond
is building a list of potential customers, and he will contact
folks when the bindings are ready. He will be also marketing
the UTB through select stores yet to be determined. He said the
best bet is to give him a call or email, and he’ll put you
on the customer list. Armond can be reached via phone at (360)
793-5415, or by email.
Armond DuBuque's mailing address is: 32901 138th
St. SE / Sultan, WA. 98294
Editor's Note: Thanks Bob for conducting
the interview and writing up this report. I have been interested
in the UTB since I first heard about it way back when. This binding
design is an obvious reflection of its creator and where and
how he skis. Many of us in the Far West will choose to climb
straight up a chute or snowfield with crampons and our skis on
our pack as opposed to skinning, which is much more the way in
the Wasatch and many other places. I can see some huge advantages
in the UTB design for this kind of "stair-chair" backcountry
skiing: ease and safety in getting the skis on before turning
around on steep terrain, the built in crampon on the binding
plate that stays on the boot for the climb and what appears to
be big time strength. I can hardly wait to try a pair!
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