equipment

ISPO 2015 | Part 2: Freeride boots & bindings

The latest innovations in freeride ski boots and bindings

by Lukas Zögernitz • 02/05/2015

In the second part of our report from ISPO 2015 in Munich, we also present the new freeride ski boots and bindings. One thing up front: there weren't many real "bangers". Most manufacturers have limited themselves to product maintenance in the boots segment, but especially in the bindings segment. However, we did find a few goodies. Here is an overview of the most interesting products for the 2015/16 season from the various manufacturers.

The term "diversification" or "diversification" describes an expansion of the product range and refers to new products for new markets, according to a popular online reference book in economics. And this is exactly what the manufacturers of freeride boots and bindings seem to have done. Manufacturers of classic touring equipment are venturing further into the freeride sector (Dynafit), and classic Alpine companies such as Atomic are launching lightweight touring boots and bindings. Some companies such as Black Diamond have not even changed the colors of the individual models in their existing boot collections. Due to a lack of really new products this year, we will also introduce you to some products that are actually part of the classic touring range.

Dynafit
The saying goes "save the best for last", but that doesn't matter to us here, and we will start with the highlight from the ski boot range. Dynafit, the touring specialist of the Oberalp Group, is launching the Khion freeride boot, another ski boot with the weight of a touring boot and many features of a freeride boot, after the Vulcan. In addition to the entry-level Khion MS model, there will also be a top model, the Khion Carbon. Both are equally light at 1530 grams per boot and differ in terms of stiffness and therefore downhill performance. On the ascent, the boots will offer a shaft inclination of 90° when the buckles are open thanks to a modified walking mechanism compared to the predecessors Vulcan and TLT6. The Khion Carbon also features a Boa lacing system on the inner boot. As a result, it will also be around 200 euros more expensive than the MS, coming in at a hefty 700 euros. Both shoes are 4-laces and equipped with a new buckle system that can be opened completely with a single movement. There are also some nice features in the design of the rest of the boot: the sole is said to be particularly snow-repellent and the shape of the boot has been designed to offer as little resistance as possible when climbing in the snow.

There are no new features in the bindings: The Beast 14 received TÜV certification shortly before ISPO and the prematurely and already diligently advertised Radical 2 will only be available in stores everywhere from winter 2015/16, also in the FT and ST variants.

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Scott
With the Scott "Super Guide Carbon", the Swiss manufacturer delivers a downhill-oriented touring boot. Three buckles plus power strap with buckle, a flex index of 125 and variable canting settings make the boot almost comparable to an alpine boot The boot weighs 1425 grams and has a shaft rotation of 60° on the ascent, but its Vibram soles clearly prove its suitability for touring. Another nice feature is the Gore-Tex liner, which protects against wet feet when the buckles are open on the ascent. Carbon and shock absorber inserts should also ensure good downhill performance.

Lange
The inventors of the plastic ski boot from Lange are offering a completely revised version of their downhill-oriented freeride boot for the 2015/16 season with the XT 130. With four full buckles plus power strap, a flex index of 130 and an alpine sole, downhill skiing is certainly the XT 130's strong point. Compared to its predecessor of the same name, the new version is lighter (approx. 2 kg per boot) and, with 20° shaft rotation, still offers rather limited but better uphill performance. In addition, the soles can be replaced with WTR (Walk To Ride) soles. These offer the advantage of more pro for climbing sections on the ascent, but still have sliding surfaces for lateral release in alpine (or lateral release) bindings. Unfortunately, there is no way to use the boot with tech bindings.

Salomon
In the MTN series, the French manufacturer presents a two-buckle touring ski boot with balanced ascent and descent characteristics. With 1576 grams per boot and a 47° shaft angle, even longer ascents should be manageable. And with a flex index of 120 specified by the manufacturer and a power strap, fun on the descent should not be neglected, even with slightly wider skis. Salomon's experience in trail running has been incorporated into the design of the inner boot.

Scarpa
The Freedom freeride boot has already been available for several seasons in the basic and SL versions. From the 15/16 season, it will now also be available in stores in the RS version. At 1985 grams per boot, the RS, like the SL, remains under 2 kg. With significantly improved downhill performance, you only have to make minor compromises with 2° less shaft rotation on the ascent (25° instead of 27° for the SL). In addition to interchangeable soles between alpine and techsole, the RS also offers many other adjustment options familiar from alpine boots: such as adjustable template, customizable spoiler and adjustable canting angle.

Atomic
The Altenmarkt-based racing specialists from Atomic are expanding their Backland series (skis and accessories are already available to buy) with the Backland touring boot and the Backland binding. With a weight of less than one kilogram (light version, in ascent mode without a pull) and a shaft angle of 74°, the Backland is a genuine touring boot. A new type of buckle system combined with lacing is designed to provide support. The shell and liner are individually adjustable with Atomic's Thermofit technology. The inner boot is also completely waterproof but breathable and can be completely washed. The Backland binding is also a genuine touring binding. At 592 grams, it is quite light. With its 30 mm adjustment range, the binding allows the use of different boots. Thanks to the wide mounting plate, it enables good power transmission and three climbing aid positions on the ascent, meaning that the Backland binding offers some important features that are often missing from ultra-light bindings.

Dalbello The Italian ski boot specialist has expanded its Lupo series with the Lupo T.I.. This gives the big mountain boots tech inserts and enables them to be used with pin bindings. The Lupo T.I. is partly based on the tried-and-tested Krypton Pro and also comes with the same flex. Due to the walking function, the adjustment options are somewhat less than with the Krypton Pro. The fact that the rubber sole can also be used with normal alpine bindings is also very interesting. The black "knobs" are responsible for power transmission and securing the lateral release. According to Dalbello employees, they are currently developing a sole for the Lupo T.I similar to the normal Lupo to enable even better power transmission. Perhaps an attractive combination for climbing really big lines? Or for people who have their eye on the CAST, for example, but are still struggling with the ski boot issue...

Roxa

The ROXA Clifnotes 120 is also aimed at a similar target group to the Lupo T.I.: Dynafit certified tech inserts, interchangeable sole, suitable for alpine bindings, 3-piece design, replaceable tongue, downhill-oriented. We hope to be able to take a closer look at both shoes soon!

The other manufacturers have been busy with product maintenance. Apart from colors and small improvements, hardly any changes were made to the existing models. Any changes are listed in the description of the images in the gallery below.

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New freeride bindings

Marker
The Marker Kingping can be found everywhere at ISPO. Although the binding was already unofficially presented in the summer with reports from South America and you can (at least) theoretically already buy it, it was one of the big topics at ISPO. The clever combination of existing functions (tech binding at the front, rear jaws similar to an alpine binding) was already available in a similar form (CAST interchangeable system, TRAB bindings, which implemented a comparable wide fixation of the heel area of the boot, and Beast rear jaws) but had never been combined so completely and coherently. This has been well received and the binding can be seen on an extremely large number of models from various ski manufacturers or on skis based on clothing mannequins. From 2015/16, the binding will also be available to the general public and it will be interesting to see whether this will have an impact on boot manufacturers and whether they will then integrate inserts into models that were previously only available without tech inserts (perhaps even just in the toe area?). You can find details about the binding in our short test

Diamir
The tech binding with release function on the toe piece, which won the ISPO Gold Award last year, has been revised for the 2015/16 season. They listened to user feedback and worked on the toe piece in particular. Many users of the Vipec 12 complained about the difficult entry at the front and false releases at the front too. With a longer front section, a stop at the front and the elimination of the metal bar in the area of the pins, it should now be much easier to get on. Reinforced springs should prevent false releases. Unfortunately, a prototype was not yet available at ISPO and the manufacturer refused to provide images of the modified model. It was expressly forbidden to take photos of the sketches shown.

Fischer
In the 2015/16 season, the ski company from Upper Austria will be selling Dynafit bindings with the Fischer logo. In addition to various Dynafit models, this also includes the two freeride models Beast 14 and Beast 16.

Photo gallery

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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ISPO Report 2015 | Part 4: Clothing

Johannes Wolf • 02/09/2015

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Tobias Huber • 02/08/2015

$Scott Super Guide 88 & 95, Cascade 95 & 110, Fly\' Air, Surf\' Air, Rock\' Air$

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