Your binding is the safety component of your equipment. Its job is twofold and contradictory: to hold your boot firmly while you ski, then to release it at the right moment in a fall. The whole challenge of setting it lies in that balance.
A binding's release value is not universal. It is calculated from several personal parameters: your weight, height, boot size and skiing ability. Two skiers on the same ski can have very different settings. We follow the international ISO and ASTM standards, which define release values precisely according to these parameters.
A binding set too high does not release the boot in a fall: that is the high-risk scenario for the knee. A binding set too low releases unexpectedly, mid-turn or on a simple compression: a guaranteed fall, sometimes at full speed. Both mistakes are dangerous, and both are invisible to the naked eye from a chairlift.
Turning the screw on your binding "by feel" amounts to improvising a safety device. A professional setting is not just a number on a scale: it includes checking that your boot sole is compatible with the binding, checking forward pressure and a release test. A worn boot or a non-compliant sole can completely distort the behaviour of an otherwise correctly set binding.
When you hire from our shops, the question does not arise: every hire includes bindings set to your parameters by professionals, to ISO and ASTM standards. If you bring your own skis, our workshops check and set your bindings, especially if your weight, ability or boots have changed since last season. Details are on our services page.
One last tip: if you have had a heavy fall, or a ski keeps releasing for no apparent reason, come and see us before heading back out. A check takes a few minutes and puts your mind at rest.
