I talked to John at Dynafit/Salewa. The sticker that comes on the skis describes the mounting holes used for mounting VERTICALs not Radicals.

So if you look at the ski, the toe mounting has 4 sets of holes. Set A closest to the tip and set D closest to the center line. Depending upon boot length you would use either set A/C or B/D to mount the binding toe. Except if you are mounting Radicals. Radicals use holes A/D only. If you need to mount the toe farther forward you will need to drill a set farther forward of A. And in fact there are small drill marks on the binding plate for this.

Here is where the mind game (that I failed) comes into to play. Not realizing the above info about mounting Radicals, I pierced the skin of set B/D on the skis. I drove the screws through the binding just enough that they were slightly proud on the bottom and put them on the ski feeling them align with a set of holes that I assumed were the B/D set when in fact it was the A/D set.

Having mounted one successfully that way and not being able to see (Radicals have a larger plastic plate) which set I had mounted to I assumed it was the B/D set. When I go to mount the second ski what happened was the forward screws this time fell into the B set first which put the rear binding screws on the ski not in any hole. This made me think that the ski had been mis-drilled.

Any way it works out the both pair of skis are mounted correctly in the correct set of holes. Just wish Dynafit had seen fit to add a note or another sticker about Radical mounting.

The comment about the intentional feature was primarily humorous but when you have two different skis from two different sources purchased at different times arrive with exactly the same defect – you just have to ask “am I missing something here?”

Mark

Whatever the final result, NO, the location of the inserts in the left and right skis should be the SAME. This is a no brainer. You need to return your skis to either the dealer or to Salewa NA on warranty. What you have is a simple manufacturing defect (and more proof that inserts are a great idea that never really worked.)

I hope you are joking when you ask if this is an intentional feature of the ski design!

Lou

If we have hole sets A thru D with A closest to the tip, then set D is in the correct location. All the hole spacing is off (reduced) so that set A is in the correct position for set B. This allowed me to mount the bindings in the correct position for smaller boots but you would need to drill another set for the larger boot position.

I can’t believe that I got two pairs like this if it wasn’t somewhat common problem. Anyone else see this?

End of season time so I buy the wife a pair of Womens Manaslu 161 and a pair of Radical ST bindings. I get the bug myself and buy a pair of Stokes and a pair of Radical FT bindings.

I get tired of stepping over them in the entry way hall and I decide to mount both pairs this morning. I get her first ski done (the right ski if you look at the graphics) and go to mount the using the same set of holes in the insert plate but no! The hole pattern on the left ski toe is off (toward the center of the ski) by one cm and I have to use the outside set of four holes to mount the binding in the same position as the right. You can even see a small set of drill points where the correctly located holes should have been. I am thinking I have a bad pair of skis but I figure that if everything mounts up correctly using different holes – oh well.

Then I go to mount my Stokes. Right ski first, everything is fine and then here comes the left ski and sure enough EXACTLY the the same situation.

So is this:
1. Just a crazy bad incidence of poor Austrian workmanship
2. A wild quiwinky-dink
3. Completely intentional and the reason for this eludes my simple mind?

Any thought from anyone with an explanation would be great.

Mark