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First Production Dynafit Binding (AKA Low Tech)

Bookmark and Share            By Lou

Thanks to Dynafit inventor Fritz Barthel, I came back from Europe last winter with a complete run of four different early Dynafit bindings. Originally known as “Low Tech,” these backcountry skiing bindings were hand built in the Barthel’s basement workshop in the late 1980s (I’m checking with Fritz about the exact dates). Click here for the complete museum display.

Early Dynafit Low Tech backcountry skiing binding
First production Low Tech (Dynafit) backcountry skiing binding.

Over the summer we’ll cover the remainder of our stable of early Dynafits. Stay tuned, the progression of features is fascinating.

Posted by Lou on June 27, 2007 | Filed Under Binding Reviews 

previous post: Website Improvements and the Binding Museum
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Comments

7 Responses to “First Production Dynafit Binding (AKA Low Tech)”

  1. Mark June 27th, 2007 9:04 am

    Wow, it’s got a true Erector Set look, but the heel and toe pins look much like the current Dynafits. Fritz was quite kind to send them home with you.

  2. Halsted June 27th, 2007 7:59 pm

    Hummmm…. Looking at that photo the boot length must be for a munchkin…..

    Sorry, couldn’t resist……

  3. Aaron June 27th, 2007 8:20 pm

    Ok, sure, you can cobble together Dynafits in the basement – but what about the BOOTS? What were they using?

  4. Lou June 28th, 2007 5:27 am

    Aaron, the boot thing was indeed a major deal. What they did was pick the lightest touring boot of the day, a red Dynafit model called the Tourlite which was popular in those days. Then they retrofitted the fittings. The toe fitting was a small steel cylinder with a cup at each end. They would drill a hole left/right in the toe of the boot and press the fitting in, then secure it by various means. Fritz told me the fitting would loosen, and working with a full size run of ski boots was incredibly expensive. So they worked with Dynafit and worked out a deal where Dynafit would mold the fittings into the boots while they were being made in the factory. Then Dynafit eventually bought the license to make the binding. (And of course Dynafit was later sold to a parent company but is still called Dynafit.)

  5. Production Music April 2nd, 2008 9:12 pm

    What kind of boots are these for? Looks odd.

  6. Lou April 2nd, 2008 11:31 pm

    They’re for early boots with Dynafit fittings from 1980s.

  7. Feliu Izard February 4th, 2009 3:07 am

    Quina xulada.
    Tanti auguri all’autore.
    Pura meravella de web ski munt.

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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