Comments on: KneeBinding Takes Ski Safety Beyond Helmets

By: Jon Moceri

Jon Moceri — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:44:04 +0000

That would be cool to see the test. If the Dynafit showed it could reduce ACL injuries, It would turn the whole binding industry upside down.

Does anyone know of anybody who has torn their ACL while using Dynafit bindings? I personally don’t know of any.

By: Lou

Lou — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:58:08 +0000

I have a feeling that Dynafit would rate well. Would love to see it tested. Any way to make that happen? I can send him up a pair of skis and boots…

By: Jon Moceri

Jon Moceri — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:45:38 +0000

I’ve torn both ACL’s, and so this topic interests me. In fact, I’m having KneeBindings placed on my everyday downhill ski, Head IM-88’s, this week.

I ski Dynafit bindings on my randonee ski’s, and would love to see them tested on Rick Howell’s testing equipment.

I skied Spademan bindings as a teenager, and never had an injury. Just lots of pre releases. BTW, I just finished watching the movie “Steep” and noticed that Bill Briggs used Spademan bindings on his epic first ski descent of the Grand Teton. It’s difficult to see, but those who are familiar with Spademans will recognized them on Bill Briggs skis here:

http://www.themountainculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/briggsclimbing07001.jpg

Jon

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:33:50 +0000

Wish I had this binding last week when I tore my ACL skiing

By: Rick Howell

Rick Howell — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:24:36 +0000

Re PJA’s question: KneeBinding ski bindings are different from Look and all other turntable bindings because KneeBinding provides lateral heel release, while all turntable bindings do not allow any boot to release laterally ‘through’ the side-lugs of the turntables. It is impossible for any boot to pass through the side lugs on all turntables.

Re your other question about Tyrolia — as noted in the dialog above, the Tyrolia heel will only release laterally AFTER it moves upward. Phantom Foot ACL injury events involve backward-weighting. The Tyrolia Diagonal heel does nothing in this case.

The upward pressure that is applied to all ski binding toe pieces during Phantom Foot events is dwarfed (relatively speaking) by the lateral heel release problem of all other bindings. When the heel of your boot is trapped, laterally, during a skiing Phantom Foot event, it doesn’t matter what is happening at the toe — just as in soccer, when your cleats under your heels are jamed, laterally, during ACL injuries – and there is certainly no ski binding toe piece holding the toe of your soccer shoe.