Backcountry Skiing Bindings

Virtual Museum (museum index)

Secura-Fix Touring Adapter - 1980s
Backcountry Skiing Alpine Touring Binding

Politicians dream endless power, CEOs dream piles of money, and backcountry skiers dream of the binding that tours like a Dynafit but skis downhill like an alpine race binding.

With such dreams in mind, the Swiss came up with the Secura-Fix backcountry skiing adapter back in the early 1980s. The idea: make a base shaped like an alpine boot sole, then attach a touring binding on top of that. Clip the base of this contraption into your alpine bindings and away you go. Or actually, away you waddle with enough weight on your feet to cause permanent orthopedic damage. But the units were pressed into service worldwide, with the idea eventually being picked up by American company Backcountry Access, who still sell a similar but more functional adapter known as the Alpine Trekker. (Another touring adapter known as the R.A.T. was developed by Paul Ramer in the 1980s, we're still seeking a set of those for the collection.)

Secura-Fix adapter shown in the classic Salomon 747 alpine binding.

Entire unit sans alpine binding. Click image to enlarge or check out our Zoom presentation.

Length adjustment for fit to ski was done by sliding the rear plastic housing for and aft on the round metal connector bar. Major problem was that the heel unit would rotate on the round bar, rendering the binding unpractical for heavy use. Fix was to thru-bolt housing to bar once you knew what length you wanted. Arrow indicates this mod.

Length adjustment for boots is done by moving the heel latch yoke along this notched bar. Elegant.

Weight: 20.2 oz, 579 gr This Secura-Fix binding adapter was donated to the WildSnow.com collection by Pete Sowar. [leave a comment about this binding]