The vast majority of skis are sold, complete with bindings. Their performance matches the skis, and the color is the same. The shop assistant will adjust the mounts to the boot size and the customer’s weight. It would seem that this is the end of the setup process.
But situations are different. So it’s better to know how the bindings are adjusted. Indeed: you can’t run on every occasion to a rental point or store, when many skiing resorts have screwdrivers chained with a cable or chain at their local ski slopes.
Undoubtedly, specific ski bindings’ performance and their color correspond to the skis with which they are sold. Therefore, you will not have to doubt the correct choice of bindings. An experienced, good seller will be able to customize the bindings for you according to his weight and size of ski boots.
Even though most of the alpine skis on the sports equipment market are already sold, complete with bindings, the knowledge of how to adjust ski bindings in the right way is a necessary skill for any skier.
What You’ll Need
It does not take much effort or special equipment to install the ski bindings properly. All that is needed is information about the skier and a small screwdriver. However, technology does not stand still, so for some newer models, a screwdriver may not be needed at all: they have a particular locking device that holds the mounts in place.
To set up the bindings, it is essential to know the following facts about the person for whom the equipment is being set up:
- skier’s age;
- the height of the person;
- man or woman;
- weight;
- the level of skill in sports.
After receiving this information, you can start configuring.
How To Adjust Ski Bindings
Already during skiing, you may feel discomfort caused by the fact that when setting up the ski bindings, the seller of sports equipment made any mistakes, did not take into account your growing capabilities, etc. As a result, while skiing, you will feel that your skis are constantly falling off.
Accordingly, you need to figure out how to independently adjust the ski bindings because you are unlikely to interrupt your skiing sessions every time because of the need to urgently run to a store or a sports equipment rental point to adjust the bindings. When you learn to customize the mounts yourself you acquire the most important knowledge for every professional skier.
Step 1 — Adjusting The Toe Piece
The first step in discovering how to adjust ski bindings to fit boots is to check if the size of the sole of the boot matches the installed bindings. By and large, there are only two adjustment options:
- Front head and heel bindings move and lock separately.
- The front head and heel of the bindings are connected by a mechanism that allows opening one lever to move first the front head and then the heel (and sometimes at the same time).
Where to move? Look at the boot’s sole from the end — there are numbers in the center of the heel area — the length of the sole in millimeters.
Suppose the position adjustment is carried out in the center of the platform. In that case, you need to move the lock (more often, it simply does not exist), raise the lock, and then move the heel and front head to the desired position. Sometimes you have to unscrew the screw, but this is less common.
After that, you check if you match the size well. To do this, insert the toe of the boot into the jaws of the front head and check how tight the boot sole fits into the open heel of the attachment. It should not fall through freely or squeeze in with great effort. The best option is to provide tightly, pushing the heel back by 1-2 mm.
Step 2 — Adjusting Your Heel Length
The next step in adjusting ski bindings for new boots is to set the heel length after the boot has been inserted into the mount:
- To change the length, loosen the screw on the back of the clasp.
- Gently lift and move the binding forward or backward as needed to fit the size of the person’s boot.
- After moving the heel element, you should make sure that nothing is pressing and everything works.
- Tighten the screw and check if everything is secure.
This process should be repeated on both skis, and make sure everything is adjusted and the readings match.
Step 3 — Adjusting The DIN Release Setting
The DIN number (the name comes from the founder of the standard — the Deutsches Institut für Normung) determines how much force is needed to detach the boot from the mount. This number depends on several factors, including weight, age of the skier, boot length, and skier’s ability. Use a calculator to find your DIN number or look at a table at a ski store.
These numbers can be seen on the toe and heel. These numbers tell you how much pressure is needed to release the boots during an accident. This characteristic is specifically designed to prevent leg injuries. The settings, in this case, will be different for each skier. Knowing how to adjust this parameter properly is a crucial part of safety. To do this correctly, there are unique tables that will help in this matter.
Final Tip
In order to ski confidently and safely, it is not enough just to put on special boots and insert them into the ski bindings. The ski bindings still need to be adjusted. It’s not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, but there are a few nuances. Considering them, you can be sure that your trip will be safe and unforgettable.
To protect yourself from unnecessary injury in the event of inevitable falls, you need to adjust the bindings properly. That is, they must reliably operate in the event of a fall and prevent false alarms while riding with increased loads.
Hitting The Slopes Safely
The significance of setting ski bindings can be summed up in two words: entertainment and protection. Whatever the skill level of the skier, skiing should be entertaining. But satisfaction is impossible without security! Poorly adjusted bindings involve the opportunity of injury.
Due to their design and length, the skis generate a lot of pressure in the front and back of the leg. To avoid injury, particularly in the knee area, the ski bindings should work by unhooking from the boot as soon as you feel that the load is too much for your fitness level. This way, you can quickly let go of the skis before you fall.
