Ski touring bindings · Test magazine 2020
Tech talk with Greta Stehling, DYNAFIT
Product Manager Bindings · Print page 75
Who is Greta Stehling? Binding Product Manager at DYNAFIT
In the BACKLINE 2020 test magazine, Greta Stehling discusses ski touring bindings in her role as Binding Product Manager at DYNAFIT. She learned to ski at the age of five at Samerberg, snowboarded as a teenager and skis both on piste and in the backcountry. In the interview, she explains technical requirements for pin bindings, quality assurance and product development.
Stehling stresses the importance of precisely matched pins and ski boot inserts for power transmission. She describes repeated production checks and a complete inspection of all functional dimensions of DYNAFIT inserts before delivery. Her milestones include TÜV certification for four DYNAFIT bindings in 2015 and the launch of the 49-gram, ISMF-compliant P49 race binding in 2018. On certification, she points to DIN / ISO 13992 and discussions within standards committees.
According to Stehling, the lifetime binding warranty discussed in the interview refers to a binding lifespan of ten years with proper use and care. She recommends gentle cleaning, protected transport and a service check by a specialist retailer before the season. For future development, she sees the differing requirements of racing, speed touring and freetouring as key factors alongside weight.
With pin bindings Dynafit triggered a revolution in ski touring bindings, and most touring boot manufacturers still rely on Dynafit''s certified inserts made in Germany. What explains this special position?
It is the comprehensive know-how and the demand for quality. The inserts are very small parts, but they are enormously important. All power transmission on the descent runs through the positive fit between inserts and pins. Only if the system – the contact surface between pin and insert – is perfectly matched does everything work smoothly. Tolerances are a major challenge here. That is why we place great emphasis on process controls and quality tests. Our inserts are checked several times during production and before delivery all functional dimensions are inspected 100 %. Dynafit inserts are made from the most robust materials. We have now developed three generations that focus on quality as well as on how easily the boot steps into the binding. That is why most boot manufacturers buy our quality-tested, certified inserts made in Germany and fit them into the boot models that are equipped for pin bindings.
Development in touring bindings has been very dynamic over the past decade. In your view, what were the most important milestones in the market?
The biggest disruption of the industry was surely 1986, when the “Low Tech” system came onto the market as the first pin binding. A lot has happened since then. Over the last 5 to 10 years pin bindings have gained relevance and overtaken frame bindings. I think there are various products and developments that have significantly shaped the market. A milestone for us was 2015, when four of our bindings received TÜV certification. This independent assessment of robustness, energy absorption and release stability in the most varied conditions proves that a touring binding can be just as safe as an alpine binding. Another milestone for me was 2018, when we launched the lightest touring binding on the market: the P49, a fully functional, ISMF-compliant race binding weighing only 49 grams!
Certification is very heterogeneous in touring bindings. Is the industry discussing a uniform independent certification for the different uses of touring bindings?
DIN / ISO 13992 is a standard that touring bindings can comply with. However, it must be said clearly that most pin bindings on the market are not certified or cannot be certified. In the standards committees the topic of certification is discussed regularly and a way is being sought to increase safety and transparency.
What made Dynafit issue a lifetime guarantee on bindings, and what role does binding care play in this?
With the lifetime guarantee on all bindings – all of which, incidentally, are made in Germany – we turned our internal promise into an external one. For years we have been examining how to design bindings for a longer service life, which material combinations make sense and which parts can be repairable. Now we are in a position to give this promise officially to dealers and end consumers. The lifetime guarantee does not refer to a human lifetime but of course to that of the binding – which with correct use and care is 10 years. Frequency and type of use, transport and care largely determine how long a binding lasts. Transporting skis on the car roof, for example, exposes the binding to contamination such as salt and dirt. This can impair its function, which is why we recommend transport in a ski bag. Never use acidic, aggressive agents or plastic cleaners to clean the binding; they risk damaging the materials permanently. Instead use a cloth and lukewarm water with a little soap. When stored in summer or winter the binding should be exposed to neither sun nor heat, and it must never be stored near acid-absorbing media such as car batteries or exhaust fumes. Before the touring season I always recommend a service check by a specialist dealer.
Where is the development of touring bindings heading in the coming years, and what can consumers look forward to?
We are working on interesting new developments, but we believe that the revolution will no longer lie in weight alone. Customers today know much more precisely what they want. Development will continue across different segments (from race through speed touring to free touring), with product variety concentrating on fewer models that offer perfect customer benefit.
