FM's... Quattro's or E's?

[wlrottge]

First, no I'm not skiing at an elite level, so performance doesn't matter "as" much.

 

Skied all my life, am now 34 and started course work two seasons ago. Still breaking a few bad habits but am doing work at -15/32. Expect to be at 34 shortly (knock on wood, been making big strides here lately).

 

I ski with my coach 3-4x/week. He injured his ankle in a set of hybrid bindings after changing from Powershells. I ran is middle school, highschool and college, so my ankles and knees are toast. As such, I'm aware that I run my boots too tight now b/c I'm trying to get them stiffer.

 

I looked at going to FM's last year but decided to wait till my skill set improved. I know that I don't need them at this level, but I want something stiffer (and safer) than the bindings I'm in now.

 

TIA!

[SM]

I've skied on both but have primarily been on Quattro's for the last 6 or so years. The thing I prefer about the Quattro's is how easy it is to get back on the ski after a fall, no re-assembly required, just snap back in. The downside to the Quattro's is depending on what type of ski you have, moving the bindings back and forth and independent of each other can be a hassle. Other than a couple of banged shin's, I've had no sprains, tweaks, or any other injuries with these bindings which has really been awesome. It's also cool if you have 2 ski's set up with mounting plates and you can just step off one and onto the other in the same set using the same bindings.

[wlrottge]

I'm on a '10 Senate. I meant to say that before. I didn't want to mention what my coach was in when he torqued his ankle, but he's gone back to powershells in the two weeks since.

 

I'm in the Vector's, but with my ankles/feet, I need more stiffness in the cuff. They're comfortable, but I have too much flexibility in my ankles.

 

I like the idea of the dual soles, but would probably go with the single plate if I went with the quattro's. Not having velcro is a plus for the E's.

[Bdecker]

I'm in the single sole Quattros and very happy with the release. There is a bit too much monkeying around with the hardware to get the fit right on a standard Connelly ski (Proph) for a premium product, but after some grinding, filing, etc my bindings are in the right spot, pin gap right, etc and I'm happy.

 

I got a sneak peak at Connelly's upcoming boots and they are very nice. Super supportive and less moving parts. Might move in that direction in the future.

[DUSkier]

Been on the FM "E's" for a couple of seasons now and love them. Got them due to similar issues with ankles (need reconstruction) and my ankles feel the best while in the boot. Have had no problems with them at all.

[mylemsky]

I was on a Senate C '10 also last season with HO animals, I switched to radar RS1's. The comfort gain was incredible, endless sets with no cramping. But to make up for stiffness I erroneously would over tighten the bungy cord, as a result I had a late season non release and wound up with an ankle injury.

 

I decided enough was enough and I bought FM E's in November. Being in MA I did not start on them till april '11. I quickly got used to the hardshells, and the best part is that you can really crank the cuff. The comfort of the Intuition liners is great and the bindings are easily adjustable fore and aft. Another sweet feature is that you can easily test the tension on dryland. I never pre release nor did I get myself in a situation whre release was necessary.

 

My only issue, I kept loosing adjustment screws due to my own paranoia of non release. I paid well over $600, I got the extra padding on the bottom of the plate to protect the ski and I got the extra Z clip buckle (which I took off and never used). They are size medium. I will pay shipping to the 48. $450. Let me know at mylesrsky@live.com.

 

Myles.

[wlrottge]

Myles, tried to email you last night and again today, the email address doesn't work.

 

Sadly, my feet are too big. I'm a size 13...