dchristman

Maybe I should describe my thought process in coming up with this concept to diffuse the criticism of "not enough support". I didn't start out with the purpose of re-inventing the wheel. The question I first asked myself was "How can I do a ski line back on trampoline, with a ski, and not hurt myself?" First I ordered some surplus traction reels (I might need those later :-). Hmmm... I will certainly break something if I go out to the trampoline with a pot of water and some soap to get that rubber high wrap on... let's see what I have laying around the garage. Hey, maybe that rollerblade boot would fit in that old Cypress Gardens adjustable binding, that would be hilarious. Not enough support for what I want to do, but it'll sure be a hoot to try that at the lake, and it's got the latest hot green color! Darn, it won't open wide enough... maybe I can build something with another binding. How about that EP binding on my old Shortline? - I'll never ski on that again. The footprint of the boot fits inside of the horseshoes, easy to take apart, time to experiment! Hmmm, this isn't too bad. I could actually ski on this! It just needs something to add more lateral support at the heel and a bit of positive click-in feel, and it might turn into the next big thing. It might be good on a slalom for a rear boot to allow for some heel lift. There are some smart guys on ballofspray, maybe they'll have some ideas. So here I am. I'm going to keep working on it, and I'll be back with a video when the ice melts. Here's how I used the traction reels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OOfoKCJSwY It has to work - the prototype has great provenance. I used that EP binding the only time I ever slalomed in the regionals, I have an orthotic in it from the '82 nationals, and the boot has circled Okeeheelee in the mid 80's. I've ski'd on ping pong paddles with rubber bands for bindings, for cryin' out loud :-)

@MattP I started out to make a video tonight, but decided to have a beer instead - I know that may not go over too well on a video here. The design is still a little rough for a demonstration video anyway. I guess I could show that it is more stable than than @Waternut believes. I think he sees its heritage... I got the idea thinking about stuffing the boot into the binding of an old CG TrikMaster as a joke, but the binding wouldn't open wide enough. As I said in previously, this prototype doesn't have adequate lateral support, but it's better than you think. The (at least) 25 year old boot certainly limits this prototype. The bottom isn't flat since it's off a skate boot - it has a raised heel so it needs something to fill that gap to make positive contact with the plate. I should have bought that reflex shell that @jdarwin had for sale. I think I'm going to squeeze a tube of shoe goo in there to fill the gap. I also think buckles might make it more stable. @eleeski It's really not a lot of rubber - It's only 1/8" thick. I may add a little more over the toe as @Chef23 suggested just to tighten it up a bit more to reduce heel lift. Then I just need something to add the lateral support at the heel - some type of "U" bracket under the heel or maybe a heel cup molded out of something other than rubber, maybe similar to the extra heel rubber overlay on this binding:

@ral I know it's the boot to the shin with the Reflex release, I'm thinking that the dynamics of this release will be different so that you don't wack yourself in the shin. I don't think I kick myself in the shin when I release from a rubber boot, at least not that I noticed. Aside from releasing differently the shell won't have the little block on the back of the heel to engage a release mechanism. If it does turn out that I kick myself with the boot, maybe I can give the heel of the shell some kind of soft, rubberized treatment to ease the pain.

@thager, why not? I think this guy is nuts, but I bet he doesn't think he is! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Dubai_Wingsuit_Flying_Trip_%287623583596%29.jpg Radar bindings don't release with twisting movement either....

I'll be trying it on the trick ski before i try it on a slalom, as soon as the ice melts on the lake in exactly 29 days (unless I can't take it anymore and head south before then). It's hard for me to imagine a uncontrollable disaster situation on a trick ski. So it MUST be genius!

@mwetskier - flash of genius - I like that! I feel better now. I'm not crazy. @Chef32 - maybe not secure enough to flip with this prototype, but I think I will be able to flip on it, although perhaps not on the ski in the picture with this version 1 binding (but I'll try!) @klindy - I know what your saying. I wouldn't want to add more rubber wraps (and a lot of extra weight) to to get more control. I'm thinking the heel piece could perhaps be a molded piece of rubber of varying thickness with the u-bracket molded in for support. The detents would contribute to "feel". If you have a silvertta clip, it is pretty digital - your connected or not. You pre-set the release point. With this I feel you would at least have a chance to recover if your heel came up getting you close to OTF. Think of it this way... it could allow for some heel lift if needed. I feel like it would get me closer to the decision point of continuing or not instead of letting the physics decide... mind over matter.

I'm looking for comments on my cabin fever binding design. Does anyone think this might have potential, or am I just going to hurt myself? Note that I haven't actually ski'd on this yet, although I did do some jumping on the trampoline with it before a couple feet of snow covered it. Consider this more of a concept than something completely thought out. I think this version cobbled together with (really!) old parts lacks the lateral stiffness I would expect with Reflex, FM, Goode (none of which I have ever tried, BTW). I envision a u-shaped bracket under the heel to provide more lateral stiffness and to perhaps give it a positive click-in feel with rounded detents on the bracket and shell. "Why?" you might ask. Primarily cabin fever, but also because I really don't like the idea of moving to a binding that requires the maintenance of the current hard-shells or having movable, dangling, hard bits hanging from my ski. When I trick, I don't want to have to wear a shin-guard. I'd also like something less risky than the Approach bindings I've been slaloming with since 2006. Failing to heed the advice not to use them with an RTP, I did break my foot going OTF about the 3rd set out... then I bought the rear boot, DOH!

Well, maybe this doesn't count as another activity... I did lose a paddle and I got around #5.