How Do You Adjust Snow Ski Bindings

After the excitement of buying your first pair of skis has worn off, but before you step onto the snow, you may ask yourself, "How do you adjust snow ski bindings?" The proper functioning of your bindings will not only affect the way you ski, but can also prevent ski injuries.

Adjustment Chart

Snow ski bindings are available in two basic types: ski binding kits and ski binding systems. Both are classified as step-in bindings because you step into the bindings with your ski boots. Ski binding kits are the most common and are made up of the following components:

• Toe piece
• Heel piece
• Ski brake

The toe piece is responsible for securing the front of your boot to the ski, allows your foot to twist laterally out of the binding during a fall and prevents forward motion of your boot on your ski. Some will even release during a backward fall – the most common type of fall that results in injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament. Most toe pieces also feature an anti-friction device, or AFD. The AFD allows the bottom of your boot to slide against the toe piece, helping your boot to release during a fall.

The heel piece secures the heel of the boot to the ski and releases upward during typical side-to-side and forward falls. The most prominent feature of the heel piece is the release lever. The release lever helps you to manually release the heel piece when removing your boot from the binding.

Ski systems are bindings that come as part of the ski. You buy the bindings as part of the ski package and cannot use your bindings from other skis. Binding systems are typically impregnated into the design of the ski using a set of rails. As the ski flexes while turning, the bindings "float" on the rails. The result is a ski that flexes uniformly from tip to tail, with no "flat spots" on the ski. You'll usually find binding systems on higher performance skis.

All ski bindings, whether kits or systems, have ski brakes integrated into the binding. Ski brakes drag in the snow when the boot releases from the binding, preventing the ski from rocketing down the mountain and colliding with skiers.

Most contemporary ski bindings can be adjusted by turning large screws on the bindings on the outside of the bindings – one on the toe piece and one on the heel piece. Based on the desired DIN setting, the binding's tension can be increased or decreased according to the skier's height, weight, boot size and skiing ability using a DIN setting chart.

The best way to adjust your ski bindings is to have them installed and adjusted by a trained ski technician in a reputable ski shop. They're trained to examine the type of binding, the binding's position and operation. Once they've determined the proper DIN setting for you, you can often times make minor adjustments yourself using a large screwdriver. If you move your bindings from one set of skis to another, be sure to have them adjusted again by a trained technician.

In addition to adjusting the DIN settings, ski bindings should be adjusted if you use lifters, vibration dampeners and to accommodate the amount of fore-aft position of the bindings. Lifters are thick platforms that elevate the ski boot off the ski and help the skier to generate more leverage onto the turning ski. Using lifters, the skier can command more edge control and higher performance turns from their skis. Vibration dampeners absorb vibrations from a ski that makes it unstable at higher speeds. The fore-aft position of a binding can make a ski easier to turn. All three will affect the optimal DIN settings of the bindings.

Your skill level, how aggressively you ski and the conditions you enjoy will often times dictate how you adjust your bindings. Beginning and intermediate skiers generally tend to use lower DIN settings, regardless of how much they weigh or their boot size. On the other hand, aggressive skiers who pummel down endless mogul fields or crud will cinch their bindings down, using a higher DIN setting to prevent premature binding release.

Today's bindings offer not only better ski performance and injury prevention, but will also help make you a better skier. Following these guidelines will help you answer the question, "How do you adjust snow ski bindings?" Adjusted correctly, your bindings will let you enjoy your next ski vacation and keep you safer on the slopes.

by Allen Smith

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