SEDL / STP / STP938-EB / STP23186S

Comparative Laboratory Tests of Release Bindings for Children and Young Skiers with Special Reference to the Influence of Boot Material and Boot Sole Length

Gundersen, TM
Medical doctor, Oslo City Health Council, Norwegian Workshop on Skiing Studies (AFS), Oslo 2,

Pages: 14    Published: Jan 1987

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Abstract

Comparative tests of release bindings for children and junior skiers marketed by the five major manufacturers were conducted at the TÜV winter sports laboratory in Munich, West Germany, during 1983 and 1984. The results underline the bindings' dependence of boot sole materials for proper function. Major differences in release functions were also demonstrated between the different designs. Some bindings have an unreliable basic scale of adjustment. Combined loads also lead to sharply rising release values. A design with unsatisfying performance given a small child's boot may function considerably better with the larger boot of a junior. Realities of life, like snow buildup under boots and dirty boot-binding interfaces, easily lead most of the present bindings to fail.