I recently bought a new pair of Elan Ripstick 96 after demoing them, and my experience on the new skis matches the experience I had on the demo pair. I put Marker Griffons on the new skis; I don't recall which bindings were on the demo pair. A couple weeks ago, after a foot of new snow had fallen and I wanted something wider, I demoed a pair of Head Kore 105s. They felt so heavy that I switched back to my Elans in the afternoon and felt much better. Until then, I had never realized how much heavier demo bindings are than their retail counterparts.
The downside of demo bindings being tall in stand height almost seems like it could be a benefit for performance carver skis under 80mm, where having additional leverage is a benefit. Hard to tell what exactly the difference is between flat skis mounted with modern demo bindings and my Blizzard Thunderbird R13 with Marker TPX track system bindings, which seems like a hybrid of a race plate and a demo binding. For something a little less stiff and performance oriented than the Thunderbird, something like the high stand height Tyrolia bindings sound potentially more ideal than the retail binding in the same lineup. This video may be focused on demo bindings, but this is also just a great comparison of the four big binding manufacturers. I have a 2011 K2 Rictor with one of those early Marker Griffon demo bindings, and it definitely seems like demo bindings have come a long way. The older Griffons were noticeably heavier, taller, and had a noticeable rattle that wasn't as confidence-inspiring as the newer Look, Marker, and Salomon/Armada demo bindings I tried in demos the past season. The Tyrolias also sound like they'd be great. That said, I really like what Look is doing with its regular retail SPX binding. That sounds like the best compromise, where I get a standard retail binding experience, but if I really want to lend a ski to a friend for a day, being able to adjust the heel would be just fine. I feel like the approach to adjustability with the Look SPX will suit most people interested in demo bindings for their own personal skis.
Super video. Just bought skis for my teenage daughter with the Tyrolia 14 Attack demo bindings, based on the shop advice (mid 80s underfoot). Hope I didn't make a mistake here 😭. I love my Look Pivots so I understand the low stack height feel.
Hi Phil...me again...I think you should add a 5th criteria...the skier, under rested, dehydrated ...so on will make that ski demo experience quite variable. Next help me with toe "CG", I'm used to thinking about mass transfer in an automobile where the vehicle in motion will see the weight transferred for/aft or left/right or a combination of mass effecting the slip angle on the tire. Or are you referring to just the static center of gravity of the toe unit's mass, which with the weight of the toe unit must not be much. Or your thinking of the force the ski boot applies to the ski as a function of the center of gravity like the automotive example I started with??? Thank you...RickyG
The skier is the variable we cannot control. We are not addressing the demo experience as a whole here, that is a video unto itself. We are just comparing the demo binding to it's retail counterpart. But to your point of center of gravity, absolutely that is part of this discussion with many of the demo bindings having a higher CoG which does create a significant difference in how the ski reacts especially if you demo with one binding and put a different binding on when you purchase that ski.
@@hrg3design905 the lower the Center of Gravity (CG) is, the better a ski will react. Think about sitting in a canoe verses standing in it. You have more control down lower.
You would think but rarely am I more than a centimeter fore or aft but I will sacrifice that for having a lower stack height and a stronger coupling to the ski.
The delta angles will change depending on the boot sole length of the skier. The toe and heel heights are all listed on our site in the gear review section. www.skitalk.com/forums/gear-reviews-and-comparisons.11/
Definitely an option but they do add extra weight. Question is how many boot sizes do you expect hit to be in for the same pair of skis? Most regular bindings adjust for 2-3 boot sizes.
@@vincefaro4970 3 sizes and still on the same ski? Hmmmm. Either the ski will be too big now or too small later. Kids should grow out of gear, not into it.
@@skitalkdotcom thank you but I am not interested in the Warden binding lateral spring toe piece. I never cared for the lateral spring breed. To be honest, if I can't get an MNC Strive 11 I'll forget about the AT boot option and go with a Look Pivot.