Bindings' Release Setting in Alpine Skiing

Abstract

This paper presents a synthesis and an evaluation of all the steps leading to the final release setting of alpine skiing boot/binding systems. The study is based on the material presently available and shows the maximum discrepancies that can be expected (1) in choosing the right setting value and (2) in checking the real system. These discrepancies may be 20 to 25%. The paper also contains some proposals on how to reduce the influence of what may be considered as the most influential parameter, mainly the choice of the “ability correction factor.” Moreover, it shows that the tendency to obtain a greater accuracy for the basic release values is a fallacious one and that we should concentrate instead on an ASTM type evaluation, which is a better indication of the overall “quality” of the system.