After-Market Brake for Dynafit/"Tech"-Style Bindings

[Jonathan S.]

Interesting:






Seems to be used for the descent only, and stowed away in a pack for the ascent.

Available in two sizes, with max ski width for the larger size of 90mm (with pending possibilities of course).

But I suspect it will never come to market. The ISMF rando race rules promulgated in June 2011 stated, "For the season 2013-2014, the ski stoppers will be compulsory." Yet the new rules from June 2012 now state, "(NB : ski stoppers are no longer compulsory for the 2013-2014 season)" -- then again, if a 90mm version is planned, then maybe the intended market was not just retrofitted older rando race bindings to comply from previously anticipated rules?

[1000-oaks]

Pretty clever.

[bean]

They're planning on making brakes necessary for rando racing, or do leashes count as "ski stoppers?" Requiring brakes will just make someone come up with the hokiest POS that barely [read: doesn't] work but will meet the rules requirements.

[Jonathan S.]

^ I too thought the pending (and now apparently revoked) ISMF "ski stopper" requirement would entail just something along the lines of dental floss (or if a mechanical brake, then yes, the hokiest POS, designed for meeting the letter of the rule at minimum weight, rather than actually, well, really doing anything useful).
However, the Kreuzspitze after-market brake seems like a nice option for regular touring.

[marshalolson]

how does that brake actually do anything, and not just flap around when a ski is rocketing down a hill?

[auvgeek]

What makes you think it acts any differently than a regular ski brake? Seems like it functions the same to me, and its ability to stop the ski will depend entirely on the spring tension and length of the brake arms.

EDIT: You do have to drill an extra hole in the ski to anchor the backside of the brake down.

[Jonathan S.]

how does that brake actually do anything, and not just flap around when a ski is rocketing down a hill?

Looks like the little circular piece temporarily (i.e., while skiing) locks down one end of the brake to the ski (i.e., after inserting the other end of the brake into the toe piece crampon slot).
The brake is then retracted by the action of the boot entering the binding in ski mode (i.e., at both the toe and the heel) and then deploys should the boot release from the binding.
Then for the ski > skin transition, in addition to the usual exiting of the boot from the binding and affixing skins, seems like the brake would need to be removed from the crampon slot and stowed away in a pack.
[Caveat: I don't speak Italian, so all this is just based on the company website and the Youtube video.]

[marshalolson]

ah, i get it. never mind.

[GeezerSteve]

Clever, but of zero use to me. The only reason I'd use brakes is to avoid having my ski leashed to me in avy terrain. That applies whether skiing downhill or skinning uphill.

[Jonathan S.]

And here's another, this time from ATK:







Although the maximum ski width is not specified (probably quite narrow I suspect), the functionality is otherwise universal -- whether Dynafit/"Tech", other AT, or even -- gasp -- tele.
If I'm reading the Itaglish text correctly, the brake/binding entry/exit is hardly hands-off, since it entails a leash in addition to the brake. But brake deployment should be very reliable, since any binding release would trigger the leash "fuse" and then the brake arms deploy.

[coldandwet]

Turns out this did go into production... you can buy em from http://skimo.co/kreuzspitze-brakes and http://www.kreuzspitze-shop.com/cate...ki+brake~.html

Don't see many reports of them in use, though.

[Lambert]

Sort of like. I might try to get these to test.

[timmaio]

I used the ATK Raider this winter and liked the brakes in them. Granted, they are built into the bindings, not a separate piece. I think the ATK aftermarket brakes would be worth a try, so far they make great bindings(I've beat up their SL race binding and used the raider a few times)