Jester Pros with AT boots?

[gregL]

Anyone doing this, and grinding off sole material to make it work? How much do you have to remove to get the boot to lie flat/not put upward pressure on the toe unit? I'm thinking Titans or Endorphins, other bindings are Dukes and Plum Guides so not a problem with less rubber underneath . . .

[Island Bay]

Hi Greg, looking to do the same thing with my Maestrales (to fit my Jesters).
Comparing the sole thickness with my alpine boots, it looks like I have to grind off 4mm or so. I can gently fit the boot in the binding without mods, but yes, there is upward pressure on the toe unit.
Will let you know of results, if I beat you to it (unlikely), and look forward to hearing about your success.

[Chugachjed]

Shouldn't need to modify anything for the titans, just use alpine soles

[jondrums]

the 2012 Jesters supposedly have an adjustable AFD, but not as much as the duke. Anyone with a pair care to chime in? I have the same question.

[azzure]

Can't say if they work but the new Jesters I saw in the shop the other day did have an adjustable AFD similar to the dukes. Hope that helps.

[gregL]

The AFD appears to be essentially the same as the Duke/Baron, and Marker could have created an instant "niche" for themselves by giving it another couple mm's of travel, but they didn't. If you put an AT boot in the Jester Pro, it more or less fits, but the heel is a couple inches up in the air . . .

[Powder Trout]

The Jester Pro has a fixed AFD ( no sliding side to side or toe height adjustment) The regular jester has a sliding AFD and toe height adjustment but doesn't have enough range for an AT boot.

[Sinecure]

PowTrout is right. The Pro Jester (the one with the metal bar across the toe) has a fixed AFD and height is not adjustable. The regular Jester, like last year's Squire and this year's Griffon (and the Duke/Baron/Tour) have adjustable height, moving AFDs. I used Squires all last year with Zzeus boots with touring soles with no problems. I haven't done any controlled testing to see if the release values are within some sort of spec, nor that they're completely consistent. But I'm fairly confident that the Jester or Griffon is about the best solution out there, in terms of alpine bindings, for accommodating AT boots. Certainly boots like the Zzeus, Titan, Factor and Cochise - that have a less rockered sole - should be better than a more rockered, dedicated AT boot.

Marker will be safe and say that the bindings are not for AT soles. So if you are an Epic Bear, you definitely do not want to go near any such setup. Most maggots that I know would probably feel pretty comfortable with the arrangement though, especially after taking a look at how it works.

I need neither the DIN setting, nor the presumed added stiffness of the Jester Pro, so I wouldn't even consider that option. For me, the Griffon would be my choice right now for a boot that would handle my AT soles while easily adjusting to handle my son's alpine soled boots (he and I now have the same BSL).

[gregL]

OK, I think I've got it - the 16 DIN white one without the bar is the regular jester, the 18 DIN green one with the bar is the Jester Pro . . .

[skifishbum]

you are really going to grind your boot to ski a marker???
really?????

[Kim Jong-un]

You smell that? Do you smell that? Vulcanized rubber, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of ground vulcanized rubber in the morning. You know, one time it bombed snow on that hill, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. The smell, you know that rubber smell, the whole hill. Smelled like … victory.

[jondrums]

Marker could have created an instant "niche" for themselves by giving it another couple mm's of travel, but they didn't.

this^^^ god-dammit.

[CarveMan]

What about the Griffon Demo bindings - do they have adjustable height?

Looking at skiing with a Titan and Gaia for the wife.

[Sinecure]

GregL - yes, that's right.

CarveMan - not sure. You'll have to look at a pair to tell. I saw some system Markers the other day and it looked like the AFD may not have been adjustable. I didn't get to look close enough.

[TWINS]

Just a heads up on grinding. Not Jesters but Dukes with rockered sole AT boots.It created issues when using tech bindings for me.Not enough sole to activate the toe closing lever on ft12`s.Now have to use my skipole handle to close the toes.

[DropCliffsNotBombs]

IMHO, do not grind your boots to fit into any bindings! Most skiers will go through several bindings before replacing their boots.
And boots cost far more than bindings...

Also, AT and BC skiers typically DON'T need a 18 DIN binding that will break your leg and blow your knee if you fall either. (That's a binding for racers and big mtn. competitors)

But then again, sporting AT boots and massive DIN'ed bindings (while skiing inbounds) is SOOOOOO hawt right now!!!

[gregL]

Just a heads up on grinding. Not Jesters but Dukes with rockered sole AT boots.It created issues when using tech bindings for me.Not enough sole to activate the toe closing lever on ft12`s.Now have to use my skipole handle to close the toes.

Yeah, I thought of that - but it looks like with the AFD all the way back (guess I was looking at a regular '11-'12 Jester) the spot I would grind is well in back of the spot that needs a specified thickness to push tech jaws down.

[gregL]

Also, AT and BC skiers typically DON'T need a 18 DIN binding that will break your leg and blow your knee if you fall either. (That's a binding for racers and big mtn. competitors)

But then again, sporting AT boots and massive DIN'ed bindings (while skiing inbounds) is SOOOOOO hawt right now!!!

True enough, I won't get anywhere near DIN 18. I actually was looking at the regular Jester and thinking the mechanism looked pretty much exactly like my Dukes, which I never tour on anyway. I just use them because I've skied on AT boots all the time for close to 10 years for lift-served and find them more satisfactory than the other options, but it would be nice to drop the extra weight.

[GeezerSteve]

I ground down a pair of Spirit 3s to fit Squires. We had to grind off quite a bit, but we got it to work (paper test) okay and the boots still work fine in Dynafit toes. It was more about experimentation than utility. (The Squires are now on the babe's skis and I gave the Spirit 3s to a bud's son who is using them with Barons.) If you want AT boot comfort for lift skiing, most flat-soled AT boots fit fine in Squires and the newer Griffon and Jester (i.e., with adustable sliding AFD).

[foreal]

Why not just use Sollys?

They have worked fine in this same application for me w Titans. Even without the side-to-side sliding AFD (can't think of any other way to describe it) that my Dukes have, they feel more reliable/consistant in retention and releasing than Dukes. Can't comment on Jesters etc. tho...

[gregL]

Why not just use Sollys?

Good question - I used to use unmodified Salomons years ago with Garmont GSM's and G-Rides without problems, but I don't have them any more. Do the STH series bindings have as much toe height adjustment?

[bovine]

Good question - I used to use unmodified Salomons years ago with Garmont GSM's and G-Rides without problems, but I don't have them any more. Do the STH series bindings have as much toe height adjustment?

As far as I know, any salomon driver binding-old or new with an adjustable toe should work with an a.t. boot.

I ski in scarpa skookums with fritchis, dynafits, and salomon 900S equipe drivers on my gold gotamas and they work fine-charging bumps, steeps, high speed crud, pow-very trust-worthy.

I just make sure to have enough space between my boot sole and afd pad to be able to count on a lateral release-it'll release, but it's not sloppy- I run my toes a din or so less than my heel setting.

[foreal]

Yeah, what he said;-).

I have not ventured into STH land, but 997, 900 (non-spherical) & 916 (flat bar and triangle AFD) have all worked for me.

A friend has a newer version of Solomon, prolly STH?, and the AFD actually moves like the AFD on the Duke. Maybe more ideal for this application....

If no one else chimes in here to confirm/deny my sanity, I'll give him a ring. FWIW he runs Megaride & Titans on 'em.

[Brianskis]

Although other markers do have now have adjustable toe heights, the only ones that test out properly with 99% of AT soles are
dukes/barons/F12's/F10's.