Fritschi Zenith tech binding

[LeeLau]

Kinda deserves its own thread even though it might be unobtanium for a year or more to come

http://www.wildsnow.com/9176/diamir-...review-skiing/



That's about if for now. Bunch of speculation on the Wildsnow article but not much more than that

[Hugh Conway]

Worth reposting this comment as it's rather relevant to the video

The binding is a functioning prototype for demonstration only.
If you tried to ski on it, most likely it would fall apart pretty quick.
Most of the parts were SLA (stereolithography), so yeah, there is a lot of plastic.
Who knows what the production model will look like.
I wouldn't read to much into what you see in the video beyond the function they are trying to show.

That also explains the lack of $ and other deets I guess.

[userA]

they better make the real one beefier

[DropCliffsNotBombs]

Tech bindings are soooo hawt right now!

[DoWork]

I love how elastic tech toes are falling from the sky right now. Warms my heart.

I do like their horizontal toe release though I must say. Not sure how that will work long term in a durability sense, but it seems pretty damn well thought out.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Gotta sell the jongs a new BC kit before the fad fades.

[F#*k you cat]

Love it how the brake explodes!!

[counterfeitfake]

Yeah, that was pretty sweet.

Is that a plastic crampon, too?

[DoWork]

Yeah, that was pretty sweet.

Is that a plastic crampon, too?

Did you guys read at all before you hit play???

It's a model made by a rapid prototyping method that lays hundreds of layers of plastic on one another to make a working 3D model. I'd bet anything this is just a plastic mockup of a 3D design they brought to the show to gauge response with. It is by no means a finished design they'd let you mount and ski. You'd fkn die.

[Jax]

Did you guys read at all before you hit play???

It's a model made by a rapid prototyping method that lays hundreds of layers of plastic on one another to make a working 3D model. I'd bet anything this is just a plastic mockup of a 3D design they brought to the show to gauge response with. It is by no means a finished design they'd let you mount and ski. You'd fkn die.

The Zenith is further along than the SLA prototype that was brought to OR. Testers are on snow in Yurp right now. Though you can't deny the (un)timeliness of the heel piece popping off- right in front of Lou with a video camera no less. That proto took a beating with demonstrations nonstop throughout the show. I encourage those of you who will be attending SIA to please come by the booth for more details.

[Hugh Conway]

Testers are on snow in Yurp right now

Good to hear

not surprised to hear it took a beating and that stuff (prototyping crap) isn't made to take one.

[ACH]

The Zenith is further along than the SLA prototype that was brought to OR. Testers are on snow in Yurp right now.

That's good to hear.

That proto took a beating with demonstrations nonstop throughout the show.

No fooling, over and over again, for 4 days.
It's impressive that it held up as well as it did.

[bobsdesk]

I really like the way this new toe piece functions. Given the way the pins "break away" it does seem slightly less elastic in release than the Beast however.

At least we know one thing: when these things start breaking (not if, when), BD / Fritschi is fantastic at warrantying product quickly...

[counterfeitfake]

Did you guys read at all before you hit play???

It's a model made by a rapid prototyping method that lays hundreds of layers of plastic on one another to make a working 3D model. I'd bet anything this is just a plastic mockup of a 3D design they brought to the show to gauge response with. It is by no means a finished design they'd let you mount and ski. You'd fkn die.

Man, chill. Yes I read it. A plastic crampon is still funny.

Does anyone know anything about the crampon? Sounds interesting.

A sophisticated mechanism in the crampon also achieves the seemingly impossible with a consistent traction depth in all walk mode levels.

[bfly]

I know wishful thinking but, any chance the hole pattern matches up to any existing tech bindings.

[ACH]

Man, chill. Yes I read it. A plastic crampon is still funny.

Does anyone know anything about the crampon? Sounds interesting.

The crampon part was real (AFAIK), the bump on the back was SLA and part of the demo.
The basic idea behind the crampon is that it has two points of adjustment to correspond with the climbing positions on the heel of the binding.
When you are in the low position, the riser tucks away, giving you normal contact with the snow/ice.
When you are in the high position, flip the riser on the crampon out, so that it contacts the boot earlier, keeping the crampons interface with the snow/ice consistent with the lower climbing position.

I know wishful thinking but, any chance the hole pattern matches up to any existing tech bindings.

I wish I had asked.
It's probably safe to assume that the answer is "no", though.

[Vt-Freeheel]

I know wishful thinking but, any chance the hole pattern matches up to any existing tech bindings.

The crampon part was real (AFAIK), the bump on the back was SLA and part of the demo.
The basic idea behind the crampon is that it has two points of adjustment to correspond with the climbing positions on the heel of the binding.
When you are in the low position, the riser tucks away, giving you normal contact with the snow/ice.
When you are in the high position, flip the riser on the crampon out, so that it contacts the boot earlier, keeping the crampons interface with the snow/ice consistent with the lower climbing position.



I wish I had asked.
It's probably safe to assume that the answer is "no", though.

The adjustable ski crampon is genius. Wish they would go with the Dynafit pattern as it would make it easy to give them a try. With the advent of inserts it means no more hole drilling. And I do not want to buy adapter plates in addition to spendy binding. Heck with inserts someone could even rent before you buy.

[Rimwalker]

The Zenith is further along than the SLA prototype that was brought to OR. Testers are on snow in Yurp right now. Though you can't deny the (un)timeliness of the heel piece popping off- right in front of Lou with a video camera no less. That proto took a beating with demonstrations nonstop throughout the show. I encourage those of you who will be attending SIA to please come by the booth for more details.

That wasn't Lou's video camera - it was Dostie over at earnyourturns.com filming - http://www.earnyourturns.com/15526/b...his-zenith-12/

[counterfeitfake]

Don't B&D crampons offer a riser? This one was described as a "sophisticated mechanism" so it sounds like it might be different.

[Jonathan S.]

Don't B&D crampons offer a riser? This one was described as a "sophisticated mechanism" so it sounds like it might be different.

And Dynafit OEM crampons have holes to attach risers (for which Speed binding riser extensions work perfectly).
Sounds like the Zenith approach is to have a variable height riser, which would be pretty clever, although then again perhaps something like that could be retrofitted onto a crampon from Dynafit, B&D, ATK, etc.

Sent from my ADR6300 using TGR Forums

[TheDon]

I don't care what anyone says, I want to see it first hand and see what people who have actually ridden it say.

Don't believe the hype! -Flavor Flav

[goldenboy]

A few more details (price, stack height, weight, etc) for those who want more hype...

http://14erskiers.com/blog/2013/02/s...trab-fritschi/

[MTT]

I like the concept.

the clamped down heel is desirerable to me over the pin heel. but the pin heel take the sloppyness of the vibram sole out of the mix. How to make the heel more regid?

[powdergangsters]

Some interesting features being pitched by this binding. A lot of thought on some aspects and R&D ( ripoff and Duplication) from some other systems currently out there.

Could be a ways off till we see the binding in Canada. A few shops I know said that they can't yet pre book it for next year. Surprising and normally means it won't be ready or the availability is going to be very limited and only large customers will get it (ala Backcountry.com etc)

[verbier61]

The proto on display at sia and ispo was very far from being ready for production. I believe they desperately needed to show it, and it was good to know fritschi is working on such an innovative binding, but to have it in shops is a different story