New tech binding Marker "King"

[YoEddy]

So I have 3 pairs of Kingpins and 1 pair of Alpinists. I don't have a lot of time on the Alpinists yet, but of the 3 KP's;

1. I bought the first pair in 2014 which was the first year they were on the market. This past February I had BOTH of those heels sheer clean off while skiing at the same time (!). Luckily I was lift skiing and not in an area of consequence at the time. Skiing tele-style on just the toes was interesting. Marker replaced both heels even though they were 5 years old.
2. The second pair was a recalled version, which Marker is replacing entirely.
3. The third pair wasn't a recalled version, but I lost pins on each of the toes (!) regardless. Luckily it happened while the skis were in the bag being transported back home and not out in the mountains. Marker is warrantying and replacing entirely.

That's not a great track record for durability & design, and I'm certainly not alone as I read about many similar issues. Marker is certainly stepping up on the warranty and replacements, but I find myself thinking about my next long tour and/or being in areas of consequence where stellar customer service isn't going to help me ...

[riff]

Yo, eddy-
After the kp experience, what possessed you to buy alpinist?


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[YoEddy]

Yo, eddy-
After the kp experience, what possessed you to buy alpinist?

I got the chance to check out the 'beta' Alpinist before it was released, liked the looks of it and could purchase at a great price. I'm not one of those people that swears off of a brand because a particular issue with one product (long time Marker user/fan even though I grew up racing through the "marker-out" era). However, given how common KP failures are I'm definitely looking into alternative choices.