Please step in — and quickly! For the 2018-19 winter season, DYNAFIT is turning the entire concept of a pin binding on its head. In doing so, it is living up to its name as the technical pioneering leader of ski touring. Instead of the time-tested combination of the last 30 years of two-sided pins on the toe piece of the binding with the corresponding inserts on the ski touring boot, spring-loaded pins will now be directly set on the boot toe. At the same time, the ski touring specialist has re-engineered the heel mechanism. The new patent-pending system will initially be found for racing on the ISMF-certified P49 model with the matching DYNAFIT DNA Pintech by Pierre Gignoux race boot. The benefit of the new concept? Stepping into the binding will be significantly easier, more comfortable, and faster. This has also allowed the binding’s weight to be greatly reduced. Weighing in at an ultralight 49 grams, DYNAFIT is setting totally new standards with the P49 and, with that, making the race against the clock even more efficient.

How can one further increase the speed and comfort of stepping into the frameless pin binding while at the same time noticeably decreasing the weight? This is what the expert team at DYNAFIT asked itself as it worked intensely for the last three years on the development of this unique binding concept for ski mountaineering racing. The interplay of pins and inserts was flipped on its head and thus enables an even simpler and quicker entry into the binding. The minimalist P49 weighs a mere 49 grams or less than half the prior ISMF-certified Low Tech race binding 2.0 for ski mountaineering racing. Even the weight of the carbon-fiber DYNAFIT race boot DNA by Pierre Gignoux could be slashed. At 570 grams (size 27) it remains the lightest ski mountaineering race boot in the world today.

The P49 binding consists of a significantly trimmed-down toe piece with two-sided entry guidance grooves that close down around the pins which are attached directly to the DNA Pintech Race Boot with a smooth, simple yet quite durable spring system. To enter the bindings at the front, a ski mountaineer simply steps down with the boot toe and the system immediately clicks in. Generous guidance grooves enable easy and comfortable entry even on a steep slope or on very uneven terrain without needing to step next to it and thus lose valuable time. Developers have also fundamentally re-engineered the heel unit. A plate insert is attached at the heel area of the DNA Pintech boot. This allows the boot to click solidly into the heel unit with one firm step. The new heel at 20 grams is not only unbelievably light, it also additionally increases the torsional rigidity by 18% compared to the standard heel pin. The heel lifter remains on the binding’s heel mechanism as before.

One unique selling point of the new system is making the change from descending to climbing, which represents a time-critical component in ski mountaineering racing. Under ISMF guidelines, the binding releases vertically (release value 6-7) and laterally (release value 8-9) and can in addition be totally locked using the levers on the sides. It just takes a simple one-handed motion, which pulls the side levers together, is sufficient for exiting the binding. What makes this especially convenient is that the ski is then in the racer’s hand, allowing speedy transitions to skins. Ski back on the ground, click into the front and in just a few seconds, off you race again in climbing mode.

TECH INFO:

• MATERIAL Aluminium, POM
• Technology / Features: Ejector pin, release value vertical: 6-7, release lateral: 8-9, ISMF certified
• Weight: 49 g
• Size: Uni
• Made in Germany.