The Marker KingPin M-Werks Binding provides uncompromising performance while alpine touring and is easy to use
Who doesn’t love alpine touring (AT) bindings for the freedom of a free heel for skinning up a slope, and the ability to lock the heel in place for downhill shredding? The trouble is, most AT bindings sacrifice turning power (and some safety) to achieve that goal. Not the new Marker KingPin M-Werks binding, however.
Tested Tough
Our tester used the binding on more than 40,000 feet of vertical last season, from Banff to Chamonix, and the downhill performance is, in one word, amazing. The toe and heel are each 30% carbon, which shaves weight without compromising performance or durability. (Total set-up weighs just 620 grams.) What she experienced was power transfer and control that rivals any alpine ski binding she has tested; the 38-millimeter-wide drill pattern also helps when carving fast, tight turns.
Step and Go
It’s also easy to use, with an easy-to-flip lever to switch from ski to walk, and pin-ball-like guides on either side of the toe that make stepping in easy, even in super cold weather and deep snow. The heel release is ISO-Certified with a DIN setting of 5-12 − great things to know when skiing the steep and deep. www.marker.net/en-us/
KINGPIN M-WERKS BINDING $729
