Marker Baron Ski Binding
February 12, 2009
OK, so I’m not a resort skier. I don’t even own a pair of resort skis. Chairlifts are boring, groomers are lame, and any powder stashes get tracked up by the masses so fast it’s not even worth the price of a lift ticket. Downhill boots are uncomfortable and the bindings are heavy. Alpine touring is where it’s at; you get a better workout, don’t get cold on the lift or stunk out on the tram, and (if you’re doing it right) you don’t have to endure crowds of fratty snowboarders. Best of all you get untracked powder all over the place with just a little good old fashioned effort. So of course when I demoed some new powder skis this year, I requested that they have A/T bindings on them so that I could take them to the powder. They came with Marker Barons, which are billed as alpine touring bindings, and to that I say “bunk”. These are big, heavy alpine bindings. They are big, heavy alpine bindings that ski really well, are stable and powerful, and deliver some serious edge control; but as alpine touring bindings? No, no, and no. They are a giant hassle to switch from ski to tour mode and back again, and they’re so heavy I honestly can’t imagine trying to slog them around all day on a tour. I cringe and whine every time I have to carry skis with these bindings on them, because they are so heavy they mark up my delicate shoulder and make me puff with effort, which I usually don’t mind as long as there’s a 2000-foot powder run at the end of the effort. When the effort just gets me from the parking lot to the bottom of the chairlift, I get a little disgruntled. So, while these bindings ski really well, I just cannot cosign with the idea that they are A/T bindings.
And not just because of the weight. Alpine tour skiers usually ski in alpine touring boots. Alpine touring boots have slightly thicker soles than downhill boots because they have Vibram soles for grip. The Marker Baron binding is not designed to accommodate the thicker sole, and as a result they are really difficult to click into with A/T boots. Worse yet, the undue pressure on the heel of my A/T boots has damaged the rubber sole of my precious boots. Grrrrr, do NOT ever mess with my boots or you’ll find a bad review of yourself posted on the Geargals site. So here it is, Marker Barons, you messed with my boots and now you must pay. Go back to the resort where you belong.
