When we're talking about scheme equipment, most people always think about their skis or the bits. The one area people rarely focus on is the binding. Now the binding is the bit that actually connects you to your skis. If you've got a system ski it's been pre-designed for you. Binding comes with a ski as a package and you have no choice in the matter. But as you start progressing and you might be looking at different types of skiing to do, we have four choices effectively. You have traditional Alpine style like this one. You have a strong toe piece and a strong heel piece. It's loads of safety features that means if you do take a tumble you release safely, but they're designed for the downhill. You have a lift up and then you have just about downhill performance. There is high ones in the market where you can put in a like this one for market, it uses the sole ID system where you can use a touring boot or touring style boot within this binding, but they are really all about the downhill. Let me move into the touring market. Now the touring market is split up into three separate components. First of all we have the frame binding which uses what looks like a more traditional Alpine tone heel and it's great if you want to start looking further afield than just lift work. So this one allows you to have lift access and then do a small tour. You might have some hike and ride ski bits which gives you the break at the back. So this one allows you to have a little bit of uphill use, the heel lifts, you lock it back into ski mode and you have the same performance you'd get from Alpine. These effectively come into two different categories either the lightweight ones which are dominantly plastic or the hairy weight ones which have a normally magnesium or steel components which tend to get stronger for the more free ride focus. There is a weight compromise with these but performance and strength is key on the free ride side. As you move on from the first purchase of touring equipment you can then move into pin certified ones. These are now the next level on from the frame so you have an Alpine style heel but you have a pin at the front. This one gives you a significant weight reduction on the frame binding but without all the but with still most of the performance. So you have a really strong heel unit that locks you well to the ski. So your performance is great going downhill but as you put it into walk mode you're rotating around the pins at the front and gives you really really good uphill performance as well. These have been a fairly recent addition to the binding market perhaps the last four or five years and have really ignited the touring thought process for a lot of people because it gives you the same feeling of solidity you would have the normal Alpine setup but the freedom of use of a pin setup. Then we move into the pin market the pin binding these are lightest of all. They are great for multi-day tours and they're great for producing a really light ski binding package but you do have a site compromise on the downhill performance because we don't have the same grip into the back of the boot as you get with a pin certified or an Alpine style. These are all about the weight saving and the reduction of weight on the bottom view foot. Now that might seem a really complicated group of bindings to to look at my suggestion be go to your localest Bruegenstor pick up on the catalog and speak to their staff who've been well trained on all of these products.