Alpine Ski
Binding Adjustment

Safety bindings play a significant role in minimizing risk in alpine skiing. Proper release of the ski binding can prevent injuries! To do this, it must release precisely when the skier falls and the ski, firmly attached to the foot, restricts the leg’s movement—which can lead to rotational and flexion injuries. At the same time, they must keep the ski boot securely attached to the ski while skiing, even over uneven terrain. To ensure exactly that, the binding settings must be adjusted individually and correctly for each skier. If this is not the case, the bindings can actually cause injuries in the first place due to improper release.

The binding is the connecting element between the ski boot, the skier, and the ski. When properly adjusted, it can help prevent lower-leg injuries, particularly fractures. While soft-tissue injuries to tendons, ligaments, and muscles can be prevented, they cannot be completely avoided even with properly adjusted ski bindings. However, the likelihood of a knee injury is higher if the binding is set too tight, causing it to fail to release despite the force of a hard fall and allowing the ski to hinder the skier during the fall. But a binding that releases too quickly is also dangerous and can lead to injuries.

Finding the optimal setting isn’t that easy! The performance of a ski binding depends on many factors that influence one another and alter the binding’s specifications. For one thing, skiing ability is a key factor: A beginner is more likely to fall, tends to fall at slower speeds, and experiences less impact energy. The binding must therefore release more quickly and thus be set to a lower value. Key factors include skiing style—powerful or light—speed, and the expected impact energy. However, the length of the boot sole is also an important factor. If I have a larger foot, this reduces my setting value, since the boot acts as a longer “lever” relative to the shinbone. Other significant factors include the terrain being skied—bumpy or flat—as well as body weight and height. Last but not least, the skier’s age must also be taken into account. After a certain age, bones become more brittle—which also affects the correct binding adjustment.

Due to the elasticity of the binding, the springs in the ski binding are under constant stress. This causes the spring to eventually become “fatigued,” at which point its properties change: for example, the spring may lose some of its stiffness. This, in turn, alters the binding’s settings. It is therefore essential to check the spring’s functionality regularly. This cannot be done using the scale on the binding itself but must be performed with an electronic binding tester at a sporting goods store. The settings should therefore be checked regularly by a professional.

Only a trained professional can correctly determine all relevant factors. But the most important thing is: We use specialized binding testers. These devices simulate falls and verify that the binding releases correctly. This is the only way to reliably check whether the binding is optimally adjusted. After all, not all settings are the same: a wide variety of factors can result in different adjustment values for the very same binding.