DIN settings question for advanced skiers

[khatadin]

Hey all~ I would be curious to learn where the advanced/expert skiers here set their DIN's. I would characterize myself as an aggressive expert skier...i weigh about 160lbs and am about 5'11'. By the standard charts, according to weight/height/boot size/etc I get pegged at around a 6.5 or 7 DIN, I believe. However, at such settings, I find I pre-release too often (i.e. I am fully skiing in control, but hit a bump or deeper powder or whatever, and get kicked out). This never ceases to frustrated me.

So I have cranked up to 8 over the years. And yet, when I have skied steep stuff out west or even bumps in the east, I still pre-release from time-to-time. This can be more dangerous in some circumstances. On some terrain, like Tuckermans, i'd prefer to "tweak the knee" than "lose a ski" in certain situations (like above a cliff band). But I don't want to be stupid and really crank the DIN too far.

Any similar skier profiles out there? Ski techie types? Where do you set your DIN's?

thanks

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I still pre-release from time-to-time. This can be more dangerous in some circumstances. On some terrain, like Tuckermans, i'd prefer to "tweak the knee" than "lose a ski" in certain situations (like above a cliff band). But I don't want to be stupid and really crank the DIN too far.

Any similar skier profiles out there? Ski techie types? Where do you set your DIN's?

thanks

UR right about that, pre-release can be real dangerous. I weight 190 and keep mine at 9.5.

 

[JimG.]

I'm 6'2" and weigh 190; my DIN is set to 8.5 on bindings that go up to 12. I never find myself pre-releasing, and I consider myself to be the same type of skier you are. The only time my skis come off is the once or twice a season they REALLY have to. This is the setting I have used for years on a variety of bindings.

So at your height and weight, 8 should be major overkill and you should never pre-release. Maybe something is wrong with the bindings other than the DIN setting? What kind/make of bindings are we talking about?

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

I found that pre-releasing is NOT always a binding issue, sometimes it is a boot problem...

What is the condition of the toe & heel pieces that the binding is interlocked with? Are the bottoms and tops flat and square at the edges? Are they rounded or ground & distorted from original production? Have you had them inspected by a shop to determine if they are in spec with the binding recommendations?

It makes a difference....

 

[riverc0il]

i am 6'1" and 220 lbs and have the DIN at 8 and 8.5 on my skis. i occasionally pre-release and have considered a DIN adjustment. it's a hard decision to make deciding whether the occasional pre-release annoyance is worth the increased risk of doing serious damage in a non-release situation.

a lot of my pre-release issue revolves around my binding. i ski a volkl p50 motion which has bindings that "flex" with the ski when you bend the ski. if i put too much preasure or pop into the ski (moguls is generally where i have the difficulty), i get pre-release due to lateral movement of the boot while the binding is flexing.

any ways, it's worth playing around with but i'd do so only in small incraments.

 

[beswift]

Hey all~ I would be curious to learn where the advanced/expert skiers here set their DIN's.

Most men over-estimate their abilities, most women underestimate them. You have no way of verifying the claims here.

I find I pre-release too often (i.e. I am fully skiing in control, but hit a bump or deeper powder or whatever, and get kicked out). This never ceases to frustrated me.

So I have cranked up to 8 over the years. And yet, when I have skied steep stuff out west or even bumps in the east, I still pre-release from time-to-time. This can be more dangerous in some circumstances.

Your request has no real answer. First of all you didn't state where you put the setting. Second, you have to make the decision where you put the setting yourself. Obviously, you know the risks/rewards. I suffered a serious ankle injury when I blew out of my binding while aggressively skiing a radical bump field. My boot was too loose to prevent my ankle from a sprain when I landed on it without a ski. I have changed my settings since then, but I also changed the boot. A friend of mine also suffered a similar ankle injury coming down the Plunge at Telluride, but he blames it on the accessive length of his skiis given the conditions. He had to give up skiing altogether after 6 ankle operations. I hate coming out of my bindings. I used to Teleski with three pin bindings that didn't release at all. It didn't hurt me like having a release binding. I don't fully crank my bindings, but I am no longer as hard a skier as I was. You should realize that you can suffer as bad an injury when you come out of your bindings as you would if you don't.

On some terrain, like Tuckermans, i'd prefer to "tweak the knee" than "lose a ski" in certain situations (like above a cliff band). But I don't want to be stupid and really crank the DIN too far.

This reminds me of a story someone put up on a windsurfing forum once. He was hang-gliding in a group which were keeping in touch by CB radio. One guy went into a Canyon which had a reputation for seeing terminal accidents. He started to whine when reporting his situation. All of a sudden a reply came out . >>Shut up and Die like a Man!!!<< :wink:

 

[Starter Jackets Rule!]

Hey all~ I would be curious to learn where the advanced/expert skiers here set their DIN's. I would characterize myself as an aggressive expert skier...i weigh about 160lbs and am about 5'11'. By the standard charts, according to weight/height/boot size/etc I get pegged at around a 6.5 or 7 DIN, I believe. However, at such settings, I find I pre-release too often (i.e. I am fully skiing in control, but hit a bump or deeper powder or whatever, and get kicked out). This never ceases to frustrated me.

So I have cranked up to 8 over the years. And yet, when I have skied steep stuff out west or even bumps in the east, I still pre-release from time-to-time. This can be more dangerous in some circumstances. On some terrain, like Tuckermans, i'd prefer to "tweak the knee" than "lose a ski" in certain situations (like above a cliff band). But I don't want to be stupid and really crank the DIN too far.

Any similar skier profiles out there? Ski techie types? Where do you set your DIN's?

thanks

".i weigh about 160lbs and am about 5'11'. By the standard charts, according to weight/height/boot size/etc I get pegged at around a 6.5 or 7 DIN,'
Expert eh?
It is eather one or the other! not 6.5 or.....7
how old are your binders?
if they are over 10 yo. get new ones
if less than a year send them back for a warantee revue...
They sound like they are SHOT!

 

[beswift]

Or at least get them Bench tested.

 

[cyrk007]

I've had mine set at 7 for the past two years.. have skied fast and aired frequently but never popped out of them. they are double din look's

 

[stothe4thpower]

Good boots and modern bindings are a huge factor but you have all neglected boot sole length. Smaller feet put more twisting torque on a binding and generally require a relatively higher din. I regularly drop 25-30 footers at 6' 170lbs with a 225 mm boot sole(generally around a 28cm foot) with no problems on salomon bindings set at a 9din and they seem to come off when I want them to. When I raced at 160, however, I ran a din of 12-13. Vibrations are tough on bindings. This is me though not you. Knowledgable ski shop employees are hard to find ( a lot of people pretend they know what they are talking about.) but a good one can make a real difference. Figure out where you are coming out. If you are coming out of the toe piece on a salomon, for instance, there are both toe height adjustments and wing pressure adjustments that will determine release charachteristics. You also don't have to run the same din in toe and heel. Markers do not seem to like abrupt impacts so most bump and park skiers (unsponsored) avoid them. They only have 2mm of elastic travel (return to center travel) while salomons have around 6 i think rossi/ look 12mm. The latter being the brand big air and bump enthusiasts prefer. Generally this means you can run lower din on rossi look and get the same level of retention. Also make sure your forward pressure on the heelpiece is correct if you are releasing in the rear. I also have found a lot of people confuse premature release with poor technique especially landing big air. Take it to a good shop (look for shops racers go to) for an adjustment (din charts err on the side of caution)then up it from there if necessary. Be careful. However there is a new 3+ din choice on the chart that will get you pretty cranked. go big

 

[noreaster]

It is possible that there are sometimes when you do not click in all the way into your binding. I had a friend of mine that had a pre-release binding problem and on a number of occassions I caught him not clicking into the binding fully. Just a thought.

 

[ALLSKIING]

There is no way you should get kicked out of those settings. Get them checked.

 

[JD]

I'm 5'8 165. Ski hard. My din is at 8, but I'd rather lode a ski then a knee if I make a mistake. Then I just make sure I don't make mistakes where it counts.

 

[GadgetRick]

Been there/done that..

I just went through a similar situation. My binding kept forcefully ejecting me. Imaging how it looks when a customer is handing a ski patroller their skis! Happened to me twice for no good reason. The first thing I did was take it to the shop and have them look at it.

They checked my boots, they're in good shape. I walk on them as little as possible. The bindings seemed to be alright. It looks like the binding may have gotten some snow in them and forced them a little more open (I have a pair of demo skis with demo bindings, never had a problem with them until now). He fixed that and, so far, so good.

The moral of the story is, take it to someone who knows a thing or two about bindings...

 

[tree_skier]

pre-releasing generally has nothing to do with the binding setting if the binding is set properly (to the boot, weight , level). they generally occur when either there is snow between the boot and binding/ski or the ski is flexed severely, as in hitting a bump, hole etc.. The telltale sign of a pre-release is the ski is suddenly gone without any torque, twisting or unusual body movements. If you hit a deep pile of snow find youself thrown off balance and the ski comes off that is a fall not a pre-release.

I would highly recommend against raising din settings much above recommended settings. Personnally I havent pre-released since getting skiis with the factory plate (designed to flex with the ski), with about 100 days so far.

 

[DEVO]

I am 5'11" 180 and used to run DIN's at 10-12. Few years ago I had bindings mounted by and old ski salt who scoffed when I told him that, so he set my DIN at 8. I never pre-released out of those (salomon 997). I just had new bindings mounted (salomon 810 on Volant Machete soul 175) and Ski market set them at 8 also. I may turn those up a little if I have to (8.5-9) but that would be it.

 

[thetrailboss]

My advice: get them checked out. I've never had a pre-release problem and from dealing with shops, they will tell you that every set-up is different. Don't toy with them too much. :wink:

 

[Starter Jackets Rule!]

My advice: get them checked out. I've never had a pre-release problem and from dealing with shops, they will tell you that every set-up is different. Don't toy with them too much. :wink:

yup get them checked...the cost will be around 20 clams...but if you legs are only worth ...ummm lets say $15.95 then forgetabout it and deal with it.... :beer: