To satisfy the needs of all-round skiers, there are now adjustable cross-country ski bindings available on the market. What’s their purpose? What’s the interest for the skier? How do these bindings work and do they have an impact on the choice of boots? We will explain everything about these new developments.
What are adjustable cross-country ski bindings?
Adjustable bindings allow you to change the position of the bindings on the skis. Thanks to the rail and clip system, it is easy to move the binding up and down your ski. You don’t need any tools or have to drill new holes!
Why use adjustable cross-country ski bindings?
In classic-cross country skiing, the bindings encourage either the glide or the grip of the ski, depending on the snow conditions and your technical ability. They enable your skis to become more resilient and versatile without sacrificing their performance.
Adjusting your binding towards the back of your ski encourages gliding, whereas adjusting it to the front means your skins or kick zone grip better to the snow.
In skate skiing too, adjustable bindings allow you to modify how the ski reacts. Adjusting your binding so it’s towards the front of the ski gives you more stability during the gliding phase. Bindings adjusted towards the back of the ski increase maneuverability.
How do adjustable cross-country ski bindings work?
There are several adjustable systems depending on the make of the binding.
For Prolink Shift Salomon bindings:
- Open the locking lever
- Push the white marker to the side to unlock the binding
- Find the correct indexing for your boot size by sliding the binding up or down the ski
- Lock the binding by closing the lever
You don’t need special boots to go with these adjustable bindings. Your boot just has to correspond to your style of skiing (classic or skate) and must be compatible with your binding. To help you choose the right boot system, you can read this article.
Check out our Stories and guides to find all our articles on cross-country skiing.
