If your backcountry skiing is all about going down the mountain,not hiking or climbing, the Marker Jester Binding with 110-mm. ski brake is made for you. It offers the same performance release potential found on Marker’s top-end Duke,Baron bindings, but the Jester doesn’t have the Back Country Technology ski lever for hiking on inclines,traverses. If you’re a backcountry enthusiast who tends to stick to helicopter ascents or the downhill traverses that radiate out from remote ski lifts, the Jester 110 is everything you need–especially if your idea of backcountry performance involves an expensive race ski binding. You see, in the not-so-distant past most expert backcountry skiers slapped a pair of racing bindings on their powder planks or all-terrain performance skis. The convoluted logic to this approach was that they could somehow pair high-end hardware with big mountain skis. The problem with this concept is that racing bindings are made for skis with a narrower waist than most backcountry performance skis,,because the racing bindings are narrow,big mountain skis are wide, expert skiers don’t enjoy the same sort of grip,responsiveness that they would typically find with a racing ski/racing binding pairing. That’s why Marker created their “Royal Family” collection with wider,potentially lighter backcountry ski bindings specifically made for advanced,expert skiers. The Jester binding has an interface that connects better to all-terrain performance boots than downhill racing boots. The Jester binding features a Triple Pivot Elite Toe that offers unprecedented energy absorption,minimizes pre-release. The fear of pre-release (especially on double-diamond boilerplate) is usually why elite,expert backcountry skiers opt for a racing binding on their backcountry,all terrain skis. Marker took the Jester a step further (no pun intended…) with a binding interface that features increased boot lug contact for better energy transmission between your ski boot,your binding, resulting in better response through must-make chute turns,potentially less effort–which means you might be able to ski longer with more energy. The Marker Jester also has a special heel piece that focuses power in the direction of your ski boot sole, but does it with improved elasticity direction, so you enjoy better heel hold with exceptional energy transfer. Unlike other ski bindings that feature things like torsion bars, the Jester has this wide bracket construction (Marker calls it “Power-Width Design) that connects the binding directly to the points on the ski where the power from your feet needs to be transferred. While most standard bindings are sized to fit bindings that have a 63-mm. width, the Jester stands apart from the one-size-fits-most approach,fits skis with a waist width of at least 76 mm. or more. If you’re a lighter (or younger) skier, take a few moments to check out Marker’s new Griffon skier. It offers the same sort of non-touring backcountry features, but it’s lighter,a potential perfect match for light skiers who want better turning control,trip from their high-end backcountry skis.

 

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Filed under: Bindings, Ascents, Backcountry Ski, Backcountry Skiers, Backcountry Skiing, Boilerplate, Convoluted Logic, Double Diamond, Downhill Racing, Energy Absorption, Energy Transmission, Expert Skiers, Jester, Marker Ltd, Marker Ski, Performance Boots, Performance Skis, Planks, Responsiveness, Royal Family, Traverses