Лыжные крепления: история и эволюция.

Connects skier boot to snow ski

A ski binding is a device that connects a ski boot to the ski. Before the 1933 invention of ski lifts, skiers went uphill and down and cross country on the same gear. As ski lifts became more prevalent, skis—and their bindings—became increasingly specialized, differentiated between alpine (downhill) and Nordic (cross country, Telemark, and ski jumping) styles of skiing. Until the point of divergence in the mid 20th century, bindings held the toe of a flexible, leather boot against the ski and allowed the heel to rise off the ski, typically with a form of strap or cable around the heel. To address injuries resulting from falls while skiing downhill on such equipment, ski bindings emerged with the ability to release the toe of the boot sideways, in early models, and to release the boot forward and aft, in later models. Downhill ski bindings became standardized to fit plastic ski boots and incorporated a built in brake that drags in the snow after the ski detaches from the boot. Cross country ski bindings evolved from being simple, bent metal attachment plates with pins, which held a square toed leather boot toe under a wire bale, to becoming standardized systems that held a plastic boot, attached to a bar in a recess in the boot's toe. Back country, jumping, and alpine touring ski bindings incorporate features found in alpine and Nordic bindings.

Prior to the 1840s, ski bindings were a leather strap fastened over the toe of the boot, similar to those used for snowshoes. This control led to the development of the telemark and stem christie ski turns.

Starting in 1894, Fritz R. Huitfeldt invented a binding with a secure toe iron which allowed the heel to move freely and evolved through the 1930s as the standard design. His innovations included:
Marius Eriksen's 1920 introduction of pre formed plates that were screwed on top of the ski. Guido Ruege's 1929 invention of the Kandahar binding, which incorporated a front throw lever that tightened the heel cable past the ski mounted toe brackets and became known as the cable binding. A bent, pressed metal plate had three or four pins that stuck into the toe of a square toed boot, which was clamped down with a metal bail. After victories at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, the binding remained the standard type for cross country skiing through much of the century and continues as the Nordic Norm, manufactured by Rottefella and other companies.

The introduction of the cable binding allowed the Christie turn to become a standard on downhill runs, and to further support this style of skiing the Swiss racer Guido Reuge in 1929 invented a cable binding with steel clips below the boot heel to enable clamping the heel down for downhill portions. He named the product "Kandahar" for the international Kandahar Cup ski races. In use in alpine races, the Kandahar binding led to serious leg injuries, and by 1939 experimentation began in earnest on bindings that would release the boot in a fall.

Hjalmar Hvam broke his leg skiing, and while recuperating from surgery, invented the Saf Ski toe binding in 1937, which he later sold under the slogan "Hvoom with Hvam". This was a metal clip with a pyramidal top that fit into a slot cut into the sole of the ski boot. When the boot was rotated forward, the slot on the toe eventually rose above the metal pyramid, allowing the toe to release from the ski. The system was considered with suspicion by professional skiers, especially when Olaf Rodegaard released during a race. However, Rodegaard credited the release with saving him from a broken leg.

The disappearance of the plate and alternate systems was due to a combination of factors, notably the introduction of standardized hard plastic boots. Plastic was first introduced by Lange as a way of improving existing leather designs. As the new material spread through the industry, the sole piece was standardized to allow toe and heel bindings to clip on. Plastic had the advantages of being much firmer than leather, not changing shape over time, and having predictable friction characteristics wet or dry. The new boots and bindings could be easily adapted to any ski for any skier. Injury rates from alpine skiing began to fall with the gradual introduction of the Teflon anti friction pad around 1972. Salomon produced a ski boot with a metal loop, protruding from the toe of the boot, which was clamped in its binding. This binding configuration was emulated by Rottefella and other manufacturers as the New Nordic Norm. The retention function typically involves stepping into the binding toe first and pressing down with the heel of the ski boot, which causes a latch to engage the heel. The release function has two principal axes of operation: forwards and back along the ski and torsionally, rotating over the top of the ski. Bindings allow a certain amount of flexure of the boot position before they release under pressure during a fall. Each binding is set for a DIN value that determines how readily it will release in case of a fall, based on the parameters of the skier's height, weight, age, and ability (rated from one for beginner to three for an advanced skier). A snow brake prevents the ski from moving while it is not attached to a boot. Major manufacturers of alpine ski bindings include: Most touring bindings are designed for ski boots falling under one of two ISO specifications:
ISO 5355:2019, for traditional alpine boots. In this variation the pivot is located in the front of the binding. ISO 9523:2015, for boots in which the pivot is formed at the boot / binding interface. The two setups are typically incompatible in that the principle by which they affix the boot to the ski is different. "Tech" bindings engage the ski boot with pins, which hold the toe down and engage with the heel in downhill mode. Approximately 50% of ski boots have the necessary inserts. "Frame" bindings function similarly to regular alpine bindings, gripping a welt in the heel of the boot in downhill mode. Manufacturers of alpine touring bindings include: Atomic/Salomon, Black Diamond, Dynafit, Fritschi, Genuine Guide Gear, and Marker.

In 2016, Fischer and Rossignol introduced a new "integrated fixation plate" (IFP) binding, which allows tool less adjustment of the NNN compatible binding position. The Turnamic binding uses step in locking for the boot, and the lock closes or opens by turning the lever to the side.

With the decline in sales of its SNS systems, Salomon introduced its NNN compatible Prolink system in 2016.

In 2007, Rottefella introduced the New Telemark Norm binding featuring lateral release, adjustability, and a freely pivoting toe attachment.

Ski jumping bindings attach to the toe of square toed plastic boots that extend above the ankles; they allow for the boot heel to rise off the skis. They are designed to release the boot, in case of a fall.