Buzzillions.com - Marker Baron Ski Bindings Reviews www.buzzillions.com

Choosing the Duke vs Baron

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Choosing the Duke vs Baron

Greg Wojtkun from Park City US

Ok, so I had the problem like most of you may have with deciding between the Duke or the Baron. First off, this decision rests on entirely the following: Your height/weight, and your skiing desires/abilities. I am 511, 170, and I ski very very aggresively in the backcountry and in bounds. I chose the Baron and here is why: I normally ski at a 10 DIN setting and crank it up to 12 on those yipee powder days. But I have never ever popped out at 11 setting or higher in all my most violent crashes. Then again, I am not hucking off cliffs or dropping 50 degree lines in Alaska at 90MPH ya dig?So the bottom line is this... if you are 60 185-200 and lower, but still ski aggressively then go for the lighter weight Baron. It will save your legs on those pow days and also save you on those long skinning tours with out compramising strength. However, if you are a bigger dude who skis aggresively (Bigger = 61 or 2++ 220lbs++) then I would probably go for the Duke. The only scenario where you should … Read more

Great slackcountry binding

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Great slackcountry binding

Carlitoews from US

I have logged many days this season with these bindings (Binding Size: S, Skis 175cm, 107/103/120, 305mm boot sole). The standard brakes work well with this waist, but anything more than 105mm go with the wider brakes. Given the low snowpack in SW BC this year they have seen a lot of BC days. I use alpine boots mostly and can keep up with my friends who mostly run AT boots and Fritschis. I run a DIN of 10. They are just like DH bindings when locked down: ie. no sloppiness like the diamirs tend to have. They raise the skier up higher as well, so I needed longer poles than i would normally use in-bounds, but thats just me, Im picky about poles.The only downfall of the binding is changing the heel elevators when touring... Make sure you practice this before youre on the snow. It is somewhat tricky to switch from 5 to 10 degrees as the mechanism is somewhat hidden beneath the binding... I have it figured out now, but it does require a bit of a balancing act and you look kind of goofy if yo … Read more

supersweet

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:01 GMT

supersweet

b.lo from Salt Lake City US

I just mounted these up on my Volkl Kikus and Im thrilled with them so far. They look and feel super-solid, and I feel completely secure in them at high speeds. As a lady skier, I definitely didnt need the burlier Dukes-- Im not exactly a 200 pound dude who hucks 60-footers for breakfast. But I love getting out in the backcountry and it seems that these will fit my needs perfectly. Read more

AT boot compatibility issues

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT

AT boot compatibility issues

nick from Walla Walla US

like everyone else has said, these things are pretty great. i logged a couple days in all sorts of snow conditions with alpine boots with no complaints... but along with others, ive had issues when mounting AT boots (mine are scarpa denali tts). issue 1: when the forward pressure is adjusted correctly (boot in and screw flush with housing) its really difficult to click the boot in and out of the binding as the sole hits the top of the heel piece. this is a common problem and i had to back out the screw a click. now the screw top sticks out a little with boot in, but it seems pretty secure.issue 2: the contact points on the heel piece of the binding are small and will leave serious marks on the heel of your boots. especially AT boots since most use a softer/lighter plastic. this isnt really a big deal, so dont worry if you start to see wear.issue 3: when the toe height is adjusted using the paper resistance technique, all seems good, but because of the softer rubber sole, the toe c … Read more

Junk

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Junk

Howard Lusk from US

I recenty bought a pair of these bindings and they broke on me the first day out. The bindings were in ski mode and the thin piece of metal that attaches to the pivot lever simply snapped on my right binding. The resulting fall banged me up pretty good. I will not be buying another pair. im just glad I was resort skiing and not in the back country someplace steep where a fall could have been more serious. Read more