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In the B.S. (Before Seth) days of backcountry skiing, touring was for masochists looking for fresh powder and a convention with nature. Fast-forward 15 years and a million burly backflips, and you’ll find a whole lot of people focused on Seth-style stunts and big no-consequence lines in the backcountry. As a result, traditional touring bindings were in desperate need of an upgrade to deal with the larger airs and more aggressive skiing to which many are aspiring. Enter the Duke, Marker’s new touring binding set to hit stores this fall.
Targeting a niche market previously dominated by the Fritschi Freeride binding, the Duke will be, ahem, duking it out for top spot in the hearts of aggressive backcountry skiers who have been searching for a touring clamp that doesn’t compromise on performance on the way down while still facilitating an easy way up. The Duke is designed to take the abuse that modern freeskiing dishes out. And while the Duke is heavier than traditional bindings, it more than makes up for it in versatility and the ability it gives to ski the big stuff without fear of release. Seems pretty obvious to us. What took the ski industry so long? |