Dynafit Radical ST 2.0 Binding

Tech bindings can make some skiers nervous. Too much force during an aggressive turn can cause you to pop out of the toe piece. That’s why many strong skiers either switch to a heavier frame binding or make the risky decision to lock their toes into tour mode for descents. The Radical ST 2.0 is the solution. The key is a patented toe piece that’s finally available at a reasonable price (the company introduced it last year in the Beast 14, which costs about $300 more). The tech-style toe sits on top of a unique base plate. The plate rotates freely, so any lateral force in a turn (that might otherwise pop the toe out of the pins) is absorbed by the 6- to 7mm of play on each side of the base plate. Practically, it lets your foot slide without releasing the binding, then snaps back into place. “It’s like having an insurance policy for hard landings, yet it doesn’t diminish uphill performance or add a ton of weight,” said one tester after big days in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bonus: Like the Marker, this is one of the few tech bindings with DIN settings (the industry standard for release settings).