You've seen the 'Dav' in countless photos and vid segments, but how does he handle a screw driver? Just fine. I'm a witness. The other day we gave a pair of his Kastle FX84s the Dynafit FT12 treatment. Dav is now a Dynafitter (but don't freak TGR boys, he's still got plenty of Dukes mounted on his arsenal of Kastle guns.) Oh, yep, those are, gasp, Garmont Radium AT boots! But...but, aren't they too soft you say, voice quivering with fear and angst? Apparently not, though they are stuffed with some aftermarket liners.
First step, pull those Dukes and send 'em back to the lead mine. Per my usual Dynafit mounting process, we've got the FT 12 heels disassembled, and we've also enlarged the screw holes in the toe unit so they don't double thread and get held up off the ski while we're spinning the screws.
In another central component of the WildSnow Dynafit curriculum, Chris got trained on how NOT to strip the rear spring barrel just in case he needs to remove it for some reason. Dynafiddly details for sure, but essential care with a pricey and highly engineered piece of equipment such as FT 12.
Mass quantities of epoxy were consumed by all. Something told me this was important. I was amazed at how good this mount turned out -- way better than average in terms of alignment. Have to admit I was feeling a bit of self imposed pressure to get it right the first time. I mean, who wants to drill the wrong holes in a pair of skis that MSRP for over $1,000, while the ski celeb looks on? That would be like polishing Obama's limo and discovering your buffer had a pebble embedded in it.
Obligatory poser shot from WildSnow HQ workshop and snowmobile barn. I try to keep the place vacuumed, but I'm always getting interrupted by vagabonds beating on the doors wanting their Dynafits mounted. After they find out we serve a choice of Tecate or soup, they seem to always choose the Tecate. Now I've got the homeless shelter down the street all mad at me.
Kastle FX84 now comes in black so it'll get lots of ice on it and give you a good workout on the uphill. Chris said they still crank on the down despite the color. That I do not doubt. Nice and light, perfect platform for Dynafit, perfect because for us it is all about the down -- and the up. Fun morning with the man, and I now feel sorry for Dav's touring partners still on Dukes because he will make them hurt.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
