Clear winner of the DIN “mine is bigger than yours” wars, Marker Duke freeride and backcountry skiing binding dials to DIN 16, and shows its que macho! pride with a red painted heel spring that is beefy enough to use in my Jeep suspension. Set the binding to DIN 16, and enjoy leaving your foot and ski behind if you take beater. Ouch. But seriously, this might be the ultimate crossover binding as it yields downhill performance on par or better than many dedicated alpine bindings. Read our full review, including “The Duke” John Wayne’s take.
Duke heel spring looks like something from an aftermarket suspension kit for a Jeep Rubicon. It works.
(Previous blog post about Duke binding)
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.
