Whew, I thought the helmet thread would be a bit lively, but had no idea skin cutters would be such a hot issue. I need a vacation. How about Dynafit ski brakes?
By today’s standards a K2 Coomback at 102 mm underfoot is wide, but not jumbo. Dynafit’s third widest “stopper” is specified to handle a 102 mm ski in the enclosed paper but shown in catalog as ‘110’ and will indeed handle about 110 mm. Beyond that, they can be bent or otherwise modified to handle more, but now that Dynafit makes a 130 mm model that’s usually not necessary. Hey, I’m a blogger so some days I just write about what I’m up to. So, a few photos of my install of the 102/110 brake on the Coombacks. For the record.
Dynafit 110 mm brake on K2 Coomback, ski width at this point 102 mm, arrows indicate extra room that can accommodate a slightly wider ski, as well as plastic that can be skived off inside of brake feet for more clearance.
Info sheet included with Dynafit ski brakes shows three widths, actually there is now a 130 mm width available.
Overtly technical aspect of all this is that Dynafit brakes come with a replacement set of lateral release springs. They're colored black to differentiate from the stock springs (zinc galv), and are softer to compensate for added friction and resistance from the ski brake actuator plate under your boot heel. It's said these springs compensate for a movement of about 1.5 increments on the release value (RV) scale. Since you have to remove the binding springs anyway to do a brake install, the only reason NOT to install the new springs is if you tend to run your bindings at max RV. Otherwise, use them or remember to dial down your RV value by about 1.5 increment.
Perhaps this photo is the reason for this whole blog post. The tiny 'clip' keeps the brake from sliding off your ski when you're out in the mountains. Be sure it's there, whether you did the install yourself or had a shop do it.
Check this out for Dynafit ski brake install step-by-step details.
The Dynafit brakes I added to the Coombacks weigh 4.2 ounces each. Considering that, one of the easiest and quickest ways to reduce your system weight is to drop the 1/2 pound of Dynafit ski brakes and go to a leash system. I like ski brakes for avalanche terrain, but I often shift to leashes for spring mountaineering when avalanches are less of a concern, and the days can be big and strenuous at Colorado’s high altitudes.
Blog post about Dynafit safety thong to replace brakes, designed to break away in severe fall or avalanche, use with caution.
Bollinger B&D ski leashes, very popular.
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.
