Went for my post-season tune at Ski Center and in addition to my OCD-related full tune, extra wax on the edges, etc., I had a release check. Well... to my surprise I just passed a magic age in which my DIN setting went down a full two points, from 8.5 to 6.5. I was aghast at this - I think 6.5 is what my grandmother's skis are supposed to be set to...

It seems to me that the settings are WAYYYYY to conservative and more related to someone who skis ten days a year, is sedentary and sports a spare tire around his waist. I may have reached the age of 50, but can outrun, outbench and outski most 35 year olds I know.

I asked the attendant if he could reset it and he said absolutely not. He also said that if I do it myself and get into an accident and something happens, the insurance company could deny coverage.

Anyone with an opinion? I can't believe that one day in the calendar marks the transition between being able to ski properly and confidently and having to worry for the rest of my life that my skis will release at the level of skiing that I normally do.

I'd try it for a couple of runs, but the 1st time you pre-release, CRANK UM!

Appreciate the comment... That's what I was thinking too, as how would an insurance company be able to know who did the release check?

Simple solution: next time you get your skis tuned, lie about your age. If they challenge you, proceed to do a serious of one-armed push ups a la Jack Palance.

In all seriousness, how much do you weigh?



Too many lawyers in this world. Or maybe too many people wanting to use lawyers when they really shouldn't.

Don't blame the tuners. I'm sure they have very strict guidelines spec'ed out by their insurance policy with no exceptions granted.

I'm 5'7" 150 lbs. And one-armed pushups are no problem... I may be 50 but still bench press over twice my weight.

I don't blame the tuners. Just surprised me that the DIN setting would fall so drastically

And if you lie about your age, you shouldn't expect to be able to turn around and sue anyone if you had a problem with your bindings. Just sayin' (And I don't want to be sued for contributing to the delinquency of a senior.)

I agree with your concerns about the DIN setting changing so much in just one year.

But if you want to live in a society with rules, you have to follow the rules. The rules may not make sense to some of us, but they do to others. And on a large scale, they probably make sense, with numerous exceptions such as yours.

Besides, there is nothing here that a simple twist of the screw driver can't fix.

And look on the bright side, you are now eligible for AARP discounts. My coupon-clipping mom was probably one of the few people in the U.S. to celebrate that milestone.

You are lighter than I thought. As stated by a previous poster, you may want to try the new DIN for a few days and see if you pre-release. I wouldn't ski at 30 mph or so until you are confident that the DIN setting is appropriate for you and how you ski.

Give the settings a try. I'm 53, 210 lbs. and my bindings are set at 7. I'm a fairly aggressive skier, ski difficult terrain and I've had no problems with pre-release. I'm not a mogul maniac though but I do ski tight trees even when the woods are bumped up. I'd rather loose my skis early than my knees.

Oh goody... But... Anyone seen Prada ski gear coupons?

Google "din charts" for some more info to aid your decision. The input variable settings are pretty broad, especially the age one.

I did... Next season I'll start on the "old fart" settings and see if they release at my normal ski tempo. If they do, up they go...

Lou - I agree. Give them a shot at the recommended DIN. I'm 195lbs and 42 years old. My DIN setting is 8.5 - and have not had a binding pre-release issue, even skiing trees, bumps, ice or with a fully loaded sled behind me! At 45lbs lighter than me, age difference notwithstanding, you may actually be more appropriately set at 6.5.

Jim

I also find that din settings need to be adjusted according to what you ski. I speak from experience here. If you ski a lot of crud, steeps with crud, bumps with crud, you may need a screwdriver. I jumped into a chute in Austria a couple of years back, dins set on the 8.0 where recommended for an antique like me, and proceeded to come out of the bindings not once but about every second turn. I ended up doing the next best thing, abeit embarassing, slid/walked down to where I wouldn't have to do jump turns to negotiate the chute. The next time I cranked em! I rarely ever come out of my bindings but it's usually due to either a radical fall or "cruddy" terrain that does it.

I can just imagine doing the Blowhole at Blackcomb Glacier and having the skis release and falling 500 feet at an almost vertical angle. Not a good end to a Cuban. I'll do some progressively aggressive skiing until I find out... before Whistler

If forward pressure or wing pressure or toe clearance is off, or if the forward pressure is correct but -slow- to respond, it can still happen even at DIN 15 on a 350mm boot.

You're totally correct... No need to tempt the snow gods with the improper settings though...

5'7" and 150 lbs with a DIN of 8.5? Way too high, sorry dude, especially at 50.

I'm 6'-2" 205 and ski VERY aggressively with DINs of 8 to 8.5 and NEVER have release issues. In fact, I rarely lose a ski, most crashes outside of the bumps I retain the skis and ski away. The strongest skier I know is my height and 235 with a DIN of 9.5 and he is so strong it's ridiculous.

When I say strongest I know, trust me, this cat is Dev Team and does stuff on skis most people can't even dream of doing.

Stop bragging on me man!!!

HAHAHA, sorry man. Congrats on making Dev team!

We need to hook up and make turns again. Did you get to 7S this year?

What does a day in the calendar have to do - other than insurance? My previous settings were in the 8-ish range and then one day they went down. Still, I will ski with the settings as recommended and see what happens...

Depends on his boot sole length, and I believe Lou has small boots. On my DIN charts, someone of his weight and height could certainly spec out to a DIN of 8.5 for skier type III (age aside) with a smaller boot size.

You can't compare the DIN for a tall/heavy guy to a shorter/lighter guy unless the boot sole length is the same. For instance, I am 6'1" 195lb and the chart puts me at a DIN of 8.5 for a 325mm boot. If I had smaller boots like Lou, the chart would put me at 9.5 or 10.

My point: smaller folks can still have large DINs because of their smaller boot sole length. Their height/weight only determines one of the factors on the chart.

Well, 219, I agree with you... it was... My original settings were 8.5

the thing I can't get used to (besides having to accept that I'm into middle age) is that I'm in better shape physically than ten years ago. Duh.

Yeah, that would be a shocker for me too! I ski better than ever, but there's no doubt my body is aging. After a hard ski day, I am starting to feel like Indiana Jones at the end of an adventure....

In my experience, a DIN too low can be far worse than a din too high. Pre-releasing at high speeds is one of the wost things that can happen. That said, a din too high can be very dangerous at low speeds. My non race skis i keep at an 8 but crank up Sl skis to a 10/11 and GS to a 12. I have seen people go as high as an 18.

That makes two of us... Especially the recovery times. I hit the gym about 5 per week and keep legs as a part of the workouts, but leave legs alone throughout the ski season. The recovery time after 40 may double compared to someone in the 20s. Doesn't matter how much creatine. However, core exercises are way necessary.

I've lied to ski tuners about my age for 7 years.

That way they set the things at 8.5. Then I crank 'em up to 10.

The most severe injury I've ever had on skis was as a result of a pre-release: a level 2 shoulder separation. I'm not letting that happen again.

Totally agree... Last year, our guide at Whistler had the same situation as he was skiing, well within control, but at a level and speed which was within his skill. One of his skis released and he had a shoulder dislocation. Not a good end to what could have been a wonderful ski day...

din settings were based on breakage tests of cadaver bones.
it is your bones becoming weaker with age rather than your muscles.

if you crank them and get hurt, turn them back before the patrol gets there

imp

Agree. But that's for the normal sedentary male or female whose bones have begun developing osteoporosis. Bone density and strength can be increased, and age-related damage can be reversed, with both aerobic and anerobic training. If you can leg press 400 lbs at age 50, your bone structure can probably withstand more stress than a sedentary 30-yr old. Diet has a large impact on that, such as giving up sodas and other drinks rich in phosphoric acid, which tends to leach out the calcium in your bones.