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56-442: Conventional ski bindings attach to flanges extending from the toe and heel of the ski boot. These are well-standardized in size and shape, under ISO 5355. However, as they are attached to the ends of the boots, the distance from the toe to heel changes from boot to boot. This requires the binding system to have the ability to move fore and aft on the ski to accommodate different sized boots. The "Integral system" moved these flanges to

112-584: A death spiral , and the Spademan system disappeared in the early 1980s. However, the fact that it used a single mounting plate eliminated adjustments for different sized boots, which made it popular in rental shops for some time. The Look Integral was introduced to fill this niche when Spademan exited the market. In 1962, Dr. Richard Spademan took a job at the Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, California. This

168-399: A 1969 production run of 1000 pairs of bindings from the newly formed Spademan Release Systems, Inc. Continual improvements followed to allow the binding to hold more strongly, and by the winter of 1974/75 the binding was a must-have on the pro freestyle skiing circuit. Richard Whitaker and David Stuart then introduced a key improvement to the system. Early versions of the Spademan required

224-451: A hole on the T-arm running to the spring, holding it forward. When the skier stepped in, the pin would be pushed down and release the arm, springing the clips closed. The S-9 model improved on this using a large lever over the spring assembly that released spring pressure by pushing the spring forward when it was pushed down with a ski pole. The lever also had a finger that pressed up on the sole of

280-465: A known flange to clip onto, and through the late 1970s conventional toe-and-heel bindings dramatically improved. Users could buy any model of boot and use it with any model of binding, whereas with the Spademan the boot had to be "prepared", if it could be. It was not uncommon for boots to have cut down areas under the midsole, so there was not enough room for the plate to be mounted. Even if the plate fit, boots were not generally designed for mounting under

336-451: A new type of inter-vascular catheter. By the mid-1960s this was in production and increasingly widespread use. He used the royalties from the catheter to start prototype production of his binding. Driving to every ski resort in range with a few hundred pairs of bindings, he finally convinced some ski patrollers at Squaw Valley and Boyne Mountain to try them out. Most broke immediately. This led to further design improvements, and eventually to

392-455: A single cup-shaped piece that fitted over the entire toe flange (as opposed to the toe, as in the original Nevada). These had the disadvantage of requiring careful adjustment to fit the height of the toe flange, and could be impacted if snow on the bottom of the heel lifted the toe upward. Today the Nevada-style "two finger toe" is universal among modern bindings. The N77, in turn, gave rise to

448-508: A small extension on the bottom of the sole of the boot. This extension was always the same size, so the Integral binding did not have to be adjusted for different sized ski boots. The system was designed for rental shops, eliminating the constant adjustments otherwise needed. Integral was offered since 1975 in Europe. In North America, Spademan offered a system with similar advantages that controlled

504-424: A three-day weekend." Studying the problem, Spademan found three problems; bindings didn't release in the directions that caused problems, they didn't release under straight-line deceleration, and the adjustments were too complex. In particular, he noted that any forward fall, even to the sides, would jam the boot into the toe clips. This meant that a forward twisting fall would work against the fundamental action of

560-409: Is almost universal among bindings today. In the immediate post- World War II era, most downhill ski bindings were of the "Kandahar" pattern of cable binding . This consisted of a metal cup at the front of the ski that kept the boot centred, with a leather strap buckled over the toe to hold it down into the cup. A long metal cable or spring ran around the back of the boot, over a flange protruding from

616-401: Is they did not release in the case of an accident. In particular, if the forward tip of the ski rotated to the side, the force was transmitted through the length of the ski to the boot, forming a huge moment arm . Even small forces could produce torques able to break the ankle or knee, and spiral fractures of the calf were common. This was not as much of an issue in cross-country where the heel

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672-454: The Spademan binding , would later dismissing them all, stating "Bindings were trash." French sporting goods manufacturer Jean Beyl made one of the first attempts to solve the twisting fall problem. His design pivoted around a bearing under the foot, in order to ensure that torque did not built up to dangerous levels. Although it did not release the boot from the ski, it did release the force from

728-473: The 89 and 99, a series of bindings for different skill levels, collectively referred to as the Look Pivot . The Pivot also introduced a button directly in front of the toe under the binding arms. When the boot slid forward along the ski, the boot would press on the button which released tension in the binding and made it much easier to release. This was a further improvement on the series of design changes improving

784-449: The French ski team by 1950. Beyl was a perfectionist and was unhappy with his plate design. What he wanted was a lightweight solution that was easier to mount, yet retained the ability to absorb lateral forces. His next design used a C-shaped piece that fit over the toe of the boot, eliminating the plate. The toe of a contemporary ski boot is essentially hemispherical, so the single clip kept

840-463: The Grand Prix was mounted on a bracket that lifted it above the heel flange, allowing the user to adjust its height. The actual binding point was a bronze roller sized to be similar to a standard cable, this could clip on top of the heel, or would fit into the indentation cut into the heel of some boots. The Grand Prix offered step-in convenience; to put the binding on, the skier inserted their toe under

896-523: The Nevada II, then stepped down at the heel. The sole of their boot would catch a small plate or rod extending from the bottom of the binding, rotating it until it flipped up to lie vertically behind the skier's leg. During this motion the roller would catch the sole of the boot and lock it into position. Like the Nevada toe, a strong force rotating the boot, this time forward, would cause the binding to release. As

952-429: The Spademan "step in" performance, which previous models lacked. The widespread introduction of plastic boots in the 1970s changed the market considerably. Now the required attachment points for toe-and-heel bindings could be moulded right into the boot, eliminating the problems when users screwed on their own attachments. These entered a market in the 1970s where plate-type bindings, including Spademan, held roughly half

1008-440: The Spademan could release in any direction, in response to any force or torque. It provided greatly improved protection compared to contemporary designs, which generally allowed release of the toe to the sides and heel directly forward, keeping the foot attached in any other fall direction. The Spademan system became very popular in the late 1970s. Production mis-steps right when new toe-and-heel bindings were being introduced led to

1064-461: The binding also required it to be reset, so the system was much less automatic than contemporary designs like the Salomon 727 . The Spademan system retained one major advantage over the toe-and-heel binding, due to the universal plate. When changing boots, normally one would have to adjust the bindings fore-and-aft to accommodate a change in boot length, but with the Spademan this was not an issue because

1120-466: The binding before it would release. Other bindings with shorter travel were subject to "pre-release", where a short, sharp force would pop the binding even when the movement would not have been enough to cause damage to the leg. This allowed the Nevada II to be safely used at much lower tension settings, improving the chances of it releasing when needed while still preventing pre-release. At the same time, Look introduced their Grand Prix heel binding. This

1176-475: The binding market. In 1978 Spademan had excellent sales and was by far the best selling US binding design. A dramatically improved model was being introduced for the winter, the S-2/S-3/S-4 lineup, that greatly increased "free travel" within the binding in order to prevent pre-release. Betting on large sales, Spademan moved the factory from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. The bindings were made of cast aluminum, and

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1232-400: The binding. Spademan desired a binding that had no toe piece, allowing the boot to slide forward unimpeded. His first attempt to solve these problems clipped to the sides of a plate at the heel, with no toe clip at all. However, this allowed the toe to move about too much, so a new toe clip was added to address this. He then noticed that the key to reducing injury would be to mount the ski over

1288-464: The boot area, while also acting as a mounting spot for a safety strap. The boot could then be forced onto the angled upper area of the clips, forcing them to open outward, and then fastened by pushing the spring back down to re-apply tension. Step-in action in the S-2/3/4 series was accomplished by a small spring-loaded pin catch on the cams. When the spring assembly was lifted, the pin was forced upward into

1344-409: The boot centred and, by riding over the top of it, pressed down onto the ski. Under a pure sideways release scenario, the clip would rotate to allow the boot to exit. However, if the force was also to the front, as in the case of the ski tip catching a tree root or front of a mogul , the pivot would be too close to the line of motion to allow easy rotation. To address this, the entire body of the binding

1400-471: The boot sideways in the event of a forward fall, further adding to the forces trying to release the toe. This basic Grand Prix system was later improved with the addition of a rotating platform under the heel of the boot, known as the "turntable", which stopped the boot from jamming on the heel release's arms when the toe was releasing to the side. These improvements were released as the Look Nevada N17 in

1456-429: The boot, and a well-fastened butterfly on the bottom. The Spademan system consisted of a single hollow binding that sat on the ski under the middle of the boot. In the middle of the hollow were two bronze clips that were pivoted near the rear of the binding, so that rotation around the pivot point moved the clips sideways towards the middle of the binding. An T-shaped arm ran between the clips to cam-shaped indentations on

1512-406: The boot, helping it pop open the clips. This gave the system true step-in, step-out behaviour. Automatic release was accomplished by forcing the clips sideways, against the tension of the spring. The shape of the clip and the plates meant that rotating the boot in relation to the ski would force them outwards. For instance, in a twisting motion the plate would push the clip sideways along the edge of

1568-458: The boot. To mount it, the boot was fastened to a metal plate, which was in turn cut into the upper surface of the ski in a mortise joint about a centimetre deep. The system was difficult to install, weakened the ski, and also heavy. Beyl wanted a sexy name for the company, and took one from a US photo magazine . Look was formed in Nevers , France in 1948. The system saw limited sales, but was in use on

1624-436: The bottom of the boot could make it difficult to fasten properly. A very thin film of snow was even worse; it was possible to close the binding with the plate slightly above its normal rest position, which pre-tensioned the clips and made it much easier to release unexpectedly. The plate itself was also quite slippery (the reason bronze was used) which made walking somewhat difficult and also wore down relatively quickly. Removing

1680-415: The cam. Spademan later further improved on this design, adding a latch to keep the clamp arms open. In use, the skier would remove the binding as normal by lifting the spring off the cam, but could then return it immediately to the "clamped" position. The latch kept the clamps open until a small button under the binding plate was depressed, which happened when the skier stepped back into the binding. This gave

1736-401: The clamps fell into indentations on the sides of the plates, positioning and rotating them correctly. Bronze was used to prevent metal-on-metal lockup in the wet conditions they faced. To fasten the binding, the spring assembly was lifted, sliding on a plastic disk. After being raised slightly it could move forward, releasing all tension on the clips. A metal clip prevented it from moving under

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1792-578: The clips would be forced outwards and create sideways forces for the main pivot under the binding. In 1953 was replaced in production by the Simplex, which used a single cup like the Nevada, but retained the action of the Duplex and allowed straightforward release. Look and Marker competed for the majority of the European market through the 1950s and into the early 1960s. In 1962 Look dramatically updated their line with

1848-405: The clips. When the arm was pulled rearwards, it pulled on the cams and rotated the clips inward. The arm was attached to a spring at the rear of the binding that provided constant rearward tension, pulling the cams, and holding the clips in the closed position. On the bottom of the boot was a bronze plate shaped like a butterfly or hourglass . When the clamps were tensioned onto the plate, bumps on

1904-404: The flange at the toe and heel of the boot, which were moulded into a roughly rectangular shape. The release action was controlled by cams in the binding, whose limited size limited the cams's size and travel. In the case of the Spademan, the boot plate itself was the cam surface, which gave the designers much more room to work with. Release directions could be adjusted simply by changing the shape of

1960-555: The forward release capabilities of the toe. The ultimate evolution was the XM version, which also allowed the toe piece to rotated directly up, as is the case in a backward fall. Various models of the Pivot were Look's primary offering into the 1990s. When Look was purchased in 1994 by Rossignol, they re-branded the Pivot under their own name. Look-branded versions re-appeared in 2009. Throughout its long history, Look's only other major binding design

2016-438: The heel. The strap held the boot forward and kept the toe in the cup and under the strap. The system was designed to keep the toe firmly in place while allowing the heel to rise off the ski. This allowed for a smooth cross-country striding motion. For downhill use, the cable was clipped down near the heel to keep the boot in firmer contact with the ski, and allow some level of lateral control. The major problem with these bindings

2072-454: The introduction of the Nevada II . The new design used a single pivot point under the binding as before, but replaced the rotating cup with two longer fingers. The action to the original Marker Duplex design. However, the use of the two fingers had two effects, for one it allowed a much wider range of boot shapes to be accommodated, and for another, it allowed the boot to travel much further within

2128-507: The late 1960s. The name now referred to both the toe and heel release as a pair, the separate Grand Prix name was dropped. The N17 was replaced by the similar N57 and N77 from the mid-1970s, which was improved in a number of minor ways, notably the option of a ski brake just behind the toe binding. The Nevada patents ran out in 1976, a similar models with long-travel toes quickly appeared from other binding manufacturers, starting with Salomon. These replaced earlier designs, which generally used

2184-406: The leather ski boots wore down quickly and the mounting point between the binding and boot was thus subject to constant change. Some designs address this by having the user screw metal fixings onto the boot sole to provide a more solid mounting point, but these would only fit a single style of binding. In any event, they required constant adjustment and were often complex. Richard Spademan, inventor of

2240-429: The market. When Spademan failed, Integral moved in to replace them. During this introduction, Dynamic Skis also produced a small run of Look-branded skis to go with the package. Modern conventional bindings have greatly reduced the need for solutions like the Integral. Most bindings now have easy-to-adjust sizing based on a lever that locks into a rack plate on the ski. Others use a rack and pinion arrangement that moves

2296-436: The midstep, and it was not uncommon for the Spademan plate to pull out of the sole. Even then, the addition of the plate might render the boot unusable on a ski with traditional bindings. This led to the introduction of the Spademan 900 boot, but it was withdrawn after only a year. The Spademan had a number of operational disadvantages as well. As there was no space below the binding plate, even small amounts of snow clinging to

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2352-531: The moulds were delivered months late. Both of these changes conspired to slow production, and many shops did not receive stock until well into the season. Sales plummeted, and the rapid take up of toe-and-heel bindings for the now universal plastic boots meant they never recovered. The S-9 model introduced true step-in-step out performance, but by the time of its release sales were moribund. Spademan eventually returned to practicing medicine. Rapid standardization among boot vendors meant that bindings manufacturers had

2408-443: The plate until it reached the corner, when it would release. In a direct-forward fall, the plate would lift up, acting against the angled shape of the clips, again forcing them outward and eventually releasing. The tension could be adjusted for skier weight or skill level via a large screw knob at the extreme rear, and several springs were provided for different release forces. Look Nevada Look 's Nevada , released in 1950,

2464-410: The plate was always the same size and shape. This made them popular in rental shops, where they lived on into the mid-1980s. The company also sold clip-on full-length plates for people who wanted to use rental skis with Spademan bindings with their own boots, lacking the butterfly. The plate had metal loops that clipped over the toe and heel, with a small lever on the back to allow it to be tensioned onto

2520-537: The plate, allowing the binding to release in any direction. This made the Spademan design dramatically safer than conventional systems; rental shops reported 1 fracture per 50,000 ski days with the Spademan, when the average was 1 in 20,000 (these numbers have since improved dramatically). Additionally, the limited size of the cams in contemporary bindings (with the notable exception of the Look Nevada ) had relatively limited free travel to soak up short shocks. This led to

2576-410: The problem of "pre-release", where a binding would release due to momentary pressure that would only cause injury if it was maintained for a longer time (it is not necessarily the force that fractures a bone, but the actual movement). In the case of the late model S series, the binding could move as much as 30 mm before releasing. During his residency at Stanford University , Spademan had designed

2632-401: The skier to clamp the binding onto the plate by tightening the spring with the rotating nut. Whitaker and Stuart suggesting having the spring on an arm that rotated upward, positioned over a cam at the rear of the binding. When the arm was rotated up, it would slide off the top of the cam and release all the tension. It could then be re-tensioned onto the plate by pushing the spring back down onto

2688-480: The sole or use add-on plates or clips. The basic two-pivot design has become universal, and used with only minor modifications to this day. Through the 1950s, Look's only real competitor in Europe was Marker , who introduced their Duplex design in 1952. The Duplex improved on the Nevada by using two clips to hold the toe, rather than a single cup. By locating the clips at the corners of the binding, even falls that created straightforward pressure would cause it to open -

2744-552: The tibial axis of the leg, below the calf. This would reduce torque on the knee and ankle when the ski rotated under the boot. This led to a new design with the binding mounted under the boot, and from there to the final Spademan design. However, Kansky v. Spademan Release System, Inc, 802 F.2d 440 (1st Cir. 1986), was affirmed in favor of Kenneth Michael Kansky because of a double spiral fracture of non released bindings causing major permanent leg damage to Mr. Kansky before his leg had finished growing. Conventional bindings clamped onto

2800-425: The toe and heel bindings by the same amount by turning a single screw. Spademan binding Spademan was a type of ski binding , one of a number of "plate bindings" that were popular in alpine skiing during the 1970s. It used a bronze plate screwed into the bottom of the boot as its connection point, held to the ski by a clamp-like mechanism that grasped the side of the plate. Unlike conventional bindings,

2856-453: The value of low-friction devices to aid boot release became clear in the late 1960s, Look modified the Nevada II into the Nevada T to take advantage of the teflon pads that were becoming common in the industry. In addition to a pad on top of the ski under the toe, Look also added a second smaller pad where the very front of the boot pressed under the Nevada's toe clips. The pad was shaped to force

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2912-498: Was also pivoted. In this sort of release scenario, the binding as a whole would rotate, and eventually the force would be far enough to the side that the clip would be forced sideways. As before, Beyl wanted a US-sounding name for his new binding, and selected "Nevada". The binding was released in 1950, along with a Nevada-branded cable binding of conventional design. The Nevada toe was the first modern ski binding that worked safely with any unmodified boot, eschewing attempts to attach to

2968-403: Was essentially one half of a Nevada system, turned sideways so it released vertically instead of to the sides. With cable bindings the heel was normally held down by looping the cable over the heel or cupped it in a semi-circular indentation on the back of the heel. To fit these different styles of binding points, and the fact that the boots had no standardized size or shape, the rotating portion of

3024-506: Was just after the 1960 Winter Olympics at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort , and traffic on the hill had increased as a result. In the early 1960s there were a number of quick-release binding systems on the market, but most of them required the user to bolt fittings to the toe and heel. Improperly assembled, or adjusted, these systems failed to release consistently. Spademan would later remark "Bindings were trash. We saw 150 fractures in

3080-415: Was relatively free to move, but in downhill use when the cable was clipped down this was a serious concern. In the 1950s it was estimated that a skier had a 1% chance of suffering an injury on any given day, and that 10% of skiers would suffer a fracture over a single season. In the immediate post-war era there were a few halting attempts to address this problem. However, most suffered from the problem that

3136-467: Was the first recognizably modern alpine ski binding . The Nevada was only the toe portion of the binding, and was used with a conventional cable binding for the heel. An updated version was introduced in 1962 with a new step-in heel binding, the Grand Prix . These basic mechanisms formed the basis for LOOK bindings for over 40 years, changing mainly in name and construction materials. The Nevada toe pattern

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