Marker Kingpin

Lots of buzz out there about these. And coming to market sooner than initially expected! The weight seems pretty reasonable too. And this was going to be the winter I didn't buy new gear...
 
Saw a bunch of press on this, looks like a sweet alternative. I have seen some people hating on the lack of lateral release in the toe and comparing it to the dynafit beast 16 but as far as I can tell this seems to aimed at a different market than the beast. Hopefully this pushes down the price of Marker's frame bindings...
 
I have my name on a pair of these at mountain gear. I will post first impressions when they are mounted and skied on.
 
Yeah I know a couple of the guys down at Mountain Gear and knew if anyone in town would get some it would be them. Sounds like they are getting 4 pairs (2 10s & 2 13s). Bryan assures me my name is on a pair of the tens. But, I will believe it when they are bought and paid for. Looks like a great binding that can be skied anywhere.
 
Keep us in the loop Randy. It'll be great to hear from somebody with first hand experience. Guess I need to start saving some $$ for these
 
Absolutely Brandon. They are supposed to get in around the 15th of December. Once I have some snow time with them I'll post. I love the idea of bridging the gap between a tech and frame binding. It would be nice to have the best of both worlds in one setup. Tour ability of a tech toe, with the power of an alpine heal. I don't think it would my binding of choice for a multi-day tour, but who knows. I suppose this is the bastard child you get when you let a tech binding get all liquored up and party with a bunch of frame bindings.
 
Exactly. And in my opinion the lack of a flat tour mode on the beast is a complete deal breaker. I guess the beast is for the guy that is hiking 40 degree slopes all day and huckin 30 foot cliffs. I'm just not quite sure who they are targeting. But, trial and error are part of innovation. You just hope as an early adopter that you're not on the error side.
 
Hear ye, hear ye! To all the tech junkies, gear heads, and coveters of all that is shiny and new. The King has arrived. I got a call from mountain gear yesterday and was able to purchase a Kingpin binding. They are not listed on their website, but are available for purchase. You must call or go in. Just so you know they are only getting 4 pairs and I have one. Good luck. Keep the lovin' local and tell them you heard about it on Panhandle Backcountry.

Tourers Unite
Randy
 
I don't actually have the bindings yet. I was simply able to purchase a token which guarantees me a place in line to get a ticket to potentially buy a binding. :) They are in transit.
 
For all you guys that threw down on these, be cautious:



Inspect the toe pins frequently. This could seriously ruin your day... According to the report (read more on TGR) this happened after only a few short tours.
 
Wow not good. Thanks for the heads up Brandon. I will definitely keep my eye on them. Good news is you know marker will make it right, bad news is that the first problem came out so early. Certainly hope this isn't an indication of things to come. Price you pay for being a retail beta tester.
 
This is a real problem and not just an is0lated event. Lou at wildsnow has a post going about it. I have not had the problem yet, but it sounds like it has happened often enough that retailers are pulling the binding off the shelf.
 

PowderPanda

Staff member
Thanks Randy… Mine have arrived.. Told my GF she can get something else instead!!! Have you got out on yours yet?
 
Yeah Larry, I have a couple of mt Spokane tours on them and no problem. They tour great and ski great. But this sounds like a fundamental flaw in the marriage of two different metals. I can't imagine, with this many of the exact same problem, that any of the bindings are completely free of the defect. Sounds like marker may be getting ready for a public statement addressing the issue. More to follow I'm sure.
 
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