Salomon and Atomic?s new Backcountry Binding

Sister brands Salomon and Atomic got together to create a new alpine touring binding?available Fall 2012? that will go head-to-head with other bindings on the market, namely some in Marker's and Fritschi's lineup. The biggest differentiating factor: the Salomon Guardian 16 and Atomic Tracker 16 don't require the skier to step out of the bindings between climb and ski modes. Skiing Business caught up with Jenny Naftulin, Salomon's U.S. alpine brand manager, and Kathryn Smith, Atomic's U.S. alpine brand manger to find out more. Who?s your main competition with the new binding(s)? While there is obvious competition in the backcountry binding segment, Atomic and Salomon have designed a binding that is wider, lower, stronger and more convenient than comparable backcountry bindings. What are the tech specs on these? DIN range: 7 ? 16 Sole Length:  S 265 - 320MM; L 305 - 360MM Weight:  Not Available Yet MSRP: Not Available Yet How long have you guys been working on the binding and what were some of the snags along the way? The binding has been in development for more than 5 years. It was developed by the best experts and athletes from both brands working together at the Amer Binding Development Center in Annecy, France. This made it possible to combine the know-how of both brands to develop a product with technical specifications to exceed the market?s current standard (pedal height, toe width, MX, lateral torsion, etc.).   Did this stem from a U.S. need or was this a European push? This binding was developed because of a global need for new innovations in backcountry bindings. What other collaboration projects between sister brands like this can we expect to see in the future? For now, the binding project is the only collaboration in the pipeline.  We can absolutely anticipate more to come. Read more at Skiing Business Salomon?s Guardian Site Atomic's Tracker Site

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