The wonderful world of cross-country ski bindings

Not so long ago, you had to be careful when it came time to change your skis or cross-country ski boots: you had to make sure that the boots and bindings were compatible. Over time, life has become easier for cross-country skiers, but it remains complicated for fans of off-piste cross-country skiing, telemark skiing and mountain skiing.

To sort it all out, there’s nothing like chatting with two enthusiasts, Gilles Labre, founding president of Boutique Courir, and Bastien Béland-Turgeon, advisor at the La Cordée boutique on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

“It’s all a bit complex,” recognizes Bastien Béland-Turgeon. So what I ask people is: where do they go cross-country skiing? Do they already have equipment? Did they think of particular areas? »

If someone thinks about cross-country skiing half the time at a ski resort and the other half off-piste, they tend to recommend off-piste cross-country ski equipment that also allows for borrowing trails traced.

Older cross-country skiers remember the good old “three-hole” or 75-millimeter bindings, which made it possible to tackle both marked and unmarked trails.

“It was the big boom in cross-country skiing in the early 1970s, the baby boomers were getting into it,” remembers Gilles Labre, of Boutique Courir.

And then, at the beginning of the 1980s, a host of fixing systems appeared, incompatible with each other. For this binding, you needed this boot.

“It was almost a caricature,” says Mr. Labre. It was discouraging for retailers and skiers. »

Two standards ended up emerging: NNN (New Nordic Norm), from the Norwegian Rottefella, and SNS (Salomon Nordic System). But they were not compatible with each other. If someone purchased SNS cross-country ski equipment, they would have to continue in that range if, for example, they needed to replace their boots. Although, at the time of his visit to the store, there was a better selection of models and sizes in the NNN system.

Salomon evolved its system with the SNS Profile, then the SNS Pilot, but they continued to be incompatible. Until, oh joy, its new Prolink system became compatible with NNN type boots.

“This is because Rottefella’s NNN patent expired at the time Salomon launched its new system, around 2015,” explains Gilles Labre.

Since then, it has been a joy for founders, who no longer need to limit themselves to a limited number of manufacturers when the time comes to replace their boots.

In addition, the new bindings come with a notable improvement: it is possible to move the binding forward or backward to promote either grip or sliding.

However, it hasn’t gotten any easier for off-piste skiing enthusiasts. In this world, the 75 millimeter binding (the good old three-hole) is still very much alive.

“This is what we will find on exploration cross-country skis, for people who want to go the distance, but who do not necessarily have an interest in performance,” explains Bastien Béland-Turgeon.

But the most popular fixing system is the NNN BC (Back Country), which can be found in three versions: an automatic version, a version that must be operated manually, and a version with a slightly wider plate under the foot for more stability.

Unfortunately, the NNN is not compatible with the NNN BC. The cross-country skier cannot use the same boots for his ordinary cross-country skis and for his off-piste cross-country skis.

To complicate matters further, Rottefella has released a separate binding system, Xplore, which requires different boots.

The situation is not simpler on the telemark side. There are two main systems, explains Bastien Béland-Turgeon: a 75 millimeter binding equipped with a cable which ensures greater rigidity, and another system developed by Rottefella, the NTN (New Telemark Norm). Which is offered in two sizes: small and large.

And then there is the whole world of ski touring, or mountain skiing, with different standards.

“What is important is to have a boot that is compatible with its binding,” emphasizes Mr. Béland-Turgeon.

It’s not as simple as it seems. At first glance, an incompatible boot might fit properly.

“But in the event of a fall, it might not hold,” warns Bastien Béland-Turgeon.

Hence the importance of consulting specialists.