Kicking bindings.

Ok I saw this being taught today to a class ran by ESF.

You know when you get snow and ice built up on the sole of your boots and they become difficult to lock into your skis. Well this instructor was reaching the class the scrape/kick them hard against their bindings to remove it before retrying to click in.

Surely that's not good? I spent a lot of cash on my skis and I'm not going to kick hell out of them, especially the most mechanical and safety conscious parts.

Am I being silly?

Do you do this

A Ski Binding is quite a lot tougher than your legs, unless your Bindings are all plastic outers... All of the mechanical parts that matter are on the inside...except the Glide Plate. If you don't clear the boot sole free of snow, then the binding can't/won't work properly. Then your boot may be too tight in the fore/aft space and your binding may pre release, or worse still jam up.

The sole of your boot is part of your safety kit, scrape away, I do.

Snapzzz wrote:
Do you do this?

Yep - always have on my own and hire skis.
Pretty tough things bindings.

Snapzzz wrote:Ok I saw this being taught today to a class ran by ESF.

You know when you get snow and ice built up on the sole of your boots and they become difficult to lock into your skis. Well this instructor was reaching the class the scrape/kick them hard against their bindings to remove it before retrying to click in.

Surely that's not good? I spent a lot of cash on my skis and I'm not going to kick hell out of them, especially the most mechanical and safety conscious parts.

Am I being silly?

Do you do this

It is much the same as uncliping your binding with your ski, it can only cause damage :evil:

Wickers, scratching the paintjob has no effect on the function of the Binding. :D

Bandit- I wasn't questioning the clearing of snow and ice from the sole, that's a given. It was just the method.
I generally clear mine with the tip of my ski pole.

Was taught to do this when I first started skiing and always done it - but it's more of a scrape than a kick, across the top of the bindings before clipping in. There's no weight behind it so can't see it causing much in the way of damage myself.

Snapzzz wrote:Am I being silly?

No... I'm with you on this. Bindings are one of the critical parts of your kit, and I was taught not to do this (many years ago).

Each to their own I guess but if you kick the snow / ice off using the binding then some of it ends up back under your boot (exactly where you don't want it) anyway!

I just whack the underside of my boot with a pole... but I guess kicking the binding will be easier if, er, your leg doesn't bend at the knee? :?: 8)