Alsop binding

[kashaslc]

Remember the Alsop binding, with the pivot in the center of the boot? Seems like a truely poor design. But the box says "Used by the US ski team".

Does anyone know if they ever really were used? Were they even close to an acceptable binding?
Thanks
Dan

[Seth]

The Allsop binding, manufactured for a few years in the early '70s, was a "backward" design in the sense that to release laterally the boot had to pivot around a post under the ball of the foot. This prevented a lot of unwanted releases, but it could also put a hell of a torque on the tibia in any kind of twisting fall. From a safety standpoint, it wasn't a viable binding.

Allsop did hire some hot racers to endorse it. Hank Kashiwa skied on the binding for a number of years. Top racers were generally strong enough to survive an eggbeater crash on the Allsop without loss of limb. This was also a period before the U.S. Ski Team had a mature equipment pool system and racers were free to use any equipment they were given -- or paid (under the table) to use.

Advancing safety standards, and in particular the widespread adoption of the teflon anti-friction pad in the position where Allsop put a pivot peg, killed off the Allsop binding. It was a dead end.