I had a chance to demo a pair of the S-Lab classical boots without and
then with Pilot bindings. For some reason the Salomon rep gave me
Profil binding skis without my realizing it and I came back 30 minutes
later saying the boots were really comfortable but there didn't seem
any difference in the feel of the bindings. They definitely did work
with the Profil bindings, no question. Then someone noticed the
problem and switched the skis, and the difference was immediate. The
feeling was smoother, more solid all the way through to landing. You'll
have to judge for yourself whether the cost is worth it. Not sure why
they would ice up anymore than other Salomon pilots, which for me
has been rare. NNN always iced up more for me than Salo's.

rm

" wrote:

I spent some time looking at the new Pilot Classic binding. The
glaring change is the fact there is no flexor; there is a "hook" which
attaches to the 2nd bar on the boot. The hook is attached to a Kevlar
strap which pulls out of (and retracts back into) a mechanism inside
the center ridge of the binding plate. This ridge is flared towards
the toe of the boot and the back of it has an adjuster screw to vary
the tension of the strap. There is a small indicator to tell you where
the screw is positioned.

The flared center ridge DOES NOT mate with any of the older classic
boots - the recess in an older boot does not fit over it unless you are
planning to carve the sole up a bit. That doesn't really matter though
because there is no flexor to return the ski anyway. The bottom line
is that if you want the new Pilot Classic binding, you'll need to buy
new boots too.

I've heard folks describe the new classic binding as "80% gimmick".
I've got some concerns about whether they will ice up and stop working.


- Bob