dynafit on bigger rig??

so im looking at getting some new fat sticks that can handle anything from bc-pow to resort skiing if they had to. debating making the switch to dynafits with it to make what will likely be a slightly heavier ski more manageable while touring. does anyone out there ride their dynafits real hard that could comment on conditions that they don't obviously excel in/designed for? I know they aren't designed for the resort but im wondering if I went with the FT12s could they handle it while lapping side country, the resort days when avy danger high elsewhere, etc.

Thanks!

When I finally fixed my heels about 7 years ago, I got Dynafits and have never skied anything else.  Because my kids were/are in a ski race program at Stevens I do mostly lift served or side country skiing.  At least at the hill once or twice a week.

I know that conventional wisdom is that these are not meant for lift served skiing, but I cannot understand why , if just about any condition can be found in the backcountry and that is what they are made for, why would they should not suffice lift served conditions?  Really, they are not approved DIN, and so what the DIN authorities are really saying is that the bindings should not really be skied at all.  It is just that for backcountry skiing, the design for touring seems to somehow qualify them, or at least excuse them with some kind of exemption.  That is kind of bull.  If you want the surety of DIN, then don't do it.  But then DIN ain't no guarantee either.

In any case they do just fine.  I set mine not too tight.  I almost always have releases when I want them to (sometime double ejections) and when they release prematurely, it is because I did not get into properly (usually the toe is gummed up with ice in the pinholes).  But you know that happens with DIN bindings as well usually with snow and ice in the rear.

Also, I did sustain an an injury once.  A partially torn calf muscle from trying to fall forward while inadvertently skiing backward.  This was a slow fall.  However, I rode a lift the week after with a patrol guy who had the same injury from the same situation and he was skiing DIN bindings.

As far as them holding up to the punishment, I guess I am the Dynafit tester supreme.  Never had them break or fail in the 3 or 4 years that I have put onto each of two sets.  The first set I skied a lot, probably averaging over two skier days per week.

The brakes are really too small to be effective, and if you put them on still a larger ski than mine (Shuksans) they will be even less so.

On the other hand they are one of the tightest bindings between boot and ski that there is out there.  They either are on and tight or they are off.  Not a lot of slop like Fritschi, so more like a standard binding control-wise.

My son had been skiing either race bindings or Fritschi the past several years.  He now has new skis and my old Dynafit bindings.  We will use them for Stevens, lift, sidecountry and already have used them in the backcountry.

Having given them my vote of confidence and 7 years of good luck, I am now knocking on my wooden desk...

However, remember you plan on putting them on beefier gear that what I ski.

Alan

If you're worried about them failing, inspect the arms of the toepiece, the heel pins themselves, and the base of the heel post for cracks before you ski. Also, inspect the boot fittings and tighten the heel fitting screws a few times during the season.  I only own Dynafits, and ski inbounds on 105mm waist skis when conditions suggest it.

[size=8pt]Edit: Incorrect hearsay removed, prose tightened.[/size]

To me it really depends what exactly you mean by "real hard". I ride dynafits on my lhasa pows (112 underfoot) and have no problem with them. I go fast, charge hard, avoid moguls when i can but have gone through them with no problem. I dont huck though. If you just charge hard, ski fast youll have no problems. If you add in hucking you might want to look at alternatives. I am sure they would do fine for small little hucks but you have to remember on landing all your heel's force is placed on those two pins.

Really for me the bigger thing to consider is boots. most AT boots with the tech inserts arent as still as alpine boots. I can tell a huge difference in my garmont radiums vs solly impact pros. On the lhasa's the radiums do just fine but i can definately tell they are softer. Throw on my impact pro's and i can feel the ski being more responsive. Just one thing to consider if you are going much bigger than 115. You do hit a point where its more the boot than the binding for hard charging, go fast sort of people (on dynafit bindings that is).

One option, and the one i use, is to get a pair of dynaduke plates. then you can switch between marker dukes (or barons) and dynafits. Swapping takes all of 5 minutes. This way in resort you get a more traditional binding but can still do sidecountry if you want. And can use alpine boots. Days you know you are primarily touring you toss on the dynafits.

What Velillen said.
I have exactly the same set up and it works very well.
Here is a link to a thread in the other place about the DynaDuke plates:

tinyurl.com/26yc4uv

While I haven't experienced this first hand, I have seen plenty of dialog from other skiers online that are pulling their bindings from the skis. I'm sure there are cases where the bindings may not have been installed properly however there are enough instances where they were that caused doubt for me. The concern in my mind isn't the binding/boot interface, but more the amount of torque and energy that a small mounting footprint has to absorb.

This is purely anecdotal, and like others have posted here, I also know plenty of people who charge hard on this type of set up with good results...

Third that on Velillen.
Good plan on the Dyna-Duke if you are going to go for it inbounds. Then that gives you side country options.
I have seen the pincers on the Dynafits get bent on some of those who rough ride.
And the boot to match the ski thing is a long conversation best done by testing many combos.
That is why I liked the BC ski demo program that was at Vertfest at Crystal.
Sure would like to see a return of that program.