New Annex on the way - binding advice?

[BensonWdby]

After more than 21 years on Connelly I have taken advantage of a great price opportunity and purchased a new 2008 Radar Annex. I will still be looking for bindings that match the hole pattern.

Prefer bindings that are not right/left sensitive with RTP, that might release in high stress crash. Any advice on bindings appreciated.

TIA
Dave

[Matt Glenn]

I got a annex last year and skied on it for a year. This ski kicks ass. This is the only ski that I did not have to get use to. I use my old HO animal bindings. That is I don't use the RADAR binding plate. You will love this ski

[maxpower220]

I have Connelly Draft bindings on my HO ski. After I bought them for my wife's ski, I love the way they feel, the ease of enter/exit. I ordered them throught Performance Ski for the HO bolt pattern.

[BensonWdby]

Have you ever released out of the Drafts? I fall often and am thinking I would like to release...

[Sled491]

I like the Radar bindings, very comfy. But I use the obrien Contact High Wraps and come out when I need to and find them to have great lateral support.

[maxpower220]

Have you ever released out of the Drafts? I fall often and am thinking I would like to release...

Yes, most of my falls are slides and I haven't "gone over the front" in a while. There are laces in the front which allow you to determine how tight the base and the ankle are. The hinge just allows for easy entry/exit. I sold my approach bindings, the Drafts are the nicest binding that I have ridden (that is not saying much).

[BensonWdby]

Sled - are you using the Contacts on a Radar? did you have to mod the ski or the plate to get it to fit?

[Sled491]

No, but I believe you can do it. It is my understanding that there is only two hole patterns out there. As Radar is a distant cousin of Obrien I would assume they stayed with the same pattern. But really how difficult could it be to modify the plate on you bindings? I would think it could be done with a simple drill and maybe a dremel.

[BensonWdby]

I have often thought that modifying a plate would be a logical option. Never tried it ... I wonder how much of the ski's perfromance is dependent on the change in flex that you might get from different plates? Like a single plate for dual boots vs. individually mounted boots, or a separately mounted RTP?

Never really thought much about it before.

[Sled491]

Well if we look to Downhill skiing you may have a point. Years ago when I was still competing at a high level Tichy plates came out. One thing they did was elevate the boot to create more angulation, but the other affect and as it relates to our discussion is that it changed the flex pattern of the ski as the mounting points were outside the typical binding thus in theory giving a better arc.

Don't qoute me on this but while in Orlando and at PWS shop who have no shortage of high end skiis on the rack I thought I saw just such an idea. A plate on top of the ski under the binding area. They you could mount any binding system you want without any negative effect on performance