Jeff Campbell

During my senior year in the mechanical engineering program at the University of Utah my senior design team members Angelo Diaz, Jeff Johnson, and I designed and built a Backcoutnry Ski Binding.
We felt that current ski bindings on the market were severely deficient in several areas.

We wanted to design a binding that could perform the following functions:

- Durable and robust to take the hardest hits skiing
- DIN range of 8-16 to reduce the probability of pre-release
- Wider footprint to handle wider skis
- Enable uphill hiking and transisition between downhill and uphill modes without removing the ski or any binding components
- A variable pivot point in the climbing mechanism for more effectient hiking and power transmission
- Maintain a 90 degree range of motion during hiking

Climbing Mode Features:

Collapsable four-bar linkage system.

A locking quick release levers hold the heel down and the linkage in the uphill position.

PIC

Skiing Mode

DIN Design

TOE: Dual Symetrical Cam

- DIN Range: 8-14
- To enable greater range of motion Hiking
- Greater DIN Range
- Wide footprint for increased performance with wide skis

PIC Actual

PIC Solidwords Cross section

PIC DIN Graph

HEEL: Race Binding Design = More travel before binding Release

PIC Actual
PIC Cross Section

PIC Truck Pic w/ Bluehouse

Thanks to Bluehouse Skis for Donating skis to test the bindings out!

Bluehouse logo