A heel unit for a touring binding includes a base for mounting on a sliding board and coupling means to engage a heel portion of a sliding board boot in a downhill position of the touring binding to retain the sliding board boot on the touring binding. A release mechanism holds the coupling means so as to be moveable relative to the base and releasable from the sliding board boot, in the downhill position, in an event of action of a force exceeding a predetermined release force. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the touring binding between the downhill position and a walking position in which the coupling means are remote from and do not engage the sliding board boot. The adjustment mechanism comprises an actuation assembly manually actuatable to lock or unlock the adjustment mechanism substantially without an actuation force or with an actuation force less than the predetermined release force.

Rear holding element for a ski boot comprising a heel grip (11), a lever (6) and a fitting pedal (7), characterized in that the fitting pedal (7) is mobile relative to the heel grip (11).

A mechanism for locking the heel portion of a snow glide board boot binding. The heel-locking device locks and unlocks by rotating a lever. The heel-locking device allows the rider to lock their boot binding hands-free to the snow glide board by pressuring the back of the boot binding baseplate with their boot while the heel-locking device is in the locked position. Once locked, the rider must rotate the lever to a predetermined position to unlock the boot binding.

A telemark ski binding has a toe retainer pivotally coupled to a base. A lock assembly of the binding has an actuator assembly. The lock assembly is adjustable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. The binding further has a heel retainer rotatably coupled to the toe retainer. When the lock assembly is in the unlocked configuration, the toe retainer is unlocked, and the toe retainer and heel retainer are both rotatable together substantially inline, relative to the base, around a first center point. When the lock assembly is in the locked configuration, the toe retainer is locked, and the toe retainer is restrained from rotating relative to the base. The heal retainer is rotatable relative to the toe retainer around a second center point. The second center point is at a different location from said first center point.

An apparatus for holding a footwear heel to a snow travel aid is provided. The apparatus comprises a mountable base connected to a generally vertical post and an upper portion having at least one forward connector for connecting the upper portion to the heel. The upper portion is rotatable on the post between a downhill position and at least one touring position and comprises at least one part which travels over a prominence at a fixed location relative to the upper portion during rotation from the downhill position to the touring position. The at least one part becomes engageable with a depression adjacent the prominence when the upper portion is in the touring position to resist rotation from the touring position back to the downhill position. The post comprises a feature that provides clearance for the at least one part to travel over the prominence or which functions as the prominence and depression. Also provided are posts for use as a part in such an apparatus.

A mechanism for locking the heel portion of a snow glide board boot binding. The heel-locking device locks and unlocks by rotating a lever. The heel-locking device allows the rider to lock their boot binding hands-free to the snow glide board by pressuring the back of the boot binding baseplate with their boot while the heel-locking device is in the locked position. Once locked, the rider must rotate the lever to a predetermined position to unlock the boot binding.

Some aspects include a ski binding system using controllable electromagnets, alone or in combination with permanent magnets, as means of attaching or releasing a ski boot to a ski during use. Some aspects include a ski binding system using a controllable solenoid. In some aspects, microprocessor-based control releases binding electronically based on input from sensors located in binding, ski and/or boot, as well as in other equipment or clothing connected to them or to skier, or binding releases when a mechanical threshold is overcome. In some aspects, sensor data are recorded for analysis of system performance and for adjustment and improvement of system parameters based on data analytics.

A heel unit apparatus for a ski touring binding is disclosed which comprises a body mounted on a support, the body being rotatable relative to the support on a vertical axis. The body comprises a resilient element movable within the body which when pre-loaded under compression or tension, exerts forces in opposing directions. The body also comprises at least one forward connector moveable between resting and release positions for releasably connecting the body to the heel of a footwear and a My linkage between the resilient element and the at least one forward connector configured such that force exerted in one of the opposing directions resists movement of the at least one forward connector from the resting position to the release position. The resilient element, the at least one forward connector and the My linkage cooperate to resist forward release. The body further comprises a Mz linkage between the resilient element and a resting surface on the support configured such that the force in the other of the opposing directions presses against the resting surface to resist rotation of the body about the support. The resilient element, the Mz linkage and the body cooperate to resist lateral release. Shocks independently affecting the My and the Mz linkages do not significantly lessen resistance to Mz and My release, respectively.

A brake arrangement for a touring binding, adjustable between a braking position and a sliding position. The brake arrangement includes a base having a fastening arrangement for fastening to one or more of a ski or the touring binding, a pedal having a step surface for a shoe on a side of the pedal facing away from the ski, at least one brake arm mounted on the base and on the pedal, at least one first resilient element configured to preload the brake arrangement into the braking position, and a locking element that is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The locking element, in the engaged position, is designed to lock the brake arrangement in the sliding position. The locking element may be preloaded into the engaged position. The brake arrangement may include a blocking element that is adjustable between a blocking position and a release position.

A heel unit apparatus for a ski touring binding is disclosed which comprises a body mounted on a support, the body being rotatable relative to the support on a vertical axis. The body comprises a resilient element movable within the body which when pre-loaded under compression or tension, exerts forces in opposing directions. The body also comprises at least one forward connector moveable between resting and release positions for releasably connecting the body to the heel of a footwear and a My linkage between the resilient element and the at least one forward connector configured such that force exerted in one of the opposing directions resists movement of the at least one forward connector from the resting position to the release position. The resilient element, the at least one forward connector and the My linkage cooperate to resist forward release. The body further comprises a Mz linkage between the resilient element and a resting surface on the support configured such that the force in the other of the opposing directions presses against the resting surface to resist rotation of the body about the support. The resilient element, the Mz linkage and the body cooperate to resist lateral release. Shocks independently affecting the My and the Mz linkages do not significantly lessen resistance to Mz and My release, respectively.