A binding having a front plate (2), a front assembly (3) for immobilising the boot and capable of cooperating with the sole (81) of the boot (8), a rear assembly (6) for retaining the boot and capable of cooperating with a retaining lug (85) of the rear portion of the front sole and/or with the rear sole, the rear assembly being movable relative to the front plate in the vertical plane, and tensioning means (66) which act between the rear retaining assembly (6) and the ski and/or the front plate (2) and which are capable of tensioning the boot (8) on the binding (1) and enabling the heel to be raised freely. The front immobilisation assembly is mounted in a floating manner on the front plate about a transverse pivot axis (A3), the supporting point enabling the front end (81′) of the sole (81) of the boot.

Presented is one embodiment of a telemark-capable ski binding system which combines the conventional tech style toe piece or front coupling with a telemark tension assembly (110) that provides the necessary rotational resistance to a ski boot (300) but still allows the ski boot heel to be raised for a telemark style turn upon descent. Telemark tension assembly (110) can be adjusted to alter the engagement of telemark tension assembly (110) according to user preference and conditions for descent. Telemark tension assembly (110) can also be loosened to the point that adjustable restraint (112) can be rotated forward and rest unengaged in front of ski boot (300) for free rotation in toe coupling (100) during ascent or touring. This embodiment provides a lightweight telemark ski binding system that has improved resistance to undesirable snow gathering. Other embodiments are described that have adjustability features and alpine descent mode.

Splitboard binding systems including a binding that may be attached to either a left or right gliding board in a ski mode or to both gliding boards in a snowboard mode. The binding includes left and right bottom rails attached to the bottom surface of a base plate, which define channels for slidable attachment to pucks disposed on the gliding board in snowboard mode. Each rail has a circular bore at a forward end for attachment to a counterpart pivot pin on a ski mode toe bracket in a ski mode by a sideways movement. A securing lever is disposed on an upper surface of the toe bracket. When the securing lever is rotated into a securing position, an end of the securing lever prevents removal of the pivot pin from the rail bore. Rotating the securing lever to a removal position allows the binding to be removed.

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 heel unit for an alpine touring binding, comprising a binding body which is suitable for holding a heel portion of an alpine touring shoe in a downhill position of the heel unit and for releasing the heel portion of the alpine touring shoe in an alpine touring position of the heel unit, such that the alpine touring shoe can lift off the heel unit, and a climbing aid which is adjustable between an active position and a passive position, wherein, while in the active position, the climbing aid supports the heel portion of the alpine touring shoe at a predetermined height above a sliding board plane in the alpine touring position of the heel unit, wherein the climbing aid is biased over the entire path of movement thereof into the active position by means of a flexible element and can be locked in the passive position.

A heel unit for an alpine touring binding, comprising a binding body which is suitable for holding a heel portion of an alpine touring shoe in a downhill position of the heel unit and for releasing the heel portion of the alpine touring shoe in an alpine touring position of the heel unit, such that the alpine touring shoe can lift off the heel unit, and a climbing aid which is adjustable between an active position and a passive position, wherein, while in the active position, the climbing aid supports the heel portion of the alpine touring shoe at a predetermined height above a sliding board plane in the alpine touring position of the heel unit, wherein the climbing aid is biased over the entire path of movement thereof into the active position by means of a flexible element and can be locked in the passive position.

A brake device for a sliding board, including: a base for connecting the brake device to the sliding board; and a brake, including: at least one brake paddle; a latching element which can be moved back and forth between a first position in which the brake paddle can be released in order to slow the sliding board and a second position in which the brake paddle can be fixed in a non-braking position; and a pedal which includes a bearing area for a boot and a functional element which can be moved relative to the bearing area, wherein moving the functional element releases the latching element to be moved from the first position to the second position.

A movement assistance device comprising a first element for rigidly connecting the device to one foot of a user and transmitting a thrust force to said foot; and a second element linked to the first element by link means and intended to be in contact with the ground; the device further comprises means for transmitting a force from an exogenous energy source, to the first element and/or to the second element, in order to separate them from each other.

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 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.