Stuff I Like - ATK Trofeo Tech Binding Toe Piece

ATK TrofeoHard to believe there was a time when afficionados of light and fast movement on skis through the mountains had limited access to the best gear. Indeed, when I was stepping into the game 15 years ago, Dynafit ruled and we could only listen to whispers from Europe about alternatives. But innovation could not avoid the inevitable export across the Atlantic and we now have everything we could want. A quick glance at Skimo Co website will leave you reeling with desire.

This article will detail some of my experiences with Plum, ATK and Dynafit bindings. I've also spent time on Kreutzspitze and Trab bindings. I'm focusing on toe pieces here. I've been very consistent over the last 12 years or so, preferring the Plum Race 170 heel piece to couple with whatever toe I might be using. There are an equal number of heel piece considerations to be made but I simply have not explored them. What I often end up with, then, is a kind of Franken-binding, mixing brands to cater to my whims.Mix and match

These lighter bindings are not for everyone. Lighter means less metal and that can result in a durability issue for some skiers.

My two casualties after over a decadeSkiers over 200 pounds, for instance, may want to upsize their choice, giving up weight for reliability. Shredders prone to launching huge air or doing odd things like skiing backwards may prefer something more robust. For those of us who will never check those boxes, light weight, so-called race bindings, will serve the purpose of getting down whatever madness we conjur while sparing us the additional burden on the up. Besides, most of the time spent in ski alpinism is done so on the uptrack.

Tech Binding Mania

Although many clever manufacturers stepped into the vacuum created by the expiration of Dynafit's tech binding patent, I have remained loyal to Plum, with only brief trysts with other brands. I've used the crap out of their gear, been to their production facility and spoken to their engineers in Thyez, France. They are a committed and first-rate company. However, another small machine shop early to the game, ATK, has always been on my radar as a possible alternative. A few years ago, Black Diamond even chose ATK as their rebranded back country binding of choice. 

I've really had no reason to switch aside from my own curiosity. But when a friend managed some kooky transition shenanigans on his way to a head plant and snapped the toe lever on my Plum Race 120 toe piece, I was inspired to have a look at a similar classed binding from ATK. 

Enter the ATK Trofeo race binding toe piece. Now before I dive into what I like about this binding, allow me to share some binding details that I consider when equipping my skis. Top of the list has to be reliability. For sure, all bindings break and when this happens in a place where it matters, things can get desparate. Most of the brands available now have worked out the design and material issues that plagued the industry a decade ago. 

Next consideration is ease of use. When skiing technical lines with exposed transitions, being able to get in and out of your bindings easily is key. For several years, I favored the Dynafit Speed toe for this very reason. Dynafit SpeedThe lever is easy to operate without the need for pushing with a ski pole or ice ax spike. Lining the pins up with the tech boot fittings is also easy with a clever featured boot stop. I gave up some grams for the convenience but felt it worth it. (Dynafit Speed - 154.7 grams vs. Plum Race 120 - 85.7 grams)

But sometimes my mood would change and I'd prefer a matched set of bindings and Plum was my go to. Plum Race 150Now, the big problem I've had with the most common Plum race binding, the Race 150 toe piece, is the lever is nearly impossible for me to depress with my thumb. It is also equally stiff stepping into it. This presents a small struggle compared to the Dynafit Speed option. On the other hand, I can typically skin average terrain without locking the toes due to the stiffer springs in play. A small but meaningful margin of safety.

My Plum solution to this peave was to switch to the Race 120 toe which sports an improved toe lever pivot point and slightly lighter springs(?). Plum Race 120Everything is easier on the 120 and I still can tour with unlocked toes. But after my friend snapped the lever, I sensed a small liability there. So, I decided to explore the ATK as a replacement in my quiver.

ATK Trofeo

Overall, I'd say I like the ATK a bit more. The machining appears equal to the quality of the Plum. The spring design is curiously different, with the ATK having a single side, asymmetric spring placement compared to the Plum. I can operate it with my thumb. I don't know if one spring design possesses an advantage over the other. One subtle difference that improves my mood most days is that the pins are closer together on the ATK when the bindings are open, prior to stepping in. This makes lining up the tech fittings of the boot easier. It's only a few millimeters but it makes a difference stepping in.

Ski Crampon details

While both the Plum and ATK bindings have after-market crampon receptors that must be purchased separately (annoying), the Plum version ($44.95) is a handy "drop-in" style where the ATK ($54.95) is the typical "slide in from the side" style more common in other brands. Although more convenient, the Plum design does present a unique liability in that the ski crampon can just fall out if the ski is inverted while you are not clicked in. No such issue with the ATK. That said, I love simply dropping the Plum version into place without the struggle I occasionally experience with the slide-in designs. Admittedly, some of this struggle may be related to my affection for B and D Ski Gear crampons and their compatibility to some of these binding attachements. 

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, most of the brands of race style bindings are up to the task of common backcountry and ski alpinism demands. They come with a certain amount of release characteristic limitations that heavier, more fully-featured bindings possess. For me, giving up some of this in order to achieve my skiing objectives in a certain style has always been worth the trade off. This essential piece of ski hardware has been put to test by thousands of skiers across the world. So step up, lighten up and drop in.