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2011 22 Designs Hammerhead and Axl: Bindings built for the 21st Century | Reviewed On: April 13, 2011 By lukelubchenco
OUR ADVICE
AVG USER ADVICE
Gear Reviews>>Bindings>>Telemark>> 22 Designs Hammerhead and Axl: Bindings built for the 21st CenturyBest in Test
AVG USER ADVICE
n/a
So you've recently upgraded to some new boots, or maybe you're still stuck on rottefella Riva-Z cable bindings from when my mom was still a skier. Well, I'm here to tell you, there is a new set of bindings out there that will change the way you think about telemark skiing!
I was there once; Wearing a 28 boot, so I'm borderline on having a good boot flex in nearly every telemark binding out there. Because larger boots initiate more leverage, hence, the flex into the duckbill of boots if the tension from the binding isn't quite right, and smaller boots giving less leverage to the binding, a telemark binding should probably be adjustable for different sizes of boots. This keeps everything from the ball of the foot forward on the binding rather than just the duckbill. This becomes increasingly important as the skis under our feet get bigger and bigger and.... well you get the idea. If this doesn't make sense, visit http://www.telemarktips.com/BindBench.html for more info on binding activity. Needless to say, I wasn't quite getting the most bang from my T-races and my control was hurting because of it. Here's the rundown on the 22 Designs Hammerhead and Axl bindings in case you haven't heard yet....
The Hammerhead:
The Good:
Adjustable pivot point! Wow! What a concept! Sorry to have gone seemingly off topic in the intro, but what makes this binding truly special, is the ability to move the pivot point to customize a flex pattern to your skiing style and boot. And with 5 different positions, no other binding comes close to matching the performance for all ranges of skier as the Hammerhead. Besides the flex point, the Hammerhead also boasts a simple design matched with durable materials, leaving the skier with a sense of security no matter where you find yourself. The Stiffy springs (sold separately) also increase the power of the binding by 20% which is a great option for bigger and/or more aggressive skiers.
The Bad:
The plastic heel throws have a few stories surrounding them regarding profuse breaking, but I can't back them up with evidence myself. Also, lacking in a tour mode and relying solely on the user moving the adjustable pivot points to the 1st position to make touring bearable makes this somewhat of an inbounds binding. Although not totally constricting, keep reading to see the review of the Axl (see below), the new 22 Designs binding with a free pivot tour mode for those who find themselves outside the boundaries more often than not.
What You Need To Know:
Whether an aggressive skier or not, big feet or small, tall or short, this binding will customize to nearly every flex and every boot. Put these on your big resort skis, or mount them on a casual backcountry ski. Either way, you'll be having fun like you've never seen before and pushing boards like you've never imagined. Ladies, check out the Bombshell, sized for smaller boots, with the same pivot positions as the regular hammerheads.
A video to put words to actions:
The Axl-
The Good:
Nearly all the benefits of the Hammerhead, with the free pivot touring mode added in. Three different telemark pivot positions along with a switch to make it a completely unencumbered 45 degree touring binding make this one powerful mother with a touch of grace. The third position is slightly more powerful than the Hammerhead's 5th while the first position translates to just below the second position of the hammerhead. The riser plate is slightly higher than other tele bindings, giving the skier as much power as a kung fu master and the durability certainly does not suck.
The Bad:
Small icing problems on the skin track make it tricky sometimes to switch back to ski mode, but clearing the two small metal pieces at the very rear of the binding solves the problem. Also, flex tip pole users should be careful switching between tour and ski mode as 22 Designs recommends not using them and I find myself using a multi-tool to do the job instead. A tad on the heavy end compared to other bindings, but probably worth it nonetheless.
What You Need To Know:
For unparalleled power and similar customizable pivot points as the regular hammerhead, along with the added tour mode and only minor problems make the Axl the ultimate in performance telemark bindings. Big and/or aggressive skiers; Look for the stiffy spring kit to get 15% more power!
Here are 2 videos of the AXL's in action:
Gear Reviews>>Bindings>>Telemark>> 22 Designs Hammerhead and Axl: Bindings built for the 21st CenturyI was there once; Wearing a 28 boot, so I'm borderline on having a good boot flex in nearly every telemark binding out there. Because larger boots initiate more leverage, hence, the flex into the duckbill of boots if the tension from the binding isn't quite right, and smaller boots giving less leverage to the binding, a telemark binding should probably be adjustable for different sizes of boots. This keeps everything from the ball of the foot forward on the binding rather than just the duckbill. This becomes increasingly important as the skis under our feet get bigger and bigger and.... well you get the idea. If this doesn't make sense, visit http://www.telemarktips.com/BindBench.html for more info on binding activity. Needless to say, I wasn't quite getting the most bang from my T-races and my control was hurting because of it. Here's the rundown on the 22 Designs Hammerhead and Axl bindings in case you haven't heard yet....
The Hammerhead:
tough, versatile, etc.
The Good:
Adjustable pivot point! Wow! What a concept! Sorry to have gone seemingly off topic in the intro, but what makes this binding truly special, is the ability to move the pivot point to customize a flex pattern to your skiing style and boot. And with 5 different positions, no other binding comes close to matching the performance for all ranges of skier as the Hammerhead. Besides the flex point, the Hammerhead also boasts a simple design matched with durable materials, leaving the skier with a sense of security no matter where you find yourself. The Stiffy springs (sold separately) also increase the power of the binding by 20% which is a great option for bigger and/or more aggressive skiers.
The Bad:
The plastic heel throws have a few stories surrounding them regarding profuse breaking, but I can't back them up with evidence myself. Also, lacking in a tour mode and relying solely on the user moving the adjustable pivot points to the 1st position to make touring bearable makes this somewhat of an inbounds binding. Although not totally constricting, keep reading to see the review of the Axl (see below), the new 22 Designs binding with a free pivot tour mode for those who find themselves outside the boundaries more often than not.
What You Need To Know:
Whether an aggressive skier or not, big feet or small, tall or short, this binding will customize to nearly every flex and every boot. Put these on your big resort skis, or mount them on a casual backcountry ski. Either way, you'll be having fun like you've never seen before and pushing boards like you've never imagined. Ladies, check out the Bombshell, sized for smaller boots, with the same pivot positions as the regular hammerheads.
A video to put words to actions:
The Axl-
Touring mode, power, durability... what's not to love?!
The Good:
Nearly all the benefits of the Hammerhead, with the free pivot touring mode added in. Three different telemark pivot positions along with a switch to make it a completely unencumbered 45 degree touring binding make this one powerful mother with a touch of grace. The third position is slightly more powerful than the Hammerhead's 5th while the first position translates to just below the second position of the hammerhead. The riser plate is slightly higher than other tele bindings, giving the skier as much power as a kung fu master and the durability certainly does not suck.
The Bad:
Small icing problems on the skin track make it tricky sometimes to switch back to ski mode, but clearing the two small metal pieces at the very rear of the binding solves the problem. Also, flex tip pole users should be careful switching between tour and ski mode as 22 Designs recommends not using them and I find myself using a multi-tool to do the job instead. A tad on the heavy end compared to other bindings, but probably worth it nonetheless.
What You Need To Know:
For unparalleled power and similar customizable pivot points as the regular hammerhead, along with the added tour mode and only minor problems make the Axl the ultimate in performance telemark bindings. Big and/or aggressive skiers; Look for the stiffy spring kit to get 15% more power!
Here are 2 videos of the AXL's in action:
