G3 (aka, Genuine Guide Gear) is introducing a new touring binding — the Zed — that they’re calling the lightest fully-featured AT binding on the market. So we talk to G3’s engineers about their design philosophy and development process, current trends in AT bindings, and the compromises inherent in any AT binding.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Introductions (2:15)
• When did work begin on this binding, and what was the primary aim? (4:55)
• The “Dark Swamp of Despair” (8:03)
• The difficulty of naming products (11:09)
• The G3 ION as the precursor to the ZED (12:37)
• Cutting weight on the ZED (17:14)
• Why choose the ION over the ZED? (26:03)
• Why choose the Zed over "ultralight" bindings (29:07)
• Using ultralight bindings on wide skis (30:19)
• Carbon reinforced plastics (33:51)
• Current binding trends and U-Spring bindings (37:15)
• Understanding the inherent compromises in bindings (44:55)

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