Kingpin 13 26/27

Same platform as the Kingpin 10 with the ceiling raised: DIN 6 to 13. Carbon-reinforced ISI pin toe with a wide step-in platform and integrated boot stop, an alpine-style heel with wide sole contact points and XXL power transmitters, 25mm of heel length adjustment, and climbing aids at 0, 7 and 13 degrees with elastomer damping.

The trade is the same as the 10, only more so. This is not a light binding by touring standards, and choosing it means deciding the descent matters more than the climb. If your release setting sits in single digits you are carrying a ceiling you will not use.

For heavier or harder-charging skiers touring on wide skis, and for anyone whose backcountry days look like resort days with a walk attached. Lighter skiers are correctly served by the Kingpin 10.

DIN 6 to 13 is aimed at skiers over about 130 pounds. Brake width clears the ski waist by up to 15mm, and we set release and boot sole length on the bench.

It remains the binding we recommend most often for someone who wants one setup to earn turns and still ski them properly.