Well, i've been in a double high wrap for 5 years now and haven't had an injury like the one you had, but i don't know if there's anyone else who might have an experience like yours

I've been using double high wraps of different kinds for 20 years. I never had that happen getting up. HO410 might be right.

I've been skiing in double high wraps since the early '80s and have only had one foot/ankle injury in that time, which occurred in a high speed out-the-front that turned into a big body slide to a dead stop when my ski re-entered the water. It basically jammed and hyper flexed my front foot. Hurt like hell and moved some foot bones around, but I didn't miss too much time on the water. I don't think I would've released from a hardshell binding system in that fall - or not in time to prevent the injury.

I'm about to move my youngest son (11) from a high wrap front w/ a rear toe piece to double high wraps because he skis very aggresively and takes some pretty wild falls when his back foot comes out and his front foot is still in. He's skiing at 30 to 34 mph and getting into 22 and only weighs 80 lbs. I think he'll be safer with that back foot connected. We're working on the over-aggressive part of his skiing.

I prefer the release of rubber boots (not laced too tight) and the lack of potential for a surprise pre-release.

I also moved from an RTP to double high wraps (D3 high wraps on a D3 Custom X) a couple years ago because it became apparent that the risk of a spiral fracture of the front leg is much higher with an RTP than with doubles.  I have had several falls and if I release it is generally both feet that come out (good falls eh!).  I would stick with the doubles and write off your experience as an exception.

Joint injuries can be pretty weird. I've always been pretty active, but the worst joint injury I've ever had was walking down a step that was about 1/2" taller than I thought it was. It was a pretty innocent step but the pain was not. Just pay a little bit of attention to keeping your knees together when you get up and this problem should not repeat itself.

No, stayed standing, it was just suprising. It could have easily gone sideways and hit ligaments but it was nothing more than a mild-hyper extension. It was just one of those weird things. Still not as embarrassing as this: I had a friend that was sitting cross-leg ontop of a picknic table, wiggled over to the edge, and hopped off. It might have been 3 inches to the ground, but his leg had fallen asleep. You might guess, rolled ankle, broken ankle.

Last edited by HO410 (Thu, Jul 8, 2010 4:11 PM)

Why do skiers often seem to "blame" their bindings for injuries.....obviously lower leg ones??

I don't think any setup lends itself to injuries over the other.


It's tough to ski if your feet aren't comfortable and responsive...

It's pretty easy to move on if your bindings do not perform up to your expectations: even if your expectations are unreasonable. Sometimes you just don't want to see those boots again if you did not release and you felt like you would not have been hurt if you did.


I agree, every binidng setup has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, some systems have more advantages than others. At least that's my experience.

I upgraded from a 17 year old Kidder with double high wraps to an HO with double Animals in 2004.  Never a problem with the old setup.

Skiied the Aimals with the laces completely loose for 1/2 a season, then decided to snug them up a little... bad idea.  Went over the front on 4 ball, ski came off, but not before something bad happened to my front ankle.  Went to the ortho, and before even touching my ankle, he asked exactly what had happened.  When I told him, he said he had treated a very competitive skier a few years earlier that fell the same way in bindings that sounded like the Animals, and told me he thought I'd probably had the same injury: broken talus bone (in the foot) and ruptured the ligament that holds the tibia and fibula together near the ankle.  Diagnosis proved right on.

1 year, four screws and a plate later, I was able to ski again.  I like the bindings, but caution anyone who has them about lacing'em up.  A friend at our lake didn't listen well, took the same out the front fall on laced up Animals, didn't come out and ruptured his Achilles.

I was previously on Animals and used elastic shoe laces. You can purchase them on ebay for about $5/pair. They worked great.