Ira Riklis remembers an innovative new idea for ski bindings that appeared back in the 1970s. Called Burt Bindings, they seemed like a great idea to an eager, young skier. They were a plate binding that had spring-loaded cables attached to anchors on the skies themselves. In theory, they were wonderful. Once the tension of the springs was properly adjusted, the ski and boot should always remain in contact and at the proper angle.
But like many things that seem brilliant at first blush, the bindings had a serious flaw that wasn’t readily noticed by a skier who was still developing his skills and knowledge. At greater tension levels, the skis and boots would pull apart. In those cases, the cables would extend then automatically retract. That prevented your skis falling away from your boots in a fall. The system did work; Ira Riklis recalls a fall where the bindings performed as promised. The problem was that they caused an angle of fall such that it slammed his face into the hard-packed snow with painful results that caused him to ache for days after.