Cable binding

The Kandahar version added two small metal clips on either side of the boot, normally near the arch or heel.

For cross-country skiing the cable was left on top of the clips, allowing the heel to move vertically.

A key advance was introduced by Fritz R. Huitfeldt, who used a metal plate that was screwed onto the top of the ski with short vertical extensions that had holes to attach the straps to.

The major advantage to this design is that the vertical extensions held the boot firmly centered on the ski, whereas the former all-strap systems generally had considerable flop.

Variations on this design led to the shaping of the metal plate to progressively hold the toe more firmly.

When skiing downhill, the skier could clip the cable under the hooks, locking down the heel and providing much greater control.

When it was time to climb back up the hill, the cable was unhooked and returned to being a normal cross-country binding.

In particular, the metal toe clip so tightly clamped the front of the boot that even small sideways motions of the tip of the ski could twist the lower leg, and spiral fractures of the calf were common.

The death grip led to the nickname "bear trap bindings", and it was estimated that 1% of skiers suffered an injury on any given day.

Although the resulting clip was much less solid than the strap, in the case of a forward fall the boot would rotate up and out of the cup, releasing the leg.

A cable binding with boot, typical of the gear used by the US 10th Mountain Division in World War II and most alpine skiers, including racers, beginning around 1932.
A typical late-model cable binding. The boot is inserted into the metal plate, and held down by a leather strap (missing). The cable is then lifted over the heel of the boot, and pulled forward by the lever at the top of the image. The spring keeps constant tension as the boot moves up and down through the striding motion.