Spademan binding

Production mis-steps right when new toe-and-heel bindings were being introduced led to a death spiral, and the Spademan system disappeared in the early 1980s.

However, the fact that it used a single mounting plate eliminated adjustments for different sized boots, which made it popular in rental shops for some time.

In the early 1960s there were a number of quick-release binding systems on the market, but most of them required the user to bolt fittings to the toe and heel.

He then noticed that the key to reducing injury would be to mount the ski over the tibial axis of the leg, below the calf.

[5] Conventional bindings clamped onto the flange at the toe and heel of the boot, which were moulded into a roughly rectangular shape.

This led to the problem of "pre-release", where a binding would release due to momentary pressure that would only cause injury if it was maintained for a longer time (it is not necessarily the force that fractures a bone, but the actual movement).

[6] Early versions of the Spademan required the skier to clamp the binding onto the plate by tightening the spring with the rotating nut.

Whitaker and Stuart suggesting having the spring on an arm that rotated upward, positioned over a cam at the rear of the binding.

In use, the skier would remove the binding as normal by lifting the spring off the cam, but could then return it immediately to the "clamped" position.

[8] A dramatically improved model was being introduced for the winter, the S-2/S-3/S-4 lineup, that greatly increased "free travel" within the binding in order to prevent pre-release.

As there was no space below the binding plate, even small amounts of snow clinging to the bottom of the boot could make it difficult to fasten properly.

[10] A very thin film of snow was even worse; it was possible to close the binding with the plate slightly above its normal rest position, which pre-tensioned the clips and made it much easier to release unexpectedly.

The plate itself was also quite slippery (the reason bronze was used) which made walking somewhat difficult and also wore down relatively quickly.

The company also sold clip-on full-length plates for people who wanted to use rental skis with Spademan bindings with their own boots, lacking the butterfly.

The plate had metal loops that clipped over the toe and heel, with a small lever on the back to allow it to be tensioned onto the boot, and a well-fastened butterfly on the bottom.

The arm was attached to a spring at the rear of the binding that provided constant rearward tension, pulling the cams, and holding the clips in the closed position.

A metal clip prevented it from moving under the boot area, while also acting as a mounting spot for a safety strap.

[11] In a direct-forward fall, the plate would lift up, acting against the angled shape of the clips, again forcing them outward and eventually releasing.

The tension could be adjusted for skier weight or skill level via a large screw knob at the extreme rear, and several springs were provided for different release forces.

A pair of Spademan S4 bindings, typical of the basic Spademan system for much of its design evolution. The spring on the left pulls on the binding clamps on the right (silver), forcing them towards the center of the binding. The binding plate, screwed to the bottom of the boot, is held in place by these clamps. A plate has been inserted in the upper binding for illustration purposes.
The Spademan S9 binding, one of very few produced. The basic concept is the same as earlier models, but the spring tension is now released by pressing down on the large lever on top of the binding. This is typically done with the ski pole, eliminating the need to bend over to step out. The S9 also added a ski brake, which by that time was a standard feature of all downhill bindings.