Howell Recommended Release Settings Chart

$39.00

Howell Recommended Release-Settings is a comprehensive ‘DIN chart’ primarily intended for use by ski shops that have an active Indemnification Agreement with Howell Ski Bindings company and that have mechanics who are Certified by Howell Ski Bindings company. ‘Can also be used by on a limited basis by skiers who become Certified Mechanics by Howell Ski Bindings company — or by any skier who seeks to verify their own release settings. Setting re-adjustment must only be applied by Howell Certified Mechanics.

Chart Size: 12” x 18” Printed on heavy stock.

Available now.

ONLY FOR USE WITH HOWELL SKI BINDINGS.

Conforms to DIN/ISO 8061 and ISO 9462 — plus includes scientifically-correct, biomechanically-derived, release-settings for additional lateral-heel release on all Howell Ski Bindings — that aims to mitigate (never completely eliminate) ACL, MCL, meniscus, and tibia injury.

Includes additional vertical-toe release-settings expressly and only for Howell Venus model ski binding. Other Howell Ski Bindings models do not have vertical toe release capability expressly to mitigate pre-release; Howell Mars model features multi-directional toe-release, forward-heel release and additional lateral-heel release; Howell Planet-B model features lateral toe-release, forward heel-release and additional lateral-heel release; Howell Venus model is intended only for use by smooth recreational skiers who are unlikely to apply controlled skiing loads that may cause pre-release.

Comprehensive specifications are also provided for measuring the release-tolerances [on the bindings] for all 4 modes of release — torsion [about the long-axis of the tibia]; forward bending [moment]; lateral-heel [only for Howell Ski Bindings]; backward-bending [moment; only for Howell Venus model].

Comprehensive release-tolerances [on the binding] are provided for high racing-release-settings; for low and more-precise childrens’-release-settings; and especially for women through the special provision for women derived from the French AfNOR alpine ski binding release-setting standard: the special release-setting provision for female skiers within this chart generates release-settings that remain within the tolerances that are internationally standardized by DIN/ISO 8061.

‘Instructions’ for use are outlined (but are not comprehensive) on the chart: full instructions are provided within the Howell Ski Bindings Tech Manual that is one of several components of the Howell Certified Mechanics program.

A special — simple — matrix addresses corrections for skier weight, height (compensates for overweight), skier type, age, gender (per the French AfNOR standard), boot sole length, maximum release-setting correction for children, and identification of the range of special release-setting tolerances for measuring children’s settings.

A special cross-reference to the Howell Tech Manual is provided for ‘competition’ skiers to avert unnecessary, excessively-high, release-settings through the use of a special, new, type of the Self-Release Method. See Howell Tech Manual.

An important footnote emphasizes that the special release-settings for lateral-heel release must not compensate for boot sole length, because the effective biomechanical lever-arm involving abduction-moments — that generate the dominant vector in ACL, MCL, meniscus, and tibial-plateau injury — is the distance from the ski / snow interface to the ACL, MCL, meniscus - not the length of the boot sole. Lateral-heel release-settings that have been corrected for boot sole length are incorrectly too high for skiers with short boot sole lengths (potentially causing ACL-injury) and incorrectly too low for skiers with long boot sole lengths (potentially causing pre-release. To avert this release-setting issue — the visual indicator for the lateral-heel release setting on Howell Ski Bindings is comprised of letters (C through O), not DIN-numbers.

The highest setting on the lateral-heel mechanism on all Howell Ski Bindings — completely BLOCKS lateral-heel release; the highest setting on the vertical-toe mechanism on the Howell Venus model — completely BLOCKS vertical-toe release.

An important notice is provided at the top of the release-setting ‘tolerance section’ :

“Release settings on the bindings that are re-adjusted thru the use of measuring instruments to conform to the test-tolerances must not exceed +/-2 DIN-numbers from the specified [recommended] DIN-numbers shown within the main [large] matrix that is located near the center of the chart. If re-adjustment requires more than +/-2 DIN-numbers [to achieve measured-release within the specified tolerances] — troubleshooting and corrective action; OR, warranty-return of the bindings, boots, or both — must take place.”

‼️ WARNING: higher than recommended release-settings can increase the risk of lower leg injury; lower than recommended release-settings can increase the risk of pre-release, possibly leading to various types of severe injury or worse.

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Rick Howell is a principal co-author of DIN/ISO 8061 and DIN/ISO 9462.

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To pre-order Howell Ski Bindings with an $80 reservation-deposit:

Howell Venus DIN 3-8 For smooth recreational female skiers. Extra ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibia - integrity - expressly for women. 4-modes of release. Additional lateral-heel release. Additional vertical-toe release. Excellent edge control. Easy step-in even in deep powder with short boot soles. Lite.

Howell Mars DIN 4-10 For strong, smooth recreational skiers. ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibia - integrity. Anti-pre-release. Powerful edge-control. Low stand-height. Decisive balance of release and anti-pre-release.

Howell Planet-B DIN 8-22 Only for strong adult racers and extreme skiers. High strength aluminum alloy housings. Super-wide 8-point boot-contact for ultra max edge control. Wide off-center release-pivots provide max anti-pre-release. Low 21.5mm standheight allows race-plates conforming to FIS standheight regulations (race plates not included). Floating Mounting System mitigates binding pull-out’s from skis. 1, 2, 3 - degree cant kit, including longer mounting screws for the cants. Adjustable toe-height for solid boot interface. CAUTION: PLANET-B IS FOR EXTREME SKIERS & RACERS ONLY.

Howell Ski Bindings (sm)
PO Box 1274 • Stowe, Vermont 05672 USA
1.802.793.4849 • rick.howell@howellskibindings.com

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'ACL-integrity', 'Anti-Pre-Release', 'It was inevitable.', 'Howell Ski Bindings', 'Howell Venus', 'Howell Mars', 'Howell PlanetB’, Howell Planet-B’ — are Service Marks (sm) of the company, Howell Ski Bindings .

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Howell Ski Bindings company is against (a) ski waist widths greater than 90mm AND (b) all 'pin-bindings' (except Trab TR2 and Shift, though do not fall in the touring mode and neither are ACL-friendly in the alpine-mode) — due to their association with severe, high-energy, tibia-plateau fractures. This type of skiing injury matches the growth of fat-skis and pin-bindings. The high-energy nature of this type of skiing fracture involves multiple-fragments, difficult surgical reconstruction, and 10 to 15-months of aggressive rehabilitation. Fat skis on firm snow are a serious problem for the sustainability of our beautiful sport. ‘And ‘pin-bindings’ are hardly “tech”.

References: (1) Dominik Heim, MD; SITEMSH-Japan, 2016. (2) Zorko; Nemec; Matjacic; Olensek; Alpine Skiing Simulations Prove Ski Waist-Width Influences Knee Joint Kinematics; ISSS-Innsbruck, Austria, 2017. (3) Stenroos; Pakarinen; Jalkanen; Mälkiä; Handolin; Tibial Fractures in Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding in Finland: A Retrospective Study on Fracture Types and Injury Mechanisms in 363 patients; Scand J Surg Off Organ Finn Surg Soc Scand Surg Soc., Sept 2015, doi:10.1177/1457496915607410. (4) Improved Short Term Outcomes in Tibial Plateau Fractures of Snow Sports Injuries Treated with Immediate Open Reduction Internal Fixation; Janes, MD; Leonard, MSPH; Phillips, PA-C; Salottolo, MPH; Abbott, MD, Bar-Or, MD; ISSS-Innsbruck, Austria, 2017.