About the Project
In the sport of telemark skiing, one name stands out as being the industry forerunner. That name is Black Diamond. In 1992 Black Diamond revolutionized the sport by introducing the first ever plastic shell telemark boot. This did for telemark skiing what the wheel did for NASCAR. Before this revolutionary lunge forward in telemark technology, leather was the name of the game. Leather, as it is well known, becomes supple and forgiving when worked repeatedly, taking away much needed support. By introducing plastic into the boot market, Black Diamond opened the doors for the sport to rise to a new level. Since then, Black Diamond has continued to push the envelope in all aspects of telemark skiing equipment.
Keeping this in mind, there was no need to throw any other names on the table when the idea of designing a releasable telemark binding came up. Black Diamond was the only way to go. Sure, releasable bindings have slowly trickled onto the market in the last couple of years, but the offerings up until now have failed to take the industry by storm. With the help of this industry powerhouse, the newly formed NAU/Black Diamond Design Team will set out over the next eight months to raise the bar to a new level in binding design.
The primary goal of the Black Diamond Design Team will be to design a binding that will fit into the current lineup of Black Diamond bindings, while providing the extra benefit of having a safety release for crashes and avalanches. This will ultimately make the sport safer and more desirable to countless backcountry adventurers and speed-seekers alike.
The team will work primarily on the planning phase through December. Following the winter break the team will dive into the design phase of the project, working extensively with CAD, FEA, and kinematics analysis. The design team will work closely with engineers and designers at Black Diamond in Salt Lake City to ensure that the results are first-rate and at a level to compete with other market leaders. The year has a lot of work in store, but the Black Diamond Design Team is excited to get under way.
Be sure to check in often to read team news, bios, and to chart the group's progress!
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