Cross Country Ski Bindings
What Are Cross Country Ski Bindings?
Cross country ski bindings are what attach your skis to your boot and are divided into three types depending on the discipline: classic, skate and backcountry. When it comes to choosing your boots and bindings for cross country skiing, the most important thing to bear in mind is that the boot soles are different depending on the model. This means that not all nordic ski bindings will be compatible with your boots.
What Are the Different Types of Cross Country Ski Bindings?
There are a few different types of cross country ski bindings. The most common system on the market today is New Nordic Norm (NNN). There are two types of NNN bindings, regular NNN bindings which are used for the skate and classic disciplines, and NNN BC which is used for backcountry. Both styles are characterised by having two ridges on the binding plate.
Within NNN, you will come across products labelled as Turnamic, Prolink and NIS. Essentially, these are the names given by the brand to describe their models. What is important to remember is that they are all compatible with the NNN system. When it comes to NNN BC bindings, these will only fit NNN BC boots.
Another system that you see around is the Salomon Nordic System (SNS). This is an older binding system that is no longer being produced, and was designed for both classic and skating boots. The bindings only have a single ridge, meaning that the SNS system is not compatible with New Nordic Norm.
Finally, the newest system is Xplore BC. Created by Rottefella, this system uses pin technology at the toe, designed to maximise stability and support. This system only works with Xplore BC boots.
If you’re still in doubt about the compatibility between the different systems, or you just want to know more, then check out our Bindings Compatibility guide where we will run you through everything you need to know.