Gear Review: Fritschi Vipec EVO 12 Ski Bindings
Value Rating: 8
Durability Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8
Location of Test: In bounds and back country in the PNW and Colorado
Duration of Test: 2018 winter, spring, and summer skiing
Product Name: Vipec Evo 12
Product Brand: Fritschi
Best Use: Backcountry Skiing
Break Widths: 90 mm; 100 mm; 110 mm; 120 mm
Release Value: 5-12
Heel Risers: 2 degrees, 9 degrees, 13 degrees
Weight: 500g
Lateral Elasticity: 13mm
The Full Review:
I started skiing the Fritschi Vipec Evo 12 bindings at the beginning January of 2018 with the goal of having a good quiver killer binding. I have been very pleased with their performance this past winter, spring, and summer. I have these on the Black Diamond Boundary 107 and use Scarpa Maestrale boots. This set up has allowed for fun, confident skiing in-bounds and out-of-bounds in a wide variety of conditions. I have carved groomers, charged through cruddy resort snow, skied moguls, deep powder, technical backcountry lines, and put in long uphill days.
What drew me to the Vipec Evo 12 was increase safety and versatility that its unique design offers. Unlike your typical alpine ski binding, all tech bindings except Fritschi's, initiate both their lateral and forward release from the heel piece. This has lead to common concern with tech bindings of early, un-reliable release, and more chatter while skiing. Every company making tech bindings has offered various fixes. Fritschi's answer was to move the lateral release to the toe and eliminate the rotation of the heel piece. This allows for a huge 13mm of lateral elasticity, that dampens the ski, lessens the chances of unnecessary release, and is safer for your knees. This is the first tech binding to have TUV certified release settings.
Another nice and unique feature is how the walk mode works. Rather than rotating the heel piece, it slides back and forth on a track, similar to the Marker Kingpin. However, with the Vipec, this can be done easily with your ski pole while your toe is still clipped in. This allows you to easily lock your heel down for a bit more control if there is a downhill while skiing. I also see great potential here when paired with a ski with scales underfoot such as the Findr XCD from G3.
The Good
The primary benefit of the Vipec Evo 12 is elastic retention and lateral toe release and TUV certification which allows for increased dampening and safety. I really like how the heel risers work and with a small amount of practice, I can quickly and easily adjust these with my ski pole without hardly losing a step. The heel risers are also symmetrical making them the same for both right handed and left handed skiers.
Fritschi added a toe bumper to its current model of the Vipec making it very easy to step into.
The Bad:
One complaint that heard a lot from the internet about earlier models of the Vipec is the icing of the walk mode. They claimed to have solved this problem and as far as I can tell they have. I have not experienced any icing issues in the heel. I did one time have an issue with the toe piece locking open for me to step into. This was in slushy hard snow and it packed into the binding in a way that prevented the toe lever from being pushed down all the way. This was my third time in the bindings and it hasn't happened since.
The Bottom Line:
I wanted a binding that I felt confident skiing in bounds as well as out of bounds that didn't have big tradeoffs either way and I have been very happy with the Vipec Evo 12.
The Full Review:
I started skiing the Fritschi Vipec Evo 12 bindings at the beginning January of 2018 with the goal of having a good quiver killer binding. I have been very pleased with their performance this past winter, spring, and summer. I have these on the Black Diamond Boundary 107 and use Scarpa Maestrale boots. This set up has allowed for fun, confident skiing in-bounds and out-of-bounds in a wide variety of conditions. I have carved groomers, charged through cruddy resort snow, skied moguls, deep powder, technical backcountry lines, and put in long uphill days.
What drew me to the Vipec Evo 12 was increase safety and versatility that its unique design offers. Unlike your typical alpine ski binding, all tech bindings except Fritschi's, initiate both their lateral and forward release from the heel piece. This has lead to common concern with tech bindings of early, un-reliable release, and more chatter while skiing. Every company making tech bindings has offered various fixes. Fritschi's answer was to move the lateral release to the toe and eliminate the rotation of the heel piece. This allows for a huge 13mm of lateral elasticity, that dampens the ski, lessens the chances of unnecessary release, and is safer for your knees. This is the first tech binding to have TUV certified release settings.
Another nice and unique feature is how the walk mode works. Rather than rotating the heel piece, it slides back and forth on a track, similar to the Marker Kingpin. However, with the Vipec, this can be done easily with your ski pole while your toe is still clipped in. This allows you to easily lock your heel down for a bit more control if there is a downhill while skiing. I also see great potential here when paired with a ski with scales underfoot such as the Findr XCD from G3.
The Good
The primary benefit of the Vipec Evo 12 is elastic retention and lateral toe release and TUV certification which allows for increased dampening and safety. I really like how the heel risers work and with a small amount of practice, I can quickly and easily adjust these with my ski pole without hardly losing a step. The heel risers are also symmetrical making them the same for both right handed and left handed skiers.
Fritschi added a toe bumper to its current model of the Vipec making it very easy to step into.
The Bad:
One complaint that heard a lot from the internet about earlier models of the Vipec is the icing of the walk mode. They claimed to have solved this problem and as far as I can tell they have. I have not experienced any icing issues in the heel. I did one time have an issue with the toe piece locking open for me to step into. This was in slushy hard snow and it packed into the binding in a way that prevented the toe lever from being pushed down all the way. This was my third time in the bindings and it hasn't happened since.
The Bottom Line:
I wanted a binding that I felt confident skiing in bounds as well as out of bounds that didn't have big tradeoffs either way and I have been very happy with the Vipec Evo 12.