The next generation of Bishop bindings were unveiled today, Friday, January 27th at the annual SIA trade show at Denver’s convention center. The basic form of the Bishop remains with a burly metal knuckle to insure rock solid lateral stability. New with the BMF series are the additions of ski brakes and step-in functionality while reducing overall weight. For turn earning free heelers the BMF-R also delivers the critical feature of a switchable free-pivot for energy efficient touring.
BMF stands for exactly what you might think it stands for so to avoid offending tele-prudes it isn’t spelled out. The BMF-3 represents the 3rd version of the Bishop concept and the BMF-R, the touring version where R stands for randonnée, the French word for a tour. What gives the BMF its heritage of bad ass performance is locating the origin of the spring tension 70mm behind the front of the boot. This yields an inherently active feel that can be dialed up or down via a pair of springs with a 15mm range of adjustment.
The BMF series of bindings will work with 75mm or NTN boots thanks to swappable toe plates for either norm. In addition, these bindings will take advantage of Bishop’s switch plate technology for transferring quickly between multiple pairs of skis.
The bindings will attach at the back of the boot on the “step” of the heel for either boot norm. Bishop’s owner, Dave Bombard believes connecting to the boot at the real heel provides telemark skiers with the most adjustable, powerful tele sensation.
The tour mode of the BMF-R delivers over 60 degrees of frictionless movement by simply flipping up the switch at the front of the binding. At the back, a climbing post allows two heights inclining a boot at 7 and 14 degrees for more comfortable climbs.
The BMF-3 and BMF-R will be available in select telemark retail stores Fall 2017. Final prices and weights to be determined.
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I like the idea, especially the replaceable bail to switch between 75mm and NTN. If I could suggest one thing that stands out, the brakes need a tweak to allow them to better tuck up beside the mounting plate. Although I haven’t skied them myself, one of the complaints with the Outlaw has been that the brakes can snag on a turn. I remember having a similar effect with my old 3-pin bindings in the days of skinny skis, and it sucked. The Freeride brakes appear to tuck away nicely, so I would suggest that the folks at Bishop do a bit of reverse engineering on that and improve their brake shape.
Wow! I would definitely buy one…