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A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, and you ought to know about it. So on our latest GEAR:30 episode, I talk with Giray Dadali, a pro skier, engineer, ski designer, and founder of Daymaker Touring, about their new product, TEKDAPTERS, that allow you to ski tour using a pin-tech toe on the way up, then click into your DIN-certified alpine binding of choice on the way down.
Giray and I dive deep into the design, materials, weight, compatibility, and rationale for this new product, and we think you’ll agree that it represents an intriguing new offering in the world of ski-touring gear.
TOPICS & TIMES:
When was this idea born? (6:17)
Giray’s Background (8:59)
Who’s It For? (11:52)
TEKDAPTERS vs Original Daymaker (17:48)
“Field Goal” guide rails (26:52)
Universal Compatibility (31:47)
Materials & Design (35:18)
User-Error-Avoidance Tips (43:48)
Locked-Out Pins & Avalanche Danger
Using the Right Tool for the Job (54:42)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:02:20)
Where & When can you get TEKDAPTERS? (1:12:37)
RELATED LINKS:
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Video: Ski Binding Designs with Giray, Hoji, & Lars Chickering-Ayers
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There may be others old enough to remember the Alpine Trekker from BCA…. A bit surprising that there’s no reference to it here.
Giray does mention it briefly, but we definitely didn’t go into any depth about it. But I’m curious what you would have wanted to hear said or discussed about it, other than it exists?
@Roger, you know where the name “Daymaker” came from? The full inspiration came from the Alpine Trekker aka ‘day wrecker’. So Daymaker always pays homage or references the Alpine Trekker with their name I figure.
I would hesitate to call them extremely affordable – a binding like the dynafit speed turn can be found for less than 300 bucks pretty easily, and considering you still need a pair of skis with alpine bindings, boots with tech fittings and skins the cost of upgrading to a full touring setup wouldn’t be that big.
I understand the idea being that most people start with a pair of skis with alpine bindings.
This is for someone who skis in a resort and it interested in the backcountry, but doesn’t want to buy a new set of skis and bindings. Compared to that, this is indeed quite affordable.
And of course, you get to ski down with an alpine binding in the backcountry, which is an experience few other bindings can offer.
Exactly. There are not many people who start out not owning skis and boots, and go straight for AT gear (and I wouldn’t suggest it anyway).
I think the better price comparison is:
A pair of skins + Daymakers/tekmaker adapters or renting an AT set up a couple times. I think that is the more likely choice that someone who wants to get into AT skiing has to make. It certainly is what I did my first two days of touring.
Depending on where and when you rent, you might be looking at around $100/ day.
Compare that to $280+165(skins), and there is certainly something to be said for going that route.
Especially as you could resell the adapters, and use the skins on an AT set up.
I think the other price comparison is someone interested in backcountry booters.
Then the comparison is Daymakers/Tekmakers vs Duke PT/Shift binding. Again, the adapters are a lot cheaper option.
I have an alternative to these products – snowshoes! I bought myself a nice pair and walk up with my skis on my backpack and ski down with the snowshoes on my backpack. Not ideal but it works.
Yep, snowshoes or XC skis are another great option. Still, as a skier, snowshoes are kind of hard to stomach.
Especially in deep snow or very firm snow.
But certainly an easy, affordable option.
That’s a joke right? Snowshoes are so far from this. Friction coefficient of snowshoes = 1. Skis on your back??
This could play with some of the boots (like lower priced Atomic Hawx XTD?) that come with tech toe fittings only.
Didn’t Matt Manser mention the tech inserts cost as much as the entire rest of the shell material of a boot? So not really seeing there is no reason not to get them price wise.
I am not the target audience for these, but I totally see the use cases Giray discusses. Except for the high level, hard charging skier. In those cases, I don’t see the big benefit of these over a Shift, Duke PT, or Cast bindind.
IDK man, seems like $199 tops. Would be more likely to buy. Better than drilling another set of holes in a ski.
He talks about manufacturers putting tech fittings on all mountain boots, without a walk/hike mode. I haven’t seen much of this. Any examples?
Mmmm, love my ARG2/STH2 in POW and really want to use them for resort plus side country! But Shifts save so much weight for very good downhill.. just a matter of whether I can be bothered clearing the shift heel piece all the time (transition and resort use) and putting up with finicky (frankly useless) brakes?
These might be worth the 800g on the up?? 1135+530=1665(sTh2/13) cf. 865(shift)
Depends on ratio of resort to up I guess??
I know this podcast is old, but on behalf of all of our fellow Mechanical Engineers I would like to remind Giray that the following words are strictly forbidden: “there is just no way someone could break that thing”.
The Iron Law of Product Design states what where there is a seemingly indestructible design, there is always some perverse customer out there just waiting with a bizarre and unanticipated way to blow it up.
BTW, brilliant product and awesome podcast.
I’m a happy Daymaker customer, will probably buy the Tekdapter, and I always learn when I listed to Giray. Thanks!