Anti-pre-release. ACL-integrity. Proven.
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Revolution — skiing with ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia-integrity
Howell Ski Bindings provide revolutionary ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia-integrity in skiing—proven, biomechanically—through peer-reviewed and peer-approved scientific research conducted and presented by Rick Howell at high-level orthopedic research, biomechanical engineering, sports science, and skiing-safety conferences throughout the world during past 23 years — with peer-reviewed abstracts published in British Journal of Sports Medicine. See end notes 1 & 3.
How do Howell Ski Bindings provide revolutionary ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia-integrity?
By evolution — Revolutionary Evolution.
Howell SkiBindings feature a collection of proven, evolutionary, technologies by leveraging 56-years of ski-binding know-how from binding-category insider, Rick Howell — plus —revolutionary patented technology — provide you with a new paradigm in skiing pleasure.
• Additional lateral-heel-release provides ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia-integrity during episodic Slip-Catch events
• Scientifically derived release-settings for additional lateral-heel-release — individualize ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia-integrity
• Utility patented (footnote 1), low, 21.5 mm stand-height minimizes cumulative-stress across the ACL, MCL, meniscus & tibial-plateau
• Zero-degree ramp-angle provides a balanced, natural, athletic stance
• Six ( 6 ) powerful, real-time, overlapping, anti-pre-release functions keep you solidly on your skis — even at chart recommended release-settings
1 — Decoupling. All 3 modes of release — lateral-toe, vertical-heel, lateral-heel — are uniquely decoupled from each other. Each mode is a separate spring/cam system. Each mode’s function does not influence the other modes’ functions. Each mode doesn’t work to overcome adverse cross-linking. This special function—decoupling—is unlike all other bindings. This means Howell Ski Bindings uniquely do not need cranked-settings to provide maximum anti-pre-release. Maximum skiing control.
2 — Elasticity. Possibly the best elasticity of any alpine ski binding, ever. However, decoupling has priority over elasticity in Howell Ski Bindings—assuring maximum elastic function in each mode of release—to generate maximum anti-pre-release. Example: elasticity is effective only when it is not influenced by ski-flex. Howell Ski Bindings’ release-fulcrums, in all 3 modes of release — lateral-toe, lateral-heel, vertical-heel — are decoupled from high compression generated by incompressible ski-boots during ski-flex. In this way, binding-elasticity is uniquely enhanced by ski-flex. No other binding can do this. Elasticity is a uniquely elevated function in Howell Ski Bindings by prioritizing decoupling over elasticity. You get solid ski control.
3 — Cantilevering. Edge control is maximized by support-surfaces that are so wide they are cantilevered. Cantilevering reduces the work to archive maximum anti-pre-release in each mode of release. Edge control is 18% higher than other bindings, setting-for-setting. Skis don’t chatter on ice.
4 — Anti-Friction. Pure, thick, Nylon-11 is deployed at all boot-sole interfaces maximizing recentering, anti-pre-release, and ski control.
5 — Asymmetric Blocking. ACL-integrity is provided during ‘double-internal-rotation’ of the lower-leg and upper-leg. Therefore, lateral-heel release is asymmetric—inward only—while outward lateral-heel release is unnecessary and completely-blocked to maximize anti-pre-release. Blocking outward lateral-heel release cuts the probability of lateral-heel pre-release by 50%. Epidemiology shows that most ACL-injuries occur after 4-hours of skiing. Personally, therefore, we sometimes ski with the asymmetric-function reversed in the morning — then switch to a fresh edge after lunch. When the ACL-integrity function is reversed and inactive the outcome is no worse than 2-mode bindings — it’s not better than 2-mode bindings, but it’s also not worse — and the other 4 anti-pre-release functions are fully active. Typically, we ski with the asymmetry full-active all day.
6— Shared Work. The additional mode of lateral-heel release improves anti-pre-release in the toe. That’s right. The toe-piece does not have to work as hard to provide lateral anti-pre-release when the some of the lateral anti-pre-release work is shared by the lateral-heel mechanism. You get ski control, confidence, and full-out skiing action unlike never before.
Howell Ski Bindings provide maximum anti-pre-release unlike all other bindings — keeping you in full control.
Durability.
Howell Ski Bindings are pure, uncompromised alpine. No pins. No extra weight. Less parts than other alpine bindings. Pure. Simple. Focused. Authentic. Scientific. Robust. Proven—biomechanically.
On-going, on-slope testing and continuous product improvement are essential elements of Howell Ski Bindings. This is why our first bindings are planned to be shipped in August of 2029. Howell Ski Bindings are planned to meet all international safety standards, including ISO 9462, 9465, 11087 and ‘standard industry practice’ for durability and anti-pre-release. No Howell Ski Bindings will be shipped until they are fully ready for commercialization.
5-year Limited Warranty.
Howell Ski Bindings arise from 5 decades of insider ski-binding experience by Rick Howell — (1) co-developing worldwide #1-selling alpine ski-bindings for a major French company while in high school; (2) high-level East-coast USA regional alpine ski-racing; (3) engineering thesis on ski-bindings at MIT (see end note 2); (4) co-authoring the ‘DIN-System’ for ordinary alpine-binding release-settings; (5) owning/operating a ski-binding service shop at the base of an FIS-approved slalom racing trail; (6) working 8 years, full-time, as senior product manager at a major German ski-binding company; (7) developing 5 worldwide #1-selling high-tech sports products—including the world’s 1st hands-off clipless bicycle pedals, CycleBinding and worldwide #1-selling high-tech Tubbs snowshoes; (8) conducting & presenting 23-years of breakthrough biomechanical research on ACL-integrity in skiing. See end note 3.
All of this experience is parlayed into Howell Ski Bindings that will provide you with exceptional—happy, healthy—skiing.
Recent developments
Howell Ski Bindings are planned to be shipped August, 2029. Pre-order deposits ($400 deposit Mars and Venus models, $800 deposit Planet-B model) placed now are fueling, in-part, start-up manufacturing. The best compliment you can provide is a pre-order. In return for a deposit now, Howell Ski Bindings offers 30%-off full-price when the net balance ($480 Mars & Venus models, $740) is payable upon shipment, August, 2029. Deposits placed now gain excellent pricing.
All pre-orders are fully refundable at any time.
Howell Ski Bindings uniquely include a precision metal mounting jig ($100 value), DIN drill-bit, DIN tap, on-line mounting certification (or take the free jig to your favorite ski shop), 2-widths of ski-brakes, 2-sets of Nylon-11-topped AFD’s and integral heel-pad / brake-treadles — FREE shipping — and the joy of happy, healthy, pure alpine skiing.
☀️ ❄️ 🏔️
To select the model that’s right for you — click a model-image at the top of this page — or click a model-link, below.
Howell Venus DIN 2.5–8 Extra ACL, MCL, meniscus, and tibia-plateau - integrity for light and average-weight, smooth-recreational female skiers. Light. Easy step-in even in champaign powder. Low stand-height for neutral balance. Utility-patented.
Howell Mars DIN 4–12 Decisively ACL integrity with maximum anti-pre-release. Super-wide toe-cup, heel-cup, toe-AFD, and integrated heel-pad / brake-treadle — provide powerful edge-control. Low stand-height to minimize cumulative meniscus stress, or allow added lifters. Utility-patented.
Howell Planet-B DIN 8–22 High-strength aluminum housings. Powerful F1-adapted valve-springs. Super-wide toe-cup, heel-cup, toe-AFD, and integrated heel-pad / brake-treadle provide powerful edge-control. Solid stainless-steel inner-workings for maximum durability during harsh racing conditions. Low stand-height allows race-plates while still complying with FIS stand-height rules. Race-plates not included. Cant-kit included. Utility-patented. Limited production.
CAUTION: HOWELL PLANET-B IS ONLY FOR EXTREME SKIERS AND RACERS.
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Footnote 1
Proven, biomechanically, through peer-reviewed and approved scientific research conducted and presented by Rick Howell. Formalized in U.S. Patent 9,463,370.
IOC (International Olympic Committee) World Conference on Prevention of Injury in Sport, Monaco, 2017 and 2021;
ICSS (International Conference on Science in Skiing) Voukatti, Finland, 2019; Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, 2023;
SITEMSH (International Society for Snowsports Medicine) Flachu, Austria, 2015; Barcelona, Spain, 2016; Inawashiro, Japan, 2017; Serre-Chevalier, France, 2022;
ESSKA (European Society of Surgery-Knee and Arthroscopy) Barcelona, Spain, 2016; and Madrid (virtual), Spain, 2021.
ISSS (International Society for Skiing Safety) Pontresina, Switzerland, 2003 (research grant-application and thesis promulgated by Rick Howell); research performed by University of Montréal researchers, Professor Nancy St-Onge, PhD and Professor Jacques DeGuise, PhD; presented by Professor Nicola Hagemeister, PhD, and Yan Chevalier, MS).
ISSS — research conducted AND presented by Rick Howell at — Niigata, Japan, 2005; Aviemore, Scotland, 2007; Bariloche, Argentina, 2013; Cortina, Italy, 2015; Innsbruck, Austria 2017; Palisades (Squaw Valley), California, USA, 2019; Serre-Chevalier, France, 2022.
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Biomechanical Proof of ACL Integrity:
The biomechanical proof behind the patented ACL integrity provided by Howell Ski Bindings, Howell-specified lateral-heel release-settings, and Howell anti-pre-release — is simple:
During ‘Slip-Catch’ or ‘Phantom Foot’ events, large and dangerous ‘abduction-loads’ are generated when the center of forces that are produced by short shaped skis enter the inside-edge of a ski, laterally, directly-under or close-behind the projected-axis of the skier’s tibia.
“Events” means ‘crash’ or ‘loss of skiing control’. “Abduction” is defined, below.
More specifically — during Slip-Catch or Phantom-Foot events, shaped-skis do not typically slide-out at one end. Both ends bite into the snow. Therefore, rotation of the ski about the long-axis of the tibia is minimal — but dangerous lateral (abduction) loading is maximal.
A large abduction force — less than body weight — acting over the length of the lower-leg can generate an injury producing abduction-moment in the center of the ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau and femoral-condoyles.
The naturally-formed center of abduction-force that enters a shaped-ski under (or close-behind) the long-axis of the tibia — cannot be sensed by ordinary 2-mode alpine bindings — expressly because the center of the abduction-force is located in the same place as the center of rotation of an ordinary 2-mode alpine binding. This means a 2-mode binding has no lever-arm in which to produce lateral-toe release.
No lateral release — while at the same time the abduction-moment located in the center of the knee is maximal = ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau, femoral condyle injury.
Said in another way — during highly loaded Slip-Catch events, ALL ordinary 2-mode alpine bindings have a lateral-release blind-spot located in the exactly same position as the center of the applied abduction-force, which abduction-force acts over the length of the lower leg (the abduction-lever-arm) to generate an injury-producing abduction-moment centered in the ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau and femoral condyles.
How ironic.
An ordinary 2-mode binding’s blind-spot is centered at the focal-point of the heel-cup’s radius (or, at the center of a pivot-turntable: no ski-boot can release, laterally, THROUGH the side-lugs of any pivot-turntable binding).
This is high-school vector-analysis applied to human anatomy and to ski-binding mechanics.
(( Other types of skiing-ACL injury mechanisms involve very different kinematics — and are far less prevalent. For example, Boot-Induced-Anterior-Drawer (BIAD) skiing-ACL injuries comprise approximately 10% of all skiing ACL-injuries. Vertical-toe release can address BIAD events — as long as smooth recreational skiing is involved. ))
Adding emphasis — ordinary 2-mode alpine ski-bindings have no possibility of release before ACL-injury when large abduction-loads enter a shaped-ski — irrespectively of an ordinary 2-mode binding’s release-settings. Even a small child’s release-setting blocks necessary-release for an adult during large-loaded Slip-Catch events — then leading to ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau, and/or femoral condyle - injury.
A special 3-mode binding with additional lateral-heel release has its release-point between the boot and ski located directly on the kinematic-pathway between an applied abduction-force and the ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau and femoral condyles.
Special 3-mode bindings with additional lateral-heel release — together with special lateral-heel release-settings — can address large abduction-loads generated by shaped-skis during Slip-Catch or Phantom-Foot crashes — by releasing at a magnitude that is lower than the integrity-limit of an ACL, MCL, meniscus, tibial-plateau, femoral-condyle.
That special non-pre-releasing 3-mode binding with additional lateral-heel release and special lateral-heel release-settings is Howell SkiBindings.
The thin black line represents the unique ‘release envelope’ of ACL-friendly Howell SkiBindings — operating in the white-space below the integrity-thresholds of the tibia, ACL and MCL — and above the pre-release threshold.
TWO IMPORTANT HOWEVER’S.
Anti-pre-release.
Special bindings with additional lateral-heel release MUST NOT pre-release.
Pre-release can sometimes be worse than no-release.
Release-settings are only a small part of how a good binding properly mitigates pre-release — because if pre-release is prevented by high settings, one key purpose of a good alpine ski binding is squandered.
—> Only Howell SkiBindings block dangerous pre-release — without high settings — in all 3-modes of release. See the above “5-points” near the top of this page.
Other bindings do not provide these combined features, benefits and advantages because only Howell has refined them during 53 years of testing — including 22 years of testing bindings with ACL-integrity without pre-release.
Warning.
No ski-binding, including Howell Ski Bindings, can ‘prevent’ all skiing injuries.
Further, the term, ‘safety’ is a misnomer. A ‘safe ski binding’ can be very dangerous if it’s overly-focused on ‘release’ without proper engineering to mitigate adverse pre-release. Pre-release can be worse than no release.
Skiing injury can occur by simply falling down or by impact with an object — including impact with ‘firm snow’.
➡️ Howell Ski Bindings are proven, biomechanically, to mitigate injury to the ACL, MCL, meniscus and tibia by mitigating episodic (single traumatic event) non-release; by mitigating chronic (cumulative) loading to those same musculoskeletal elements; by maintaining maximum edge-control — all while mitigating adverse pre-release.
Howell Ski Bindings combine proven advantages plus extraordinary breakthroughs — to provide happy, healthy, pure alpine skiing.
Footnote (2):
Rick Howell was never a student at MIT. Rick performed “dream research” at MIT at the extraordinary bequest of and sponsorship by MIT Aerospace Engineering Professor Lawrence Retman Young, Sc.D., who at the time, was the Chairman of the interdisciplinary Harvard-MIT Biomedical Engineering Department involving human-machine interaction for space flight. The research performed by Rick Howell at MIT (1974 - ‘77) was titled: ‘How ski-bindings affect ski performance’. Rick’s research led to a groundbreaking and highly effective method to measure aerospace wing fatigue — still in use, today. Rick is a graduate of New England College with a double undergraduate major in business and civil (structural focus) engineering.
Footnote (3)
Key peer-reviewed & approved abstracts on the extensive biomechanical testing of patented Howell Ski Binding technology:
Br J Sports Med 2017;51:283-412
Br J Sports Med 2021;55(Suppl 1):A1-A188
10.1136/bjsports-2021-IOC.367 [402]
Publisher’s 2nd correction: Br J Sports Med 2022;0:1. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2021-IOC.367corr2
Recreational-skier release-setting chart:
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Find the Howell Ski Binding that’s best for you by clicking an image at the top of this page.
Howell Ski Bindings (sm)
PO Box 1274 • Stowe, Vermont 05672 USA
1.802.793.4849 • rick.howell@howellskibindings.com
Copyright © by Rick Howell and Howell Ski Bindings, 2016 through 2025. All rights reserved. U.S. Patent 9,463,370.
Contents subject to change without notice.
'ACL-integrity', ‘Anti-Pre-Release', 'It was inevitable.', ’Howell Ski Bindings’, 'Howell Venus', 'Howell Mars', 'Howell Planet-B', ‘Functional Decoupling’ — are Service Marks (sm) of Howell Ski Bindings and Howell Product Development Holding, Inc.
It was inevitable. (sm)