Invited, we attended an ATK event for the press presentation of the new freeride/touring binding, the HY Free. We started with an evening presentation of ATK and the said binding, then we skied it the next day on the Deux Alpes domain (thanks to them for the pass). It was a beautiful day where we were accompanied by the ATK France staff, as well as athletes and guides skiing for the brand. 40 to 50 cm of fresh snow had fallen the night before, so we enjoyed a nice lull, between two disturbances, divinely well-timed with the test.
So, first of all, a presentation of the new ATK factory, located in Italy in Maranello, self-sufficient in energy, with manufacturing processes that avoid waste, such as the remelting of machining chips for reuse.
The HY Free is machined from solid. The mechanism parts are metallic and exude solidity, which is not necessarily the case with the competition.
It is a freeride-touring binding, designed for mixed resort/touring use, well-suited to freeride skis and freeride/touring boots (or vice versa). With it, you can consider small ascents (or even more), while in descent mode you have everything of an alpine in terms of safety standards. They are, moreover, very rigid and suitable for wide skis, with an adjustment range from 4 to 11 for the HY Free 11, and from 6 to 13 for the HY Free 13. When putting it on, you get the reassuring “clack” of the famous 916 of yesteryear, to say the least! The fit is really close to the ski, which is appreciated in freeride. As for the weight, it is by far the lightest in the segment, with only 675 g per foot!
It adapts to all types of shoes: touring, GripWalk (and even alpine, but the interest is limited!) by raising the friction plate more or less with added shims. It is therefore not very simple to change the type of shoes, but it is not prohibitive: there are only two screws to remove to change the shims.
The manipulations to switch from ski mode to ascent mode (and vice versa), although a bit more complicated than for a pure touring binding, remain quite simple. It still takes a bit of energy to pre-engage the rear stop by hand.
In ascent mode, unlike descent mode, the foot is a bit high: this can bother some, but personally it did not cause me any problems, even on hardened slopes. On the other hand, there is a very interesting innovation when climbing with freerando boots with limited rear travel. Indeed, there are 3 positions in ascent mode: a neutral one, one with a classic ascent wedge inclined forward, and one opposite with a negative ramp. On flat or slightly sloping areas, this allows for larger steps as if you had a boot with more rear travel: it’s really a big plus. With my 0G Tour Pro, I had the same feeling as the day before with my F1 XT!!!
It’s hard to find a flaw. It can be noted that the ski brakes do not clip very well together when storing the skis against each other for carrying: a strap can be useful, but it’s a detail. Then, there is the financial aspect: indeed, 799 €, it stings, but it’s the price to pay for an exceptional binding, presumably solid and durable!
Text: Michel MATVEIEFF / Photos: Noa Barrau
Also find our complete test of the ATK HY Free here: