Will the Marker Bindings slow me down?
I'm looking for a solid touring binding for patrolling the Whitewater ski hill near Nelson and short backcountry and side country missions. I'm thinking one of the Marker bindings with an insert on the old Gotamas...(I'll save for something more playful) - would be the best way ahead.
I like the fact that the binding is wider and closer to the ski that the old Fritschi bindings I have been using. What I don't like is the fact that you actually have to take the ski off to switch from touring to downhill mode. On short missions, with the smell of fresh powder thick in the air I like to keep my skins on and with a bizzarre and painful looking yoga twist, ripping the skins from the bottom of the skis I'm ready for action. It can look pretty slick. It can also go horribly wrong and occasionally does as I plumet head first into a fresh bomb hole. It's not to show off, it's to save extra messing around (I hate waiting, unless you have some hot chocolate and liquor mix to tempt me with). I'm not a 'crazy, impatient, throw safety out of the window in a mad dash for fresh lines' kind of person. I just like to be efficient. It's my Virgo Moon. That's what she said.
So back to basics. Any feedback on Marker models? Seem like a solid binding for a reasonable price. Come on tech people, help me out here.