Gear Guides
Pin or hybrid? How freeride touring bindings work, what release values, elastic travel and stack height mean on the hill, and why our crew rides ATK: the Freeraider 15 EVO, Raider 13 EVO and the new Hy 13 Free hybrid.
Jany Novotny / Nov 15, 2026
Short version: if most of your vertical comes from your own legs, ride a strong pin binding. If most of it comes from lifts and cats and you only skin for an hour or two, a hybrid gives you alpine-style downhill behaviour without the anchor-on-your-feet feeling of a frame binding. Our crew rides ATK in both categories: the Freeraider 15 EVO and Raider 13 EVO pin bindings, and the Hy 13 Free hybrid.
Why ATK? Because after years of skiing them hard, on big days and bad snow, they have simply kept working. Bindings are the one part of your setup you should never have to think about. Ours do not make us think.
Two steel pins at the toe grab the inserts in your boot; the heel piece holds two pins at the back. In walk mode the heel is free and you pivot around the toe pins, so you only lift the boot, not the binding. That is why pin bindings dominate touring: a freeride pin binding weighs around 370 to 430 g, a fraction of anything alpine-style.
The traditional catch was downhill behaviour: less elasticity, a boot sitting higher at the heel than the toe, and release that relied mostly on the heel. Modern freeride pin bindings have closed much of that gap with adjustable toe release, elastic heel travel and spacers that support the boot.
Pins at the toe for the climb, an alpine-style system for the descent. Some use a convertible toe (pins up, alpine jaws down), others use an alpine-style toe and heel that also grip tech inserts. You get alpine-like elasticity, release and a flatter stance, with a pivoting toe for touring. You pay for it in grams: roughly 675 g to over 1 kg per binding.
An alpine binding on a hinged frame. Familiar downhill feel, but you lift the whole frame with every step. Fine for 20-minute sidecountry walks, miserable for real touring. For freeride touring they have been pushed aside by the hybrids, and we do not recommend them.
Release value (often loosely called DIN) sets how much force it takes to release your boot. For freeride you want a range that sits comfortably around your setting, not at the very end of it. Lighter riders: around 5 to 10. Most adults skiing hard: 7 to 13. Big, aggressive riders: up to 15.
Many pin bindings only let you adjust the heel; the toe release is fixed. ATK's EVO models add an adjustable toe release value, so toe and heel work together, which matters for consistent lateral release when you fall. Set release values with a certified ski shop, every time. Most pin bindings, ATK included, are not certified to the alpine DIN/ISO standard, even when they use the same numbers.
Elastic travel is how far the heel (or toe) can move and spring back before it releases. More travel absorbs ski flex and impacts in rough snow without letting go. For freeride, look for meaningful heel elastic travel; ATK's freeride pin bindings offer 14 mm.
Delta is the height difference between your heel and toe. Classic pin bindings put the heel higher than the toe, which some skiers love and some hate. Hybrids like the ATK Hy put the boot nearly flat on the ski, which feels like your resort setup.
You will switch between walk and ski mode many times a day, often with cold hands on a windy ridge. Good brakes that lock automatically in walk mode, risers you can flip with a pole, and a toe that is easy to step into in deep snow save time and temper. Also check that brakes are 0 to 15 mm wider than your ski waist.
Pin bindings need boots with tech inserts. Hybrids may also need inserts and a specific sole norm. Check the binding maker's compatibility chart before you drill anything. Our boot guide explains GripWalk and touring soles.
Freeride touring bindings range from roughly 370 g to over 1 kg per binding. Going from a 1 kg hybrid to a 400 g pin binding saves over a kilo per pair on your feet. Over a 1,500 m day, that is real. But the descent is why you came. Choose for the ratio of up and down in your skiing, not for the lowest number in a catalogue.
ATK Bindings is an Italian company based in Maranello. Yes, the Ferrari town. They machine much of their hardware from 7075 aluminium and their roots are in skimo racing, which shows: everything is light, precise and built to survive. Over the years they have added a heap of clever, mostly patented systems: the Cam Release System, the Elastic Response System, the Easy Entry System for stepping in, the Magneto heel flaps, the Snow Pack Proof System that stops ice building up under the toe, and the AUTO brake that locks itself in walk mode.
Independent testers seem to agree. OutdoorGearLab named the ATK Raider 13 EVO the best overall touring binding in their 2026 test, and GearJunkie made it their best all-mountain touring binding. One Blister reviewer's ideal backcountry quiver is a freeride ski mounted with an ATK Raider or Freeraider.
Full disclosure: ATK is a partner of ours. Take our enthusiasm with that in mind, and weigh it against the independent tests above.
Freeride pin binding. About 395 g per binding, release value 7 to 15 with adjustable toe, 14 mm elastic heel travel, Freeride Spacer included, AUTO brake. Brakes 97 to 120 mm.
What it is: ATK's strongest pin binding and the one our crew rides most. ATK lists 395 g per binding, a release range of 7 to 15 with an adjustable toe release, 14 mm of elastic heel travel (Elastic Response System), 25 mm of boot-length adjustment, walk modes of flat, +26 mm and +47.5 mm, the AUTO brake system and the Freeride Spacer, a support under the boot toe that improves power transfer to the ski. Brakes come in 97, 102, 108 and 120 mm. Retailers list it as ideal for skis around 90 to 120 mm wide and skiers between about 60 and 120 kg.
Why we ride it: it is the binding that lets you forget about your binding. It holds through landings and chopped-up snow, releases when it should, and still weighs less than a single hybrid toe piece. On a freeride touring ski like the DOWN CountDown 104 or 114, it is our default.
Who it is for: strong freeriders who tour a lot, heavier or more aggressive skiers who need the higher release range, and anyone who wants pin-binding efficiency without feeling like they compromised on the way down.
All-mountain pin binding. About 370 g per binding, release value 5 to 13 with adjustable toe, 14 mm elastic heel travel, EVO brake. OutdoorGearLab's best overall touring binding for 2026.
What it is: the Freeraider's lighter sibling. ATK lists 370 g per binding, a release range of 5 to 13 with an adjustable toe, 14 mm of elastic heel travel, flat, +26 mm and +47.5 mm walk modes, and the EVO brake, which engages when you rotate the heel 180 degrees. Brakes run from 86 to 120 mm.
Why we like it: it is the pick for lighter skiers and for long touring days where you still want proper freeride behaviour. It also has the test-lab trophies: OutdoorGearLab's best overall touring binding for 2026, and GearJunkie's best all-mountain touring binding.
Who it is for: skiers whose release value sits comfortably in the 5 to 13 range, touring-heavy freeriders on a CountDown L, and anyone building the lightest setup that still skis like they mean it.
Hybrid freeride binding. About 675 g per binding, release value 6 to 13 toe and heel, alpine-style lateral toe release and vertical heel release, boot nearly flat on the ski, walk modes of minus 18, plus 10 and plus 42 mm.
What it is: ATK's first hybrid, and it is a serious one. On the descent, the toe releases laterally and the heel vertically, just like an alpine binding, with a release range of 6 to 13 on both. The boot sits nearly flat on the ski, so you lose the heel-high stance of classic pin bindings. On the climb, it works like a tech binding. All 22 structural parts are machined from aluminium, and the whole thing weighs about 675 g per binding. There is also a lower-range Hy 11 Free (4 to 11).
The clever bit: a negative walk mode. In its flattest setting the heel sits 18 mm below the toe, which makes long flat approaches far more comfortable, especially in stiff freeride boots with limited cuff movement. The other walk modes are +10 mm and +42 mm. The brake locks automatically in walk mode, and you switch to ski mode by pushing the rear lever back. Brakes come in 97, 108 and 120 mm, and retailers list it for skis of about 90 to 120 mm.
What people say: Skimo Co's verdict is that all other hybrid bindings "must now bend the knee" to the Hy Free 13. A Backcountry.com gear expert called it "hands down the most confidence-inspiring" hybrid they had tested.
Who it is for: freeriders who mostly use lifts and cats but want to skin when it pays off: cat-ski trips, freeride camps, short tours from the top lift, and anyone who simply wants alpine-binding behaviour without a kilo-plus binding. It is our pick on a DOWN ShowDown 108.
Check before you buy: the Hy needs boots with tech inserts and a compatible sole. A GripWalk boot with inserts like the Scarpa 4-Quattro Pro is the natural match; check ATK's compatibility chart for your boot.
The hybrid category used to be the Salomon/Atomic Shift and the Marker Duke PT. Here is roughly where they sit, using figures published by testers and manufacturers:
In other words, the Hy comes in roughly 250 to 675 g lighter per binding than the other hybrids listed here, without giving up alpine-style release.
Then put the whole lot to work: DEEP & STEEP Austria, The Polar Vertical in the Lyngen Alps or The Shar Mountain Shift. Ask our guides what they ride; they will happily bore you with binding details for an entire skin track.
Quick answers
If more than about half your vertical is on skins, choose a strong pin binding such as the ATK Freeraider 15 EVO (about 395 g, release 7 to 15). If most of your skiing is lift or cat accessed with short tours, a hybrid such as the ATK Hy 13 Free (about 675 g, release 6 to 13, alpine-style toe and heel release) gives you a more alpine-like descent.
Modern freeride pin bindings with adjustable release values, elastic heel travel and, in ATK's EVO models, adjustable toe release, are used by guides and freeriders worldwide. Most are not certified to the alpine DIN/ISO standard, so have them set by a certified shop and choose a model whose release range suits your weight and skiing.
Freeride pin bindings weigh roughly 370 to 430 g per binding (ATK Raider 13 EVO about 370 g, Freeraider 15 EVO about 395 g). Hybrids are heavier: the ATK Hy 13 Free about 675 g, the Salomon/Atomic Shift2 about 920 g, and the Marker Duke PT 16 about 1,350 g in ski mode.
The Hy 13 Free is ATK's hybrid freeride touring binding. It climbs like a pin binding but skis with alpine-style lateral toe release and vertical heel release (6 to 13), with the boot nearly flat on the ski. It weighs about 675 g per binding and has a negative walk mode that drops the heel 18 mm below the toe for flat approaches.
Freeraider 15 EVO for strong or heavier freeriders who tour a lot; Raider 13 EVO for lighter skiers or the lightest freeride setup; Hy 13 Free for freeriders who mostly use lifts and cats and want alpine-style release with real touring capability.
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