Radar boot input

[88 PS190]

I am shopping for some new binders for my older brother.

He's been skiing a Mapple with Obrien Contact bindings which are ripping through the overlays and are pretty much toast. Also I have had no luck finding these overlays or I would just buy them and rebuild his bindings.

So I am looking for opinions on the Radar Rail Binding. Particularly in how the materials hold up to some abuse over time.

Anyone here have some serious time spent in them and can comment.

[Chicago190]

I have 2 seasons on them, but I only ski 30-40 sets a year. The boots have 2 different cinch cords (I don't have a better description for them), one for the lower part of the foot and one for the ankle. The plastic piece that cinches down to tension the cords on the lower foot broke on both within 5 uses. Rail warrantied them both with no questions asked. No other issues. The boots seem good as new to me, but again I'm not a heavier user, nor do I really abuse them. I will say they were by and away the most comfortable boot I tried on when I was shopping.

[88 PS190]

So just the plastic locking tab sliders broke? Those are pretty standard items on lots of wakeboard bindings and such, so that's not a huge concern.

If I counted he had maybe 10 sets skied this summer total.

Which partly is why I'm interested in durability. He won't wear out a binding in a year, so 6 years later when something wears out and parts can't be bought you end up looking for a whole new binding.

Which the RS-1's have the same intuition liners as my FM's and I know where to get them and I know how to shape them, but then again more cost, and I don't want to have to kneel at my brothers feet to form his bindings for him.

Anyhow. That's a positive review of the rail binding.

They seem to be laterally stiff enough despite not having the harder plastic construction?

[Chicago190]

I don't think a lot of people on here talk about the Rail binding since it is more on the "intermediate" skier level. I went from a beginner ski to my O' Brien Syncro with Rail bindings - so I cannot comment on the relative lateral stiffness of different bindings. I've recreationally skied for 3 years now and the attached pictures will give you an idea of my skill level.