Toe piece:
Alpine performance: The Hy Free delivers the responsiveness, control, and confidence of an alpine binding. The boot sits flat on the ski in ski mode, eliminating the pin-height differential typical of standard PIN bindings for a true downhill experience.
Compatibility: The Hy is compatible with most alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, and freeride boots. To ensure safe and high performance, the Anti Friction Device (AFD) slider on the toe piece must be adjusted with various sole types. To achieve this, we have developed specific spacers that fit between the sliding section of the AFD and its underlying structure. These spacers ensure proper boot-to-binding contact while accounting for the sole's thickness. Thinner plastic soles provide a stiff connection with the binding. For this reason, we designed softer spacers that also serve to dampen vibrations. Thicker rubber soles require little to no spacers, as their rubber composition inherently provides vibration absorption.
Seamless transitions: Switching between ascent and descent modes is effortless. Simply raise the toe arms for walking or rotate them forward and down for skiing. The intuitive design ensures reliable performance in all conditions with no needs for interchangeable parts.
Heel piece:
Negative steps: For uphill efficiency, the Hy Free includes a unique “negative” walk mode that allows the boot heel to drop slightly below the toe level. This reduces strain and improves stride efficiency, especially for freeride boots with limited cuff mobility and during long flat approaches.
Walking modes: The Hy also features two heel raisers for easier uphill progress, both activated easily even with the pole.
Hy Brake System: The rear ski brake locks automatically when the heel piece is in walk mode. This means that when the real lever has been pushed fully forward the ski brake can be locked in position with a simple press of the rear paddle. When transitioning to ski mode, it seamlessly unlocks by pushing the rear lever backwards, ensuring hassle-free use.
Performing Through Lightness
Our foundation, our roots. ATK took its first steps in this industry by developing lightweight race bindings, and now, as then, lightness is key to achieving what athletes crave: speed. Therefore, it's easy to understand why “performance through lightness” has been the mantra that has accompanied ATK's growth in its early years.
As our role in the ski mountaineering universe started to evolve, we needed some stabilization because it's easy to lose control during a phase of growth, just as it is easy to get caught up in the events. That's why we decided to keep our roots stable, not changing our approach to the activity, and ultimately not getting in our own way.
In fact, as we expanded our catalogue to include the speed touring, touring, and free touring categories, we remained steadfast in our commitment to enabling an ever-wider range of ski mountaineers to achieve performance through lightness.
Durability
The Hy is a masterpiece of minimalist engineering. Weighing only 675g, it offers a remarkable balance between lightness and strength. All of the binding’s structural components (22 per half pair) are crafted from 7075 aluminum, ensuring that every component is both lightweight and incredibly durable. This thoughtful design maximizes performance on both ascents and descents, giving freeriders an edge in challenging conditions.
