Self-releasing safety binding on the windsurfing board
Injuries to the ankle joints are one of the most common problems that windsurfers have to contend with, as the foil in particular can sometimes transfer large forces to the ankle joints. These are painful experiences that have already led to a broken front wing and multiple ligament injuries in the ankle joint of a surf tester when holding the foil at maximum force. Most frequent cases: During a jump or manoeuvre, you slip out of the strap with one foot and get stuck with the other, or the board tips up and you fall against the direction of tipping. In such cases, the ION Safety Strap is supposed to release like a ski binding. Can it work?
Structure of the safety strap from ION
The loop itself is split in two in the centre and can slide apart under load. The two halves are held together by a Velcro fastener. A neoprene cover located under the Velcro can be moved so that the Velcro connects the two halves with varying degrees of strength - this results in the three adjustment options - "light", "medium" or "strong". In practice, the principle works as planned. If you set the foot strap to "light", for example, very little tension is enough to allow the Velcro to slip through and release the foot. Set to "strong", on the other hand, very high forces are required to separate the halves - at least when the strap is new.
Limited size settings
But the system also has its downsides: The options for adjusting the size are limited, as the usual adjustment mechanism has been sacrificed for the basic idea of the safety strap. The strap has three holes on each side through which the strap can be screwed to the board - this results in five size settings that cover at least the medium shoe sizes.
surf conclusion
For the majority of windsurfers, a reliably firm connection to the board is probably still the best guarantee for avoiding injuries. However, if you already have damaged ankles and want to avoid high forces at this point, the ION Safety Strap could be a practical solution to your problems. The price is 44.99 euros per piece.
Info under www.ion-products.com
