Cable binding

Cable bindings, also known as Kandahar bindings or bear-trap bindings, are a type of ski bindings widely used through the middle of the 20th century. They were replaced in alpine skiing by heel-and-toe "safety bindings" in the mid-1960s. It was invented and brand-named after the Kandahar Ski Club in 1929 by ski racer and engineer Guido Reuge.

The cable binding attaches firmly at the toe only, normally in a trapezoidal metal cup roughly the same as the toe of a boot. A strap is fastened over the toe to keep it in the cup vertically. Another cable holds the boot forward into the cup. If the heel is lifted, causing the boot to rotate in the toe clip, a spring keeps tension on the cable to keep the boot pressed forward. The Kandahar version added had two small metal clips on either side of the boot, normally near the instep or heel. For cross-country skiing the cable was left on top of the clips, allowing the heel to move vertically. For downhill runs, the cable was moved under the clips, forcing the heel down onto the ski. This provided greatly improved control, allowing the skier to torque the skis for turns.