Salomon will end the binding and mono production of the cross-country skiing sns collection for this season. There will be enough spare parts for the winter of 2023–24 at most.
Salomon will end the binding and mono production of the very popular cross-country skiing sns collection for this season.
According to a rough estimate, there are about three million pairs of skis in Finland. Of those, there are 100,000–200,000 pairs of sns binding type skis.
– Sns bindings are available from retailers selling Salomon as long as there are items in stock. The products are no longer available for sale on Salomon’s website and brand stores, says Salomon’s Finnish influencer Jonne Eskola.
In practice, it means that SNS devices will run out of Finnish retailers during the 2023–24 season.
Popularity collapsed
Salomon will end the binding and mono production of the cross-country skiing sns collection for this season. PASI LEISMA
In the 1990s and 2000s, Sns was by far the most popular type of bandage, about 80 percent of the top athletes used them, until the nnn bandage type quickly slipped into pole position. Sns monos do not go to nnn bond and nnn monos to sns bond.
The overwhelming strength of the Nnn bond compared to the sns product is the possibility of transfer.
Traditional style fur bottom skis have been Finland’s best sellers since the latter half of the 2010s. Fur-soled skis almost always use a movable binding system, because it varies the grip area of the ski.
– In the past, competitors’ focus was more on ski manufacturing, so Salomon was the clear market leader in skis and bindings. When the competitors began to manufacture bindings and monos more strongly, the market was divided between several brands, Eskola states.
In the last decade, Salomon developed the prolink binding. It is equivalent to nnn, i.e. prolink-mono fits nnn-tie and nnn-mono fits prolink-tie.
In practice, all competitive skiers who used the sns system in the past have changed equipment, but several pairs of skis with the sns system were seen in Finland last winter, for example, in long-distance skating style fitness skiing events.
Exchange problem
Sns monos are made with both one and two fixing irons. Profil-mono has one iron at the tip to which the bandage is attached. The Pilot mono has two irons that increase the lateral stability of the mono. PASI LEISMA
On the left is the mono of the sns-pilot collection and on the right is the prolink model. Prolink mono works with nnn system ties. PASI LEISMA
Consumers are wondering whether it is worth stocking up on SNS system ties and monos as spare parts, or whether it makes more sense to replace the equipment.
Instead of Sns, you can change prolink bindings to skis.
– Sns and prolink bindings have the same mounting holes, so the screws fit the old holes, Eskola assures.
But.
New bindings cost around 50 euros per piece, and those who ski more than twice a season can get reasonable traditional skis for a hundred. The most money is spent on free monos, because you may have to pay up to 500 euros for competition-level equipment.
The installation work is usually free, excluding shops in the capital region, but the equipment dealer may not agree to change the tires.
If the fastening of the screws of the sns bindings to the ski has not been done carefully, so to speak plugged, the body of the ski may have shrunk. This is usually only noticed when the bandage is changed. The new bandage does not attach to the ski and the equipment is unusable.
– There is a small risk, Eskola begins.
– When the screws are removed from the old ties, the old holes may become larger. If the old hole has been enlarged during reinstallation, and the screw does not hold enough, the old hole can be plugged and the holes re-drilled in specialized cross-country shops. The holes in the re-installed bandage are tight enough, he claims.
Like in cell phones
According to an estimate received from Iltalehti’s ski experts, 100,000–200,000 pairs of SNS binding type skis are in use in Finland. PASI LEISMA
In principle, switching to only one communication system is a good thing for the consumer.
The idea is the same as in mobile phone chargers.
According to the new EU law, most small and medium-sized electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras and headphones must have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024.
– The purpose is to reduce complexity between retailers and consumers. With one bond standard, the purchase of tools is easier. This also reduces the complexity of production and thus the environmental impact, says Salomon’s Eskola.