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Duke durability issues?

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aSkiingWarPig
Posts: 92 - Karma: 48
Hi guys,
I haven´t been looking for Marker Dukes since I last bought skis a couple years ago when Dukes had just come out, and back then I was discouraged to buy them because everybody were saying they´ll break up on you if you do any jumps.
But now I find myself buying new powder skis (Line Sir Francis Bacon) and I know I´m gonna be hiking in the upcoming years, but still I want to do jibbing and freestyle before that (and whenever I can´t find pow, which is about half of my time skiing).
That´s why I´d like to know if those durability issues were just rumours or if they´ve fixed them? Cause I heard many people say that you can´t practically land switch or the heel piece will break and stuff like that.
The second binding choice would be Marker Jester Schizo, which btw would be sick with Bacons!
So can the Dukes take a beating in the park and riding switch, or should I just go with the Jester Schizos and later buy new pair of skis? For the type of hiking I´m gonna do, the Bacons would be perfect anyways... (no huge mountains)

Oh and I´m about 6´2´´ tall and weigh 180ish pounds, if that matters.

Thanks, +K
May 26 2010 4:31PM
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
skiing the dukes in the park = running track with cement shoes. you shouldn't have issues for the intended use ( A/Ting slackcountry to charge gnar lines) , tho. its def burly enough for that. way burlier than NAXOs
May 26 2010 4:50PM
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aSkiingWarPig
Posts: 92 - Karma: 48
OK thanks, but what did you mean by ( A/Ting slackcountry to charge gnar lines)?
May 27 2010 9:09AM
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
A/T= Alpine Touring.
Slackcountry= not  backcountry, more like out of bounds, aka Sidecountry
gnar lines= the kind of skiing you would need a burly binding to handle.



most A/T bindings are built with lightweight/efficiency in mind. they are designed more for theskin up than the shred down. However, the Duke addresses the fact that alot of skiers who want to ski very advanced terrain cant find that in bounds, so they have to travel into the BC.


but anyways, get the Dukes if you think you will be doing minimal park skiing with them. but if you want to ski a substantial amount of park, look to get a pair of BCA Trekkers
May 27 2010 2:02PM
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aSkiingWarPig
Posts: 92 - Karma: 48
All right, thanks, it was just A/Ting I didn´t understand...

And also the Trekkers were a good advice, thanks, I´ll look into those now.

But can you give particular reasons why the dukes suck at park? Heavy and high platform?
May 27 2010 3:17PM
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fouldsys
Posts: 7404 - Karma: 39
if you want a ski/binding setup that will allow you to ski park as well as alpine tour i would seriously consider getting two pairs of skis
May 27 2010 11:48PM
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Big_Spence
Posts: 16177 - Karma: 4,352
this.
an A/T setup will never work well in the park and vice versa.
May 28 2010 2:24AM
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aSkiingWarPig
Posts: 92 - Karma: 48
I never said I wan´t a super lightweight A/Ting setup or a park setup either. I already have a park ski and this is gonna be my powder/all mtn jibbing tool. I just think I´m gonna do SOME hiking in the future, so I thought I might get the Dukes. I´m not even considering any lightweight touring bindings.

That being said, since Bacon is still a fun ski you can jib all over the mountain and butter too, I want to know if the Dukes would allow me to do that.

But the trekkers are also an option.
May 28 2010 5:05AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
im in the same position as you are...

i'm prob. gonna go for a on3p caylor with pivot or jester and then later on, get me some trekkers....
May 28 2010 6:01AM
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Alkyy
Posts: 2839 - Karma: 149
I got a pair of last years bacons that i was thinking about swapping out the fks i have on there now for a pair of dukes, i know ill still be landing switch and jumping in pow with them, they probably wont see a resort more then 1 or 2 times a year.  Is this kinda stuff an issue for them or should that be good, ive done a fair amount of research but no one seems to be able to answer if they are capable of handling some bc booters and shit like that
May 28 2010 11:30AM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,456
my buddy used them all season..he skies hard as fuck and they held strong all season check out some of his edits

https://www.newschoolers.com/web/content/videos/member_id/130387/
May 28 2010 1:08PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,456
and the reason i'm saying check out his edits so you can get an idea of the shit he does and the abuse he puts these bindings through..I'm definitely getting a pair next season
May 28 2010 1:09PM
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teleak
Posts: 2251 - Karma: 105
do not do this.
May 28 2010 2:38PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
dukes will hold up better than any other touring binding when it comes to abuse from bigger stuff, but still, its a touring binding. they are designed to let you access stuff, not huck on them. and a touring binding is an AWFUL idea in the park.

id get a seperate ski for touring if i were you.

or if you are really going to be hiking that little, is bootpacking an option? skinning is nice, but not essential.
May 28 2010 3:04PM
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
trekkers get a bad rep, but they arent crap. They are extremely useful. however, they are pretty fragile if you arent careful, and do add to the weight and equipment in your pack
May 28 2010 7:40PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,456
I've been touring a lotta bit shit this winter in the wasatch and the trekkers have been fine for me
May 28 2010 10:23PM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 237
If you search on TGR there is a huge multi-page discussion on this topic. Not many people over here ski dukes. Dukes are very popular over there.

May 28 2010 10:37PM
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aSkiingWarPig
Posts: 92 - Karma: 48
OK thanks for everybody, I don´t think I´ll buy the Dukes now. When I´m starting to think about hiking more seriously, I think I´ll either get the Trekkers (I know about the durabillity issues already, I´ve read many topics about it), buy new skis with A/T bindings or just bootback if I´m hiking just a bit.

But if you other guys with the same problem still have questions, do go on and ask them here.
May 29 2010 5:12AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
dukes can handle tons and tons of abuse but i wouldn't even consider using them everyday in the park. while they can stomp 40 footers into shitty snow, they wouldn't really like constant beating in the park

you need 2 pairs of skis
May 29 2010 11:52AM
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