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April, 2025

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Good ski shops in Bay Area for binding installation

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atang001
Posts: 1 - Karma: 15
Hi Everyone,

Does anyone have any recommendations of good ski shops in the Bay Area (preferably in the peninsula) for binding installation? I have a pair of Black Pearls and need to get Marker Griffon bindings installed onto them. Has anyone been to Tim Muhic in Burlingame? He seems to have good reviews on Yelp.

Thanks for you help!


11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21104 - Karma: 8,582
There really aren't many good shops in the Bay Area. The guy that owns Demo Sport in San Rafael knows his shit pretty well and has been around forever. His shop looks like shit but he knows that shit very well. Ask for Steve if you go.
11 years ago
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
While I agree there aren't many good "shops" in the bay area it's pretty easy to install a binding so anyone who will do it is probably more than qualified (difference between a shop that can install bindings and bootfitters).

Sports basement does mine for 25 bucks. California ski shop in Berkeley charges 50. Is the locktite at CSS that much better? I doubt it.

It's binding mounting, not rocket science. That said I wouldn't go to them for anything else really technical related.

Experience: Dukes, STH, and PX14's all mounted with no problems after 2+ years.

11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21104 - Karma: 8,582
I forgot about Sports Basement. They HAVE to be at least decent at mounting considering how many skis they mount for the sales rack, demos, etc.
11 years ago
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kyleoutside
Posts: 103 - Karma: 95
My only experience is with California Ski Co,, and so far so good. They are a bit more expensive but they generally have a really quick turnaround. They can pretty much mount any make of binding and ski, several shops turned me down because I didnt by my skis/bingings (moment/tyrolia) there and they didnt have the proper equipment.

Based on the conversations I have had with folks at the Sports Basement and Any Mountain chains, I would avoid going to them. It his hit or miss on which employees actually know there shit.
11 years ago
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Sports basement> Any Mountain.

I just went to a Kirkwood BC intro class last night for free. When would you see Any mountain doing that shit?

I agree though that the people there don't really know there shit (outside the basics) but as lorax says they rent skis and sell a boat load thus they're probably pretty good at it. I'd also note AGAIN I wouldn't go to them for anything other than binding mounts.
11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21104 - Karma: 8,582
Anybody know of a good place to get a full tune including a core shot? I was an idiot and not only didn't get my skis tuned up at the end of last season/get the core shot filled, but I also left them on the roof too long and there's a bit of corrosion goin on on the edges (beyond normal rust that will just ski off). I'm in Marin, and am willing to drive a decent distance to get a good job done.
11 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
Holy shit is that bullshit or what.

I mean, at least Any Mountain's bootfitters are trained, and they get re-upped every year on binding cert. Sports Basement is no better than Sports Authority...


(that said, San Jose and Fremont Any Mountain are the total fucking suck... Corte Madera and Dublin not much better. Concord, Berkeley, and Redwood City are usually on their game, though since they are managed by guys who ski rather than idiots who got the job - I'm saying this based on how much training their bootfitters needed when I was teaching them last month at Masterfit U. The San Jose store didn't even send one guy who actually skis.)

If you're going to get them mounted, probably go to California Ski Co in Berkeley. Probably the best pure ski shop (if not the only one) in the Bay Area.

Or just take them up here to Truckee, and get them mounted at Start Haus (not Porters, it's really gone downhill). They'll be mounted right, and we'll probably get them out to you same-day since we have like 6 or 7 guys mobbing at once, every day. It's also a Race Shop, so there's no way they will be done by some n00bster. All those guys are fucking former race team techs or racers who tech'd their on shit.

Either that, or get them mounted at Sports LTD in South Lake if you're down there. That place knows it's shit as well.
11 years ago
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kyleoutside
Posts: 103 - Karma: 95
I could not agree more as far as ski equipment goes...Went with my girlfriend to get her fitted for boots there and walked out after having a 5 minute conversation with the guy who didnt know shit about ski boots and who openly admitted he just started in the ski department.

As far as tahoe goes, i have had only good experiences with Tahoe Sports Unlimited in south lake!
11 years ago
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
its a binding mount. you drill holes through a jig, put locktight/epoxy shit in and then screw the screws in.

boot fitting is an art and should be treated as such, but binding mounts require zero skill and very, very little knowhow.

all you have to do is mark where you want your midsole on the ski, and then go to the cheapest place you can find.
11 years ago
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kyleoutside
Posts: 103 - Karma: 95
The one thing I would check on before lugging your skis somewhere in the bay area is that the shop has the proper jig for your bindings. Any Mountain didn't have the jig to mount my Tyrolia Adrenaline 16's. They also said they are hesitant to mount skis not purchased through them because of liability, which is bullshit in my opinion. California Ski Co. will mount any combo though!
11 years ago
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
Yeah, and then you take your shit to Sports Basement, or some other shit cheap place, and they have to mount your shit blind because they don't have the jig or use the wrong drill bit. Places like that don't get proper equipment.

You can just fucking get a drillbit, take some duct tape and measure 7 or 9mm up on the bit and wrap a stopper on, and do just as well.

I've seen some stupid ass shit.. massive dimples, incorrect mount points because fuckers don't get that people want their shit 'centre mounted' meaning NOT on the recommended line... or they measure it wrong completely, skis mounted backwards because they can't tell which is the tip or the tail, skis drilled straight through the base because they used a full length bit instead of a short bit... stripped holes because they overtightened or set the screw shooter to a higher torque.

It's worth it to take it to a place that knows what they're doing sometimes. I wouldnt trust just any idiot with a jig and a drill with something I spent 7-8-maybe 900 bucks on.


11 years ago
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Squirrel_Murphy
Posts: 2195 - Karma: 1,165


^This
11 years ago
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atang001
Posts: 1 - Karma: 15
Thanks for everyone's help!
11 years ago
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D34DM0053
Posts: 150 - Karma: 604
I went to Calfornia Ski Company in Berkeley for a fitting and they were all so knowledgeable. The fitting was perfect and so with that knowledge, I would totally trust them to mount my skis. But I live in So Cal
11 years ago
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