SudsySavesReally happy with Beast 14's ability to hold up to my attempts at rowdyness... would Radical 2.0 or G3 Ion provide comparable performance with lower weight, or are these options a pretty significant step down in terms of retention/elasticity etc? Not happy with Radical ST 1.0 in rowdy skiing, so I guess I'm wondering if Rad 2.0 and Ion feel closer to that or something like the Beast 14.
No actual time in the Beast 14, but I have time in the Speed Turn, Kingpin, and Ion.
Just the fact that you're asking on NS makes me immediately think Kingpins. They're just an easy recommendation, and I'm actually very keen on getting my own pair.
As far as the Ions, I'm on the old ones (fingers crossed the new ones are waiting at my house), but that shouldn't affect the skiing, just the touring.
I've had mine prerelease once, on a revert to switch in 18" of heavy snow, so not too surprising I guess.
Other than that, I've hit as big of cliffs as I've ever hit on alpine binders on them and been fine, even with a few stupid flat landings.
They feel a little different, and if you're a chunky skier that likes to break gear I wouldn't recommend them for hucking.
My hunch (no confirmation yet) is that the Rad 2.0 and Kingpin sit pretty close to the Beast as an "almost alpine binding" (Or as close as you're going to get) and the Ion sits a little more on the "Pinny uphill binding side of things, but is still burlier than the old Radicals.
Again, just a hunch that needs to be tested.