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Colorado’s Bishop Bindings puts out call for telemark skiing gear testers, ambassadors

Summit Daily staff report

Become a #Badassador

Want to join the Bishop Bindings crew? Submit action photos and short essay, or a short video, that speaks to the essence of telemark and what it means to you. Applications are due by Oct. 20. For more info or to apply, see http://www.bishopbindings.com/pages/become-a-badassador.

Free-heelers, it’s time to become a #Badassador.

Beginning this season, Bishop Bindings of neighboring Edwards — one of the first high-performance telemark ski binding companies in the nation — is seeking ambassadors to huck, grind and drop turns on the brand’s latest bindings: the Bishop 2.0.

Dubbed the #Badassadors (complete with hashtag and everything), the brand will enlist both traditional and freestyle tele skiers to test and develop the next generation of downhill telemark bindings — all while helping to advance the sport beyond its traditional base. Think of it like a street team (as in unpaid brand ambassadors) built solely for up-and-coming free-heel athletes.



Here’s how it works: Before the season begins — and continuing on through the entire year — recreational athletes are invited to apply and join Bishop’s ambassador program. In addition to athletic achievements, the company is looking for athletes who are helping to advance the sport of telemark through stewardship and individual social reach. Whether volunteering for adaptive sports, working as a ski patroller or being a first mover in the new-school telemark movement, ambassadors will be selected based on the criteria of reach, fit, authenticity and voice.

“Telemark skiers are a special breed,” says Dave Bombard, Bishop’s CEO and designer. “And the essence of telemark’s free spirit and soulful approach to the downhill is what sets it apart from other snow sports. Our goal with the Badassador program is to promote the free-heel lifestyle, while progressing the sport forward while we’re at it.”



Along with free-heel prowess, the company is looking for ambassadors who already have a large and eclectic social-media following, built through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The company wants to tap those individual resources to build brand awareness, and, in return, athletes get access to just about everything the company currently produces.

Ambassadors will help test and promote the Bishop 2.0 downhill telemark bindings at key events and through their own photographs, videos and experiences.

Simply put, the Bishop 2.0 is built for “big mountain badassery,” just like the #Badassadors who will lead the social and grassroots charge. Unlike many other telemark bindings, the 2.0 is engineered using bomber titanium, aluminum and stainless steel for stability and lateral control — making it an ideal choice for traditional downhillers and those who are looking to push their boundaries with confidence, including freestyle skiers drawn to park jumps and rails. Ambassadors should be similarly badass when it comes to their influence, stoke and contribution to the free-heel way of life.

All Bishop Bindings are crafted in small numbers in Colorado. They’re built for hard-charging tele skiers who want the most responsive, stable and durable downhill telemark bindings for big mountain badassery (Catching onto the theme yet?). The bindings have no plastic or other “floppy” parts, which can easily break and bend when you take teles far away from groomers. They’re made for beginners and experts, with ways to customize flex and response. Bishop Bindings also come with a patented, sliding plate system that transfers energy directly to the ski, allowing greater control when charging hard downhill, in the park or sidecountry.


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