ATK HY vs Shift 2 vs Marker Kingpin: Hybrid Binding Comparison
The ATK HY Free 13, the Salomon Shift 2, and the Marker Kingpin 13 are the hybrid bindings everyone cross-shops right now. All three promise real downhill performance with the ability to tour. I’ve skied all three: years on the Kingpin, about seven on the original Shift, and now the ATK HY after sacrificing my Shift in the mountains of Japan.
For a full trip report and how the ATK held up over 2.5 weeks of Hokkaido backcountry, see my ATK HY Free 13 review. This post is the comparison.
The specs side by side
| Spec | ATK HY 13 | Shift 2 13 | Kingpin 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (per binding) | 675g | ~900g | ~730g |
| Toe (downhill) | Alpine toe | Alpine toe | Tech pins |
| Toe (uphill) | Tech pins | Tech pins | Tech pins |
| Release Range | 6-13 | 6-13 (DIN) | 6-13 (DIN) |
| Riser Heights | 2 + negative flat | 1 + flat | 2 + flat |
| Brake Widths | 97, 108, 120mm | 90, 100, 110, 120mm | 100, 125mm |
| TÜV/DIN Certified | No (designed to pass) | Yes | Yes |
| Price | ~$950 | ~$680 | ~$770 |
Weight
The ATK is the lightest of the three. At 675g per binding it’s about 55g under the Kingpin and 225g under the Shift 2, or roughly 450g less than the Shift across a pair. That doesn’t sound like much until you’re a few thousand vertical feet into a tour. Research on energy expenditure shows a pound on your feet costs roughly the same energy as five pounds on your back, so the savings compounds with every step. If you tour a lot, this is the single biggest day-to-day difference.
Downhill performance
This is where the toe design matters most, and it splits the three cleanly.
The ATK HY and the Shift 2 both convert to a full alpine toe for the descent. Pins lock you in for the climb, then you switch to an alpine toe that cradles the boot like a resort binding. The Shift’s toe has a bit more elasticity and the most familiar resort feel of the group. The ATK rotates its toe into an alpine platform that skis nearly as hard at much lower weight. Coming off the summit at Asahidake in alpine mode I was totally locked in, reacting to every change in the snow, never wobbly.
The Kingpin is different: it keeps tech pins at the toe even on the way down. The heel is alpine and transfers power well, but the pin toe is the weak link. You can feel the lack of power transfer compared to the ATK and the Shift, and I’ve had pins pre-release on hard snow when the density changes. I once stepped clean out of a Kingpin on a hard turn on ice, just popped out of the ski under the pressure. That was the end of the Kingpin for me.
Transitions
The ATK wins this one. Its heel piece never moves. You rotate the toe, kick it forward, tuck your boot under, and stomp into the heel. To go back to touring you pop the heel, kick the toe vertical, and pin in. That’s it.
The Shift makes you slide the heel piece forward and back, and that mechanism collects ice and snow. In cold conditions it gets stiff, hard to move, and sometimes won’t lock. The Shift also has a spring-loaded brake lever that releases with enough force to hurt your hand if you’re not using a pole tip. The Kingpin is a simpler system than the Shift, but on the ATK I was always transitioned before the rest of the group.
Touring
All three tour on pins, so all three climb well. The differences are at the margins.
The ATK has three riser positions including a negative flat that gives you a longer, more natural stride on the flats, versus the Shift’s single riser plus flat and the Kingpin’s two climbing aids. The ATK’s toe pins lock in completely, so I could skin straight up icy slopes near the summit where others booted. The Shift is the bulkiest touring platform of the three with the most moving parts in the toe. The Kingpin tours great and always did; my issue with it was only ever on the way down.
Who should buy which
Buy the ATK HY Free 13 if more than half your days are earned turns, you want the lightest setup that still charges hard downhill, and you value fast, reliable transitions. It’s for the committed tourer who still wants to ski aggressively.
Buy the Shift 2 if you ski mostly at the resort and tour occasionally, you want DIN certification, you want to use alpine boots, or you want one binding while you figure out how much you’ll actually tour. It’s the safer one-quiver pick for a resort-first skier, and it’s the cheapest of the three.
Consider the Marker Kingpin 13 if you want a proven, certified, simple binding and you tour more than you charge. Just know the pin toe gives up real downhill power and can pre-release on hard snow. For how I ski, that ruled it out.
I’m almost exclusively touring or sidecountry, so the ATK HY is perfect for me.
FAQ
Is the ATK HY, Shift 2, or Kingpin lighter?
The ATK HY is lightest of the three at 675g per binding, versus about 730g for the Marker Kingpin 13 and about 900g for the Salomon Shift 2. Across a pair, the ATK saves roughly 450g over the Shift 2, which adds up over a long tour since weight on your feet costs far more energy than weight in your pack.
Which skis best downhill?
The ATK HY and the Shift 2, because both convert to a full alpine toe for the descent. The Kingpin keeps tech pins at the toe even on the way down, so it transfers less power and feels less locked in. I stepped out of a Kingpin on a hard icy turn from exactly that. Between the ATK and the Shift, the Shift has a touch more elasticity and pure resort feel; the ATK matches most of it at much lower weight.
Which binding is best for transitions?
The ATK HY. Its heel never moves; you rotate the toe 90 degrees and stomp into the heel. The Shift's heel slides forward and back and can collect ice and fail to lock in the cold. The Kingpin is simple too, but the ATK is the fastest and most reliable of the three for me.
Which of these bindings is DIN certified?
The Shift 2 and the Marker Kingpin 13 are both TÜV/DIN certified. The ATK HY is not yet, though ATK designed it to pass and shops can test the release values on standard DIN equipment. If certification is a hard requirement, the Shift 2 or Kingpin are the safe picks.
ATK HY, Shift 2, or Kingpin for resort skiing?
The Shift 2. It works with alpine boots, steps in like a resort binding, and is DIN certified, which makes it the best one-binding quiver for someone who skis mostly inbounds and tours occasionally. The ATK HY is optimized for the backcountry. The Kingpin tours well but its pin toe gives up the most downhill performance of the three.
Which costs the most?
The ATK HY is the priciest at around $950, versus roughly $770 for the Marker Kingpin 13 and about $680 for the Salomon Shift 2. With the ATK you're paying for the lighter all-metal construction and the touring-first design.