The most fundamental of ATK's "Evo" series of bindings, the RT 8 Evo binding is the evolution of the Crest 8. Historically, lighter-weight skiers have a more limited selection of touring bindings to pick from, but thankfully the RT 8 Evo exists to fit the needs of almost any backcountry setup. The "Evo" nomenclature indicates the inclusion of ATK's automatic brakes that self-deploy upon rotating the heel back into the skiing position, instead of requiring you to remember to push a button during your transition. Because the new brake mandates that the heel tower be reversed when skinning, ATK has swapped the single riser of the Crest for a pair of magnetically locking risers, allowing you to find your optimal climbing position. Aside from these two major changes, ATK has left the best features of the Crest untouched: Easy Entry System for intuitive toe step-in, a patented Cam Release System in the heel turret that reduces the force needed to step in, and fully adjustable vertical and lateral release settings from 3 to 8. As before, the POM heel base includes 20mm of BSL adjustment that accommodates multiple boots and 12mm of heel elasticity to help prevent pre-release during aggressive skiing. Despite all these features, ATK has retained its crown of offering some of the lightest full-featured bindings in the world, with the RT 8 Evo acting as yet another reminder to ATK's competitors that complacency won't cut it anymore.
