Where AlpenFlow Was Born
The soft shh-shh of skis on the skin track. The cold, clean smell of alpine air filling your lungs. Sunlight glinting through the tall pines as it dances on the lake below.
This is why we ski tour in Tahoe. The beauty is unmatched, the terrain surreal, and mornings like these feel like secrets few get to share.
Rubicon Peak, on Tahoe’s West Shore, is one of those spots—and it’s where the idea for AlpenFlow Design was born. We were out on the skin track in 2020 with a new hybrid binding setup. The stoke was high, but after only a few kick-turns, things started to unravel. Brakes were dropping on the climb, bindings were popping off unexpectedly, and transitions were painfully slow and clunky.
In the moment, it was frustrating. But it changed everything.
It’s what pushed the three of us to ask: Can we make a better touring binding?
We wanted the downhill performance of alpine bindings—without sacrificing everything else.
Touring in Tahoe isn’t just about the turns—it’s the whole experience.
And we realized the gear wasn’t keeping up with the mountains we loved.
From Garage to Mountain
Like so many startups, this one started in a garage. A few engineers and skiers with a shared obsession for mechanical design and mountains got to work. Our testing grounds and R&D lab became the mountains we love—Rubicon, Tallac, and Jake's. We designed, and manufactured our prototypes in the Bay Area, yet every version of the Alpenflow 89 was skied, broken, tweaked, and skied again in these peaks. Tahoe's variable snow and serious terrain pushes us to keep refining.
Designing for Flow
We named our binding the Alpenflow 89 after the highway and because that’s what we chase—flow. On the skin track, in the powder, through transitions, and even in our gear choices. Our design philosophy centers on creating bindings that elevate the skiing experience through thoughtful design. We believe that a hybrid binding should be much more than a downhill-oriented piece of hardware; it should be an intuitive extension of the skier, that acknowledges uphill just as much as downhill, thus allowing us to be out in the mountains without thinking about the gear.
Our goal is simple: build a binding that lets you enjoy the outdoors by flowing through the mountains—light and efficient on the way up, powerful and confidence-inspiring on the way down, and quick when it’s time to transition. The combination of these three aspects define who we are.
Photo: Noah Gaffney charging hard on the Alpenflow 89
Taking it to the Blister Summit
This past season, we brought the Alpenfow 89 prototype to the Blister Summit. Showing it off to the wider ski community was surreal—and honestly, a bit nerve-wracking. But people got it. The response was overwhelming. Skiers who know gear saw what we were doing and were excited, and that was the best feedback we could have hoped for!
It has been a challenge being a small brand trying to break into a space dominated by big players. But the feedback validated our vision, and it has motivated us to keep on innovating. We know the backcountry community will continue to support us as we go through this final phase of testing and validation.
What’s Next
We’re making a few final design changes: improving heel engagement feel, refining the step in mechanism so it is as easy as possible, and lightening the binding without compromising strength. These updates are happening now, and we’re planning for a Fall 2026 release.
We know that’s a wait—but we’re building something we believe in, the right way. And we’re inviting people to be part of that journey through early pre-orders now. If you’re someone who cares about how your gear is made, and who’s behind it, we hope you’ll stick with us.
Thanks for Believing
Rubicon lit the spark. Tahoe gave us the terrain and inspiration to build something better. Now we’re working every day to make that binding real—with the help of skiers like you.
We will be sharing these improvement as we go so, if you haven’t yet, check out the AlpenFlow 89, follow us on Instagram, and stay tuned. Big things are ahead.
See you on the skin track,
—The AlpenFlow Team
