Front retaining devices for a gliding board

A ski touring binding for fastening a boot of a skier to a ski, said binding comprising:

• an ascent toe-piece for engaging and retaining a boot of a user while ascending a slope, the ascent toe-piece comprising a first boot-fastening mechanism, the first boot-fastening mechanism defining an articulation axis about which the boot pivots as a heel of the boot of the user is alternately raised and lowered in relation to the ski during use of the binding while the user ascends the slope;
• the ascent toe-piece being selectively configurable into either of the following:
• a boot-engaged configuration, for which the boot is fastened to the ascent toe-piece and the boot pivots about a transverse axis while the user ascends the slope;
• and
• a boot-disengaged configuration, for which the boot is free to be selectively released from or inserted into the ascent toe-piece;
• a descent toe-piece for engaging and retaining the boot of the user while descending a slope, the descent toe-piece comprising a second boot-fastening mechanism, the second boot-fastening mechanism including a movable element comprising an interface surface designed to come into contact with a front portion of the boot;
• the descent toe-piece and the ascent toe-piece being designed to be concurrently mounted on the ski while the skier skis;
• the descent toe-piece being selectively configurable into either of the following:
• an active boot-engaged configuration, for which the interface surface of the movable element faces downwardly and is designed to be in contact with an upward-facing surface of the front portion of the boot;
• and
• an inactive boot-disengaged configuration, for which the interface surface of the movable element is designed to be out of contact with the front portion of the boot while the ascent toe-piece is in the boot-engaged configuration;
• in the inactive configuration, the interface surface of the movable element of the descent toe-piece is designed to face upwardly and away from the ski.

A ski touring binding for fastening a boot of a skier to a ski, said binding comprising:

• an ascent toe-piece for engaging and retaining a boot of a user while ascending a slope, the ascent toe-piece comprising a first boot-fastening mechanism, the first boot-fastening mechanism defining an articulation axis about which the boot pivots as a heel of the boot of the user is alternately raised lowered in relation to the ski during use of the binding while the user ascends the slope;
• the ascent toe-piece being selectively configurable into either of the following:
• a boot-engaged configuration, for which the boot is fastened to the ascent toe-piece and the boot pivots about a transverse axis while the user ascends the slope;
• and
• a boot-disengaged configuration, for which the boot is free to be selectively released from or inserted into the ascent toe-piece;
• a descent toe-piece for engaging and retaining the boot of the user while descending a slope, the descent toe-piece comprising a second boot-fastening mechanism the second boot-fastening mechanism including a movable element comprising a sole-clamp designed to come into contact with a front portion of the boot;
• the descent toe-piece and the ascent toe-piece being designed to be concurrently mounted on the ski while the skier skis;
• the descent toe-piece being selectively configurable into either of the following:
• an active boot-engaged configuration, for which the sole-clamp is designed to be in contact with the front portion of the boot;
• and
• an inactive boot-disengaged configuration, for which the sole-clamp is designed to be out of contact with the front portion of the boot while the ascent toe-piece is in the boot-engaged configuration;
• in the inactive configuration, in relation to a position in the active configuration, the sole-clamp is in a rearward and lowered position.