Life is beautiful. But there are a few things I regret though. I wish I knew what I know now when I was 20. Lots of things I wish I hadn't said and done. I also wish I had upgraded all my computers to SSD drives 15 years ago. And I really should have switched to Meidjos 5 years ago.
I am not going to talk about it for hours. No need for poetic metaphors or long technical descriptions here. You heard it all before. You already heard about it many times, people have been praising the Meidjo everywhere since it came out. And I can only confirm that everything is true: It's absolutely awesome, in every possible way.
Even though The M is secretly working on a new binding, the Meidjo is THE NTN binding to own. (I also really wish that Rottefella will come up with new NTN-BC soles one day, but that's another story... )
At 460g per binding, the Meidjo is ridiculously light. You can hear it a million times everywhere, you actually have to hold this wonderful piece of engineering in your own hands to believe it. Everything here is reduced to its most simple form. And yet, it's feels indestructible despite being a very complex system. I cannot see how it could possibly break, while you can destroy almost any parts on the 970g Freeride just by looking at it.
I thought mounting would be challenging, since you have to drill 12 holes on each ski. But honestly, it was surprisingly easy to do. Yep, quick and easy. Except for the brakes, which are ehhh... almost impossible to install. If you plan to install the brakes on yours, be ready to abuse the f-word a few times. The old Voile brakes were very tricky to install too, and so were the 7TM ones. So I guess there's no need for me to complain here.
I feel like just repeating what 5000 meidjos skiers have said before. 5000 users can't be wrong. But yes, the binding is super powerful despite its super light weight. The design is flawless. Touring mode is much better than everything else, with much better, 90+deg ROM. Lateral control is unbelievable. Such levels of stiffness have never been achieved before on such a tiny binding, especially with the optional Red springs. It's so small, yet it's built like a tank.
Yet another holy grail feature of the Meidjo is the releasability. Yep, it does release. And it has nothing to do with the "catastrophic release" of the others. The releasability here can be adjusted manually, and totally independently of the binding's stiffness. Which means you can have the spring set to super stiff, and have the release mechanism set to a very low setting to save those decade-old knees. Once again, it's brilliant.
And as an added bonus, they ski like crazy. They ski much better than both the Freerides and the Outlaws. While offering the same power and stiffness as the Outlaws, they offer a MUCH more natural telemark feeling. I really don't like the robotic feeling of other NTN alternatives. The Meidjos are super smooth while also being super active. They offer much more control and stability compared to the other bindings on the market. Really, I was not expecting such a beautiful, smooth and yet ultra-powerful experience after 10 years on NTN. Even my red-tube-at-four Freerides felt slack compared to the M Equipment weapon.
Yes, it's a "backcountry" binding. But just because is feather-light doesn't make it a backcountry-only binding. I tested the Meidjo in the worst Icecoast conditions. Of course, after breaking dozens of NTN bindings in the past, I was worried about the Meidjo vulnerability under fast, aggressive skiing on the groomers. Boy, I was so wrong. This thing is amazingly solid. I took them everywhere on the front side. Whether it was in bumps or 40-degree icy groomers at full-throttle, I felt absolutely confident and totally secure with the M's under my feet. There is no way to destroy this lightweight artillery, no matter how hard I tried.
Unlike TTS systems which are just simple cable bindings with tech toes, the Meidjo offers a true NTN feeling with the second heel attachment. And that feeling is amazing... Being so light and so close to the snow, while having the full NTN power is a unique experience. You just don't feel the binding interacting between you and your skis anymore, like having your feet directly on the snow. They make your 4-buckle boots feel MUCH lighter.
Granted, it is the most expensive binding out there. But no, it's not just hype. And no, it's not overrated AT ALL: it's simply a marvel of creativity and engineering. The Meidjos are tattooed on my heart. On my feet and mind too. I will never be able to ski any other NTN bindings now. Once you try the Meidjo, going back is simply impossible.
And speaking of my heart... After all, if my dear Jasmin Taylor has already switched to Meidjos, then there is no reason left for not doing it too... 11/10. (Yes, the Meidjos really go to eleven...)
Pros:
- SUPER light
- SUPER active
- Perfect touring mode with the best range of motion
- Perfect releasability
- PERFECT control
- Very solid design and construction
Cons:
- Expensive, but worth every single penny
- I wish there was a limited pink edition