What is an alpine ski Binding Indemnification Agreement?

Answer 1

Ski binding manufacturers will indemnify ski shops, who mount and adjust their bindings, against claims from skiers who are injured while using the bindings. The manufacturers update their lists annually. Once a binding model falls off the indemnification list, ski shops are no longer indemnified for mounting or adjusting the bindings. In the event of a lawsuit, the ski shop would have to defend itself in court, rather than having the manufacturer's lawyers defend the suit. Because of this, very few shops will touch a binding which is not on the indemnification list.

Ski binding indemnification lists are compiled by the National Ski and Snowboard Retailers Association. The NSSRA qualifies their compiled list with the following: "Every effort has been made to insure the accuracy of the list. But please remember that the last word on accuracy is that provided by the vendors, usually in their tech manuals."