In 1952 Hannes Marker, a ski instructor from Garmisch, founded his binding company. His Duplex toe held the boot with clips on springs. In a fall, the clips were forced outward, and the boot was released.
Marker calls the Duplex the world’s first binding with a releasing toe. The French firm Look had introduced its Nevada release binding in 1950. The year of the Duplex is also uncertain. Marker gives 1952, other sources give 1953.