1) KingPins have always been available here all throughout the spring and summer and even now. I purchased a pari of KingPin 10 in july as a snap price...
I Initially planned to replace the Barons on my Gotamas with those, but I am having second thoughts about that.
I now think I will keep those aside for my GF and wait for a snap price on KP 13 or a combo of new freeride skis+KP13 and keep the Barons on the Gotama.
2) Skiing the Gotama w/ Barons with the Tecnica Plug boots (old XT17) on groomed terrain is very close to ski a GS setup, with the difference that one had to meticolously plan when and how to turn, then commit to that turn and do not play with it. Off piste , in powder...a joy. I purposedly chose the Gotama over the Mantras that were also being offered, because I wanted a more powder oriented ski, being prepared to suffer a bit on the transfer to "the fields of joy" on the groomers. I found out, with pleasure, that the Gotama are also good on the groomers, on almost any snow condition but the hardest ("barred" slope or blue ice)
3) I have skinned with Gotama and Baron in that pair of Tecnica plug boots, it's a hog of a thing to do, but it is doable. Liners did not have laces, and that was a minus. Best case I found it is short,steep approaches (1800 to 2500 mt asl in a black run after season, boring but doable, used short strides). Long treks on flattish terrain, where I used long strides, led to blisters on my feet (1200 to 1850 asl on a blue with red portions...a huge PITA, I felt like I was crossing the whole of Siberia). Still it can be done.
4) At last I pulled the trigger on a sale offer on Tecnica ZGGP boots to use with the freeride setup (and these have laces on the upper portion of the liners)
5) In any case I plan to spend the minimum necessary time skinning (or skinning+climbing with skis on shoulder/backpack) uphill in any occasion. And even then, only if I absolutely have to (or need to climb back up of, say, a cul-de-sac) what with the goal being the descent. Approach will be "mechanized" most of the time.