Look Pivot Criticisms

[Jeronimo]

I've been a Pivot devotee for a number of years. Piggybacking off of the comment from @Yo Momma, they just seem to have a better feel on the ski. I'm convinced I can feel them flex as I ski. I also have a pair of skis mounted with PX12s. The feel is different.

Now the problem... I've had the metal "ring" on the back plate sheer off and break while skiing. This has happened two times, most recently skiing Beaver Creek in early Feb. I sunk a right turn in deep snow at a pretty good speed and came out with no left ski. It was a painful experience. The other time this occurred was March 2019 after hitting a medium size jump. The landing was fine, but the next turn sent me tumbling with binding parts scattered on the snow.
View attachment 127126

These incidents were on Pivot 14s from approximately 2016. I'm not sure the metal toe piece that come with the 15s and 18s will make a difference, but I have a pair of 15s waiting for me to pick up at the post office. I had to find them online as my local shop is out of stock and unable to get additional stock. I'll report on the packaging when I pick them up.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Holy shit.

 

[Mike Thomas]

... because plastic breaks. Has anyone mentioned that there was a bad batch of heel bases made about 4 or 5 years ago??? Because there was. Look knows there is an issue. I helped someone who had compound fractured his tib/fib when his pivot base broke. Look really wanted to know the serial number printed on the metal... they really wanted to know and I didn't have to explain which part broke.

Gotta love talking to manufacturers.
Me- we have a warranty
Them- we've never seen one of those break... was it the older thin part or the newer thicker redesigned part?
Me- So you know the part is breaking. Cool, next time just give me an RA# and tell me replacement parts are on the way.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Do you carry skis on a ski rack or inside the car or rooftop box? I keep mine inside and almost always wipe them down when I come home. I've never had any binding or dirt issues.

Always inside, never outside in a rack , definitely skiing long enough to know better.

 

[Tony S]

I've been a Pivot devotee for a number of years. Piggybacking off of the comment from @Yo Momma, they just seem to have a better feel on the ski. I'm convinced I can feel them flex as I ski. I also have a pair of skis mounted with PX12s. The feel is different.

Now the problem... I've had the metal "ring" on the back plate sheer off and break while skiing. This has happened two times, most recently skiing Beaver Creek in early Feb. I sunk a right turn in deep snow at a pretty good speed and came out with no left ski. It was a painful experience. The other time this occurred was March 2019 after hitting a medium size jump. The landing was fine, but the next turn sent me tumbling with binding parts scattered on the snow.
View attachment 127126

These incidents were on Pivot 14s from approximately 2016. I'm not sure the metal toe piece that come with the 15s and 18s will make a difference, but I have a pair of 15s waiting for me to pick up at the post office. I had to find them online as my local shop is out of stock and unable to get additional stock. I'll report on the packaging when I pick them up.

Has this happened to anyone else?

No. Then again I probably wouldn't be laying my skis base-down on a big ol' rock either.

But seriously, Matt, that rots. Also, you need a sponsor. Those skis must have about 500 days on them by now.

 

[silverback]

was it one of these?

Group Rossignol Recalls LOOK Pivot Ski Bindings Due to Fall Hazard

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled ski bindings and contact LOOK to arrange for a free inspection and replacement.

www.cpsc.gov

 

[MattSmith]

No. Then again I probably wouldn't be laying my skis base-down on a big ol' rock either.

But seriously, Matt, that rots. Also, you need a sponsor. Those skis must have about 500 days on them by now.

Yes, I do require a sponsor. I seem to be going through skis like tooth brushes. The Experience 100s in the picture was the 1st break. I was too pissed off and hurt to get a picture of the recent break. Those skis lasted only another few weeks before they delaminated. I think the ski was drilled 3x. I ended up on new version of the Exp 100s with SPX12 bindings. I don't love that ski. They were cheap demo skis, sponsored by yours truely.

 

[anders_nor]

well I'll be damned, I just checked a pair of 2017/2018 skis I have , they do indeed have affected P18s... only skied them <10 times though in a few years so been good, but I do like to hit 50-55 on them, so would be good to get it sorted.

gonna check some other skis in basement tomorrow.

I did contact rossi

thanks for link @silverback not sure how I missed this.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

My $.02 - I love pivots because I’ve never had them pop when I would have preferred them to stay on. Nor I have ever had the reverse. They are the only bindings both those statements are true of.

I will agree with a few of the complaints - the break arms are stupid easy to bend out of a functional position with weird falls and too hard to replace. They are also annoying to step into in deep pow vs. the current gen amer bindings (sth2 notably though also wardens).

That said, they are really nice in all the ways bindings can be nice even beyond release characteristics (flat, low elevation) and there is no better compromise package actually on the market as far as I can tell for a downhill free ride application. This is a bit of “cargo cult” thinking but a majority of the changes from the OP would make me worried Pivot 2.0 would suck out of superstitious dread.

 

[ski otter 2]

I have the Pivot 18s on a pair of Whiteouts. Can't tell the difference. Maybe I'm missing something, dunno.

I had a pair of Pivot 18s on a pair of Black Ops 118. Definitely like those better with Schizos, partly because I liked honing in the mount point, and now like fine-tuning the mount point occasionally, depending on conditions and day.

I had another Pivot 18 I sold that I took off another pair of skis I still have; but right now I can't recall just what pair of skis those were. Just that they must have either Marker Schizos, or Marker or Tyrolia demos on them now. Sorry.

 

[ADKmel]

I've been a Pivot devotee for a number of years. Piggybacking off of the comment from @Yo Momma, they just seem to have a better feel on the ski. I'm convinced I can feel them flex as I ski. I also have a pair of skis mounted with PX12s. The feel is different.

Now the problem... I've had the metal "ring" on the back plate sheer off and break while skiing. This has happened two times, most recently skiing Beaver Creek in early Feb. I sunk a right turn in deep snow at a pretty good speed and came out with no left ski. It was a painful experience. The other time this occurred was March 2019 after hitting a medium size jump. The landing was fine, but the next turn sent me tumbling with binding parts scattered on the snow.
View attachment 127126

These incidents were on Pivot 14s from approximately 2016. I'm not sure the metal toe piece that come with the 15s and 18s will make a difference, but I have a pair of 15s waiting for me to pick up at the post office. I had to find them online as my local shop is out of stock and unable to get additional stock. I'll report on the packaging when I pick them up.

Has this happened to anyone else?

My Heel plate cracked- I noticed the binding/arm was extra loose- sent a video to Look and they sent me a new heel piece- in poor packaging- a manila envelope- no bubble wrap- just tossed in.

I agree 100% with @Yo Momma the feel of pivots is amazing- I like to ski the ski, not be on for the ride- the Pivots I 'feel" I am part of the ski and can feel the earth.

 

[ski otter 2]

^^^^^^From this and much of this thread, clearly I have to re-evaluate the Pivots. I have to wonder what properties I've attributed to the Whiteouts actually are enhanced at least by the Pivots.

 

[ski otter 2]

P.S. The biggest - or at least most dramatic - complaint about the Pivots that I haven't seen yet in this thread, seems like, are the warranty submissions to the shops. Not a tech room favorite. As I've said elsewhere, these things will occasionally torque out of the skis, screws and all, ripped/twisted out, not nicely unscrewed. Trashing the skis, pretty much. This has to do with how close together the screws/securing is, and the twisting forces on the bindings - and the skis. (And it may also have to do with how strong a skier a typical Pivot user can be.) Every year a few, maybe up to half a dozen or so to my favorite shop (a high volume place). And, I may get the details wrong here, but I seem to recall that when a few parts that fail often have to be replaced, the whole dang unit has to be ordered, not just that single part. A pet peeve that gets repeated.

(Other than the older, slightly notorious Saloman Z12 demos, I can't think off hand of another recent binding I've heard about that's got such a tech problem, though obviously there may be one. I'm sure not a tech person myself.)