Ankle buckle issue

UPDATED: DECEMBER 2010

Hey all,
We’ve had some reports of the springs in the ankle buckles coming unclipped, which causes the buckle to flop around.  The buckle on the left below is normal, while the one on the right has an unclipped spring:

Upon investigation it seems that our supplier used the wrong length of springs for some – not all – buckles they sent us for the very first wave of bindings we sent out the door.  Arrrrgh!

If you purchased your bindings after Nov 1, 2010 this post does not apply to you. This post also does not apply to toe buckles – it’s an issue affecting the ankle buckle only.

If you were one of the (un)lucky few who got our first shipment of bindings and are experiencing this ankle buckle issue,  please send an email to buckles@sparkrandd.com including your shipping address and where you purchased your bindings. We will send replacement buckles to you ASAP!

The buckles are completely functional without the springs.  As a temporary fix you can re-clip the springs.  This can be done with the buckle on the strap, in the photos below it was taken off of the strap for clarity.  Grab something you can pry with like a nail, screw, drill bit, punch etc.  Pinch the buckle to open it up:

Insert your prying tool from the side and get under the spring:

Pry up on the spring until it’s re-clipped on the crossbar:

This temporary fix will suffice until your replacement buckles may their way to you. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.   We very much appreciate your business and support!

Sincerely,

the Spark R&D Team