Split boarding questions

[runswithdog]

Interested in hearing from other riders.....
the experience of riding a splitboard in the backcountry.

Do you need special boots? Can you use regular snowboard bindings?

I am pretty clueless, except I do know that you need skins on the 2 splits to ski uphill, then attach the 2 splits together to make one snowboard, to come flying downhill.


It sounds really fun, but in Colo. in most every geographic area you would also need a shovel, probe, and avy beacon.
Don't know if I want to go there...

[SteveH]

I've never ridden a splitboard, so my knowledge is purely academic. You can use standard snowboard bindings, but its best to have a narrow, light binding to work well in "ski" mode.

There are a variety of add-on to make the lash up work better. In additions to skins, you can get a heel lift to give a better angle for skinning up hill and crampons for traverses.

I've thought about dropping off Loveland pass sometime (with someone who knows the terrain), but I don't have the motivation to do the necessary avalanche training to do real backcountry.

[bernwern]

Splitboarding requires special gear, especially bindings. It is used more for backcountry. Jeremy Jones just left Rossi and started his own company: Jones Snowboards (http://www.jonessnowboards.com). They will not have a lineup until next year. I know many of them use skins, poles, and more. Unless you are riding backcountry and earning your turns, don't bother because the equipment is spendy.

-B

[canoer]

Fun video.

Seward Alaska Splitboarding

[John2]

Nice. Thanks for posting.