After seasons and seasons of resort riding I've decided to get serious about backcountry boarding this season. While doing some research (aka google searching) on the best backcountry spots in Colorado and what tools you need to be safe and do it right, I came across a great invention: the split board.
As Backcountry magazine puts it, "Today's split boards bridge the schism between Polynesian surfers and Scandinavian skiers by combining the natural ease of skinning up a mountain with the fluid rush of surfing down the crystalline waves."
Their description may be a little dramatic, but the split board really is the best of two worlds. Basically it is a snowboard with a split down the middle fit with movable bindings that allow the rider to separate the pieces and ski or lock them together and snowboard.
The first models of split boards were released by Viole for the 1995-1996 season. Since then many modifications have been made to improve the binding system, and companies like Burton and Never Summer have joined Viole in the production of the boards.
The improved binding system on today's models help the split board's riding performance fall only steps behind traditional snowboards. High performance combined with the convenience of being able to leave your snow shoes at home and not having to carry your board on your back make split boards the tool of choice for backcountry enthusiasts.
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