Splitboard
A splitboard is a snowboard that can be divided in length . The parts are stably connected to one another by a mechanism and the binding mounts. By disassembling, you basically get a pair of simple touring skis .
The bindings can be remounted on the halves without tools and now work like a simple ski touring binding. If you provide the "skis" with climbing skins , you can go on a ski tour with the splitboard and climb up over snow-covered slopes like a ski tourer. At the destination, the dismantling takes place on a splitboard in preparation for the descent.
Development and history of splitboards
There are two, three and four-part splitboards. Today only two-part splitboards are produced in series. Splitboards are similar in construction and shape to freeride snowboards. The first splitboards were developed in Bavaria in the late 1980s and early 1990s , but only briefly entered series production because the materials and technology were not yet fully developed. In the mid-1990s, the idea was taken up again in the USA and the first successful series production succeeded. The best known splitboard manufacturer worldwide is Voilé from Salt Lake City (USA). Since the turn of the millennium, splitboards have become more and more popular in Europe and are shedding their shadowy existence more and more. The foundation for this was laid by the company voile-europe, which in 2000 was responsible for distribution in Europe for Voile-USA. In 2006 the distribution was stopped and the company was renamed Splitboards Europe, which in the following years established the two-part splitboards with Voilé system as the market leader in Europe. The reason for this are the annual test events of Splitboards Europe, which take away the general skepticism regarding the handling characteristics and handling of two-part splitboards with Voilé system. In the meantime, splitboards have conquered the whole world: Splitboarders are even on the move in Russia , Australia and New Zealand , as the entries in the splitboard forums on the Internet show.
The system that holds the bindings and also connects the halves to a snowboard plays a major role in the functioning of a splitboard. Almost all splitboard manufacturers use the connection system from the American manufacturer Voilé, which has been tried and tested for years, on their models. A (connection) binding system must be robust, user-friendly, durable and free from the problem of freezing - properties that are sometimes vital when touring in the backcountry . It is advantageous if it offers independence from the binding system used by the rider: it should be possible to mount any snowboard binding available on the market. Regardless of whether it is a freestyle binding for soft boots or a plate binding for ski touring boots or hard boots .
Three-part splitboards have the advantage that the halves of the ascent are not as wide and therefore fit a little better in the ski tourer's tracks. In 2010, the last manufacturer known throughout the industry stopped the industrial production of three-part splitboards.
The only four-part snowboard that was ever mass-produced was the "Jester Trip". Only a few copies still exist today. In this case, the middle part was halved again with a folding mechanism. These parts could be transported better in or on the backpack.
Splitboards can be made by yourself by sawing through a series snowboard in the middle; the cut edges are sealed and an assembly kit for the (connecting) connections available from specialist dealers is installed. Craftsmanship and precise work are basic requirements to get a splitboard that can be used at all.
Splitboard meeting
In Europe, the "Climb-the-Mountain" has been taking place in Montafon since 2006 .
Web links
- splitboards4europe.com , Splitboard Blog and history of Splitboards Europe / mr.splitboards
- splitboarding.eu , splitboard journal and community