Powder board vs Split Board

Posted: 04 October 2012 04:42 PM

Some of my friend practice skiing and it’s mostly with these guys that I travel when we go out of the country for our ‘‘Powder Mania Trip’’ around the world.

Today, I’m really confuse…
I’m still looking to buy a new board and it’s maybe this first drop that make me fill like that….

My first guest will be to go with a real powder board like the Lib-tech Banana Hammock.
I make me feel completely crazy.

But you know these friends of mine with their beautiful ski are always waiting for me when we are up for a back country ride. I think that the split board could be useful to enjoy a little bit more these moment and mainly save energy.

There’s some split board with great reverse camber for my Powder Mania Trip?

Thanks!

Posted: 04 October 2012 09:11 PM

I’m not sure what you need is a splitboard. To flatten an area, change the board from ride more to touring mode, put on the skins and then do the opposite once you have reached where your friends are and put it back into ride mode you are talking 20-30 minutes. If your hike out is anything less than 30-40 minutes it isn’t worth investing in a splitboard.

If the powder you are riding is really deep I would look at snowboards like the Unity Whale, Venture Odin, Capita Chalie Slasher and Burton Barracuda which have lots more surface area in the nose and will keep you afloat in deep snow even when the gradient of the terrain flattens-out. Unless you are riding endless untracked snow the reverse sidecut on the Lib Tech Banana Hammock will be completely unrideable.

Posted: 04 October 2012 09:35 PM

“endless untracked snow”

Priority number one for winter 2012-2013

Posted: 05 October 2012 11:31 AM

And the only way you’ll find that is by splitboarding ;)

Venture Euphoria might fit the bill. It’s a similar shape to the Banana Hammock and it is available as a splitboard too.

Here’s a link to a press release Venture sent SB-RV - Venture Euphoria Press Release

Ice won’t be much fun.

Posted: 05 October 2012 04:48 PM

First of all I’m a little bit afraid about split board toughness.
You know… It’s look risky to jump a 30 ft cliff with this kind of board.
I doesn’t want to start skiing after the landing.

Posted: 05 October 2012 07:23 PM

I built one last summer and rode it last winter. My split has the Voile kit, apparantly the Karakoram kit brings the board together tighter but the Voile join is still very solid. In powder apart from the excess weight the board’s ride isn’t too different. The only real difference is the edge hold if you hammer-in a heel edge and want to stop on hard snow, then you can feel the board doesn’t have the same torsional stiffness and won’t stop so quickly.

I’d be happy riding a splitboard in nearly all off-piste conditions.

Posted: 05 October 2012 08:41 PM

Must be really cool to built his own splitboard.

The other main show stopper is the price and by building your own splitboard you must save some bucks for sure.

Did you use an old board or you started from nothing?

Posted: 06 October 2012 09:14 AM

I bought an old Option 174 for £50 and used that. The kit was about £150 and the skins about the same, so all together about £350. The project took about 2 weeks to build, if you don’t have the tools or the varnish to seal the inside edge you are talking about another £200 minimum, you also need a place to work.

I’m very happy with the board, it rides great, but the edges on the inside do not have a sidewall or an edge so they can become damaged very easily and let water into the core. If you have an old board or you can buy one very cheap and you have the tools and a bit of experience working with them then it’s an easy project. If you don’t then I would buy a splitboard and save yourself the work and the expense.

Here’s an article about my splitboard build splitboard build article . I am planning to post an article about how it rode this week.

Rich

Posted: 06 October 2012 02:18 PM

I also have a daddy with a nice work area and the needed tools. I will look to find a old board to switch in split. Your article is really nice.

So now the split vs powder board question is solve. I need to find the proper powder board!

I’m still thinking that buying a specific powder board is the way to go. I have already a good all mountain board if the pillow aren’t there. So after huge drop I can figure easely myself on a banana hammock!